Worth the Points - CRMAdvocate: 11/29/2012

CRMAdvocate
Advocate for the customer experience, contact centers, and CRM

Blog (1,675) Events (13) Webinars (10) Articles (3,685)

Subscribe About Contact Home

My Take: Worth the Points
Gary Lemke, Chief Customer Advocate (November 29, 2012)

Share

Are we ready for a new direction when it comes to retailing tactics that almost guarantee a poor customer experience in the name of a special deal? Think Black Friday.

Can a retailer differentiate itself by offering Black Friday type deals year round thus offering shoppers a better, more predictable experience than waiting outside the store in a long line at midnight after Thanksgiving?

Many commented on the idea saying that is what JCP has tried to do with little success. That is certainly true on the pricing strategy but where has the differentiated customer experience fit into the overall plan? The point of this discussion is not to offer a case study on JPC (see JCPenny Will Miss This Holiday Season) as much to ask where the quality of the customer experience fits into the idea of holiday merchandising. For the B2B crowd, where do event driven gimmicks fit in to a longer term loyalty strategy?

Take heart. I believe there is room for bold Black Friday moves to improve the customer experience. In fact, it is wide open territory. Consider the differentiation possibilities of a retailer making Black Friday an exclusive event to only their most loyal customers. Only those with a history of loyalty (past sales) are allowed to shop exclusive deals on that particular Friday.

Now that's a reward worth the points.

What's your take?

Gary Lemke

Other CRMAdvocate "Takes"

11.28.12 Ready for a New Direction 11.12.12 Inseparable Twins 11.08.12 Let's Get Naked 11.06.12 Acceptable Risks, Acceptable Losses 11.05.12 Just Like the Others 11.01.12 Never a Mandate 10.30.12 Enough to Self Destruct 10.29.12 Perceived Fairness more "takes"

Join CRMAdvocate (no cost)
We never share your info: privacy policy

20,000+ members . . . and growing

Lasting Impressions:
Always remember that the future comes one day at a time. - Dean Acheson

     CRMAdvocate Blog (1,675)
     Industry Events (13)
     Webinars (10)
     Past Editions (3,685)
     Share your Take
     Join CRMAdvocate (no cost)

Bettering the Customer Experience . . .

4 Omnichannel Strategies for Customer Care, Part I
Customer engagement channels (voice, ecommerce, mobile and social) have been viewed as separate and distinct customer interactions. However successful customer engagement occurs when these channels are seamlessly blended and put into context. Like today's upgraded mobile smart devices, we can talk, text, email, chat, send pictures, network with friends online, tweet at any moment, become the mayor of the local coffee house or just play, read a book, watch ESPN and relax to our favorite tunes. The point is, it is the customer's choice, and these channels represent opportunities at specific moments of truth to build loyalty. The key to bridging the gap from multiple individual and distinct channels is shifting from a multi-channel to an omnichannel perspective.    . . . read more >>

Genesys Broadens Market with the Introduction of Genesys One
Genesys announced Genesys One – a customer service solution for the broader enterprise market. As part of a single software solution, Genesys One packages Genesys’ contact center capabilities with customer service best practices in the form of templates and applications, making it fast and easy to deploy. Genesys One is built upon the Genesys 8 software suite, including the SIP-based Genesys Customer Interaction Management Platform. The solution includes routing, agent desktop, and reporting at a fixed-price installation for deployment in 30 days or less.    . . . read more >>

Research Unveils How Digital Marketers Enhance Customer Value
Lyris, a provider of digital marketing solutions, announced the findings of its 2012 Digital Optimizer Survey. The report highlights the most effective digital marketing practices, techniques and future investments to improve customer engagement and boost ROI. “Today's digital marketers face an increasingly complex customer interaction landscape. In order to succeed, marketers must be able to harness the power of data to connect with buyers in simple, meaningful ways,” said Alex Lustberg, CMO of Lyris. “However, as we continue to evaluate marketing investments we have found that there is an increased need for best practices and analytics that can deliver the actionable insights to improve marketing effectiveness.”    . . . read more >>

Angel Survey Reveals Shift in Customer Service Preferences
Angel, a provider of cloud-based Customer Experience Management (CEM) solutions and division of MicroStrategy, released the findings from a survey of over 650 Dreamforce attendees. The survey results show an evolution of customer service preferences, with more customers expecting businesses to better anticipate customer needs and provide more personalized and on-demand customer service across any channel and device. The results demonstrated a significant shift to web and mobile technologies as the preferred ways to connect with customer service. From these results, there is an opportunity for companies to better anticipate the change of customer preferences and begin providing multichannel customer support to quickly resolve problems, improve the customer experience and increase customer satisfaction.    . . . read more >>