Beginnings I've been asked what got me started writing Return Customer. I'd say it was a series of unfortunate events with retail stores that planted the seed in my mind. I wanted a place to vent my frustrations but soon realized that the internet is full of sites bashing companies and each other. … [Read more...]
Success Through Subtraction
I'm currently reading Geoffrey Moore's classic Crossing the Chasm and read a piece that caught my attention. Moore describes the beginnings of the PDA market and how several companies including Apple and HP tried and failed to break into the mass market. PalmPilot came along and was successful … [Read more...]
Are You Measuring Customer Loyalty?
MarketingSherpa has released a report of ecommerce benchmarks. You can view a summary of their findings in a free PDF. Overall the data is informative but what really peaked my interest was their research on measuring customer retention and loyalty: Despite the fact that everyone in this … [Read more...]
Return Customer’s Birthday Contest
Next week ReturnCustomer.com celebrates its first birthday! Thanks to you loyal readers, it has been a great experience thus far. Here is your chance to get a little birthday present for yourself. The Contest Name a company that excels in its field and is worth emulating. Tell us why you … [Read more...]
Book Review: Getting Real
Getting Real is the self-published e-book by the guys at 37signals. I read their previous book Defensive Design for the Web and currently use their online organizer Backpack everyday. Since my experience with 37signals has been very positive, I gave their latest publication a spin. What is … [Read more...]
Book Review: 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Buy The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing from Amazon Authors Al Ries and Jack Trout outline The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing that you must follow if you're to be successful in marketing your company. They warn the reader: If you violate the immutable laws, you run the risk of … [Read more...]
Clever Auto-Reply Email Address
Most of the transactions you complete on the web generate an automated confirmation email. These come from email addresses like these: auto-confirm@amazon.com SouthwestAirlines@mail.southwest.com system@backpackit.com Have you ever hit reply and responded to one of these emails? Your email … [Read more...]
Hiding Behind a Phone Tree
Think about the last time you had to call a customer service phone number and tried to talk to an actual human being. Were you successful? Odds are you had to navigate a convoluted menu system by punching numbers on your phone. If you were lucky, you got to "speak" to the computer and tell them what … [Read more...]
A Tale of 3 eCommerce Sites
My wife and I recently purchased some products from three sites we had never before used. I'm usually a little apprehensive about purchasing from a new online site because they haven't yet established a relationship of trust. The big thing that helps build trust for me is the professional … [Read more...]
Get a Referral Buddy
Before you run out to buy something new or try out a new restaurant, I think it's a good idea to ask somebody for a recommendation. People love to ask their friends: "do you know a good ...?" How many times have you asked that question? Your friends help ease your fear of the unknown by sharing … [Read more...]
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