Articles Index
Quotations from the Customer-centric Founder and CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos
In the ten years before Amazon made a profit, its founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos constantly defended the customer-centric strategies that he believed would create long-term success, in spite of their cost in the short-term. Get an inside look at the customer service philosophies that helped Bezos, build Amazon.com into one of the largest, most profitable, most admired, most copied, and most envied e-commerce companies in the world.
Service Failure is Service Failure - Office Max vs. the Hotel from Hell
What is the cost of a bad customer experience vs. the cost of good customer service recovery? In this true customer service story, compare the customer service failures and the service recovery that led to one good and one bad customer service experience at a luxury hotel and a budget office supply store. In the matchup between Office Max and the Hotel from Hell, who makes things right after things go wrong?
Worst Retail Companies Rankings for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011
This is a list of the worst retail companies of 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, according to customer votes in a survey conducted each year by Consumerist.com. Find out which U.S. retail companies (and companies with significant retail operations) customers consider to be the worst of the worse, and which companies have made the worst list for several years in a row.
Retail Companies On Business Week's 2009 Customer Service Champ List
The best retail customer service in the U.S. is recognized each year by Business Week in its "Retail Customer Service Champs" ranking list. See which retail industry companies were designated as the best of the best in customer service by Business Week and J.D. Powers for 2009.
Retail Companies On Business Week's 2010 Customer Service Champ List
See which retail industry companies were designated as the best of the best in customer service by Business Week and J.D. Powers for 2010. The best retail customer service in the U.S. is recognized each year by Business Week in its "Retail Customer Service Champs" ranking list.
2011 Best Customer Experience in U.S. Retail Industry - Best and Worst
Find the best and the worst customer service experience rankings in the U.S. retail industry for in this article. The 2011 Tempkin Experience Ratings ranked Wal-Mart, Amazon, Macy's, Sears and 29 more of the biggest and best U.S. retail chains based on a survey of 6,000 customers. Get the customer experience ratings of the U.S. retail industry, compared to other U.S. companies in 12 different industries here.
2010 Best and Worst Customer Satisfaction Rankings in the U.S. Retail Industry
Which retail companies have the best and the worst customer satisfaction scores and rankings in the U.S. retail industry? Find out which of the largest U.S. retail chains were rated as the best and the worst for customer satisfaction in 2010 by the American Customer Satisfaction Index, (ACSI).
Retail Federation (NRF) Customers' Choice Survey Compares Best Customer Service
The National Retail Federation (NRF) publishes the results of the Customers' Choice Survey each year which ranks U.S. retail companies on their customer service, as judged by their customers. See a complete comparison list of all U.S. retailers that have been recognized on the NRF Customers' Choice awards here.
World's Largest Retailers Not Chosen by Customers for Best Customer Service
Some of the largest U.S. retail industry companies have not been chosen by customers as having the best customer service in an annual survey by the National Retail Federation. As much as the Customer's Choice Survey rankings reveal the best in retail customer service, the list of companies not included reveals the retail companies that customers seem to regard as having mediocre or bad customer service. This is a list of retailers not chosen by customers as having the best customer service.
Continental Airlines Killed A Day, Not Customers With Maintenance Failure (CAL)
Read a customer service story about a Continental Airlines maintenance service failure. Continental didn't kill any passengers, but they killed their day instead with a failed customer service recovery process that successfully inconvenienced customers for more than ten hours. After avoiding disaster, do customers have a right to expect good service?
Waffle House Sets Surprising Standards For a Consistent Customer Experience
The Waffle House restaurant chain is an unlikely source for retail restaurant chain customer service standards, but their employees manage to deliver an experience that is consistent and sincere in the no frills diners. Find out how Waffle House employees use "The Magnficent Seven" to exceed customer expectations in this first person account.
Retailers Find Balance Between Operational Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction
After a period of intense focus on operational efficiency, the retail industry is challenged to shift its focus to put the customer experience back into the retailing equation. Get expert analysis about the new balance that must be achieved between profitability and custmer satisfaction in a new economy in this article.
Starbucks' Service Can't Stop Store Closings But Customers Still Love the Brand
Despite the reality of substantial store closings, Starbucks is staying true to the branded experience that is still keeping its most loyal customers satisfied. Get expert analysis of the role of customer service in recessionary times and the true value of customer satisfaction in the retail industry equation here.
Customer Satisfaction Surveys Are Hot in Retail Industry, But Changes Are Not
The trend to solicit customer feedback in the U.S. retail industry is hot, but making changes to improve customer satisfaction based on survey results is not always evident. Get expert retail analysis of the current customer service survey craze and the importance for retailers to respond to what they read.
Retail Customer Service Failure Recovery Strategies That Repair Relationships
When customer service fails, retail employees need solid service recovery strategies to fix mistakes, repair customer relationships, and build trust. Find expert analysis of a common service failure situation that was handled in an uncommon way to produce a positive outcome here.
Customer Satisfaction Drives Sales and Loyalty for Top U.S. Retail Companies
While many struggling retailers are focused on price cuts to lure customers in the door and motivate sales, many top U.S. retail companies are focusing extra attention on giving superior service to customers and creating a successful shopping experience. Find expert commentary about the need for focus on customer satisfaction in retail stores and e-commerce websites even in the midst of a recession.