November 14, 2025 Consumer Power Use it intentionally. Ever had a meal so great you wanted to tell everyone — or an experience so awful you wished you could warn the world? Your reviews matter more than you think. Here’s how to use your consumer power wisely — and make sure your feedback actually helps. If you’re like me, you patronize all sorts of businesses — restaurants, shops, contractors, medical offices. And if you’re also like me, you’ve probably experienced the full range of customer service: from stellar to tragic. As consumers, we have more power than we realize to influence the level of service…
January 12, 2018 2018…The Year of Customer Service Some days you are on the giving end of it, some days, the receiving end. As important as it is for you to get it, it is even MORE important for you to give it. To what am I referring? Why, Customer Service, of course! You know how important good customer service is to you when you are making buying decisions…what restaurants to dine in, which shops to patronize, what merchandise to buy. Try practicing the “Golden Rule” as it applies to customer service and be an example of how to give great service in your own job. Even if…
March 30, 2010 Can I Speak with a LIVE Person…PLEASE!?! Why are businesses using automated answering services during normal business hours, as a replacement to nice, friendly, helpful, AND LIVE, customer service representatives? Do business owners actually believe this is a good idea? An upgrade in customer service? I don’t know anyone who hasn’t felt utter frustration, at least once, after encountering an automated answering machine when calling to place an order or ask a question. The worst is the kind that is supposed to recognize your voice commands, but no matter how perfectly you enunciate, it can’t differentiate yes from no. When people call your business, they want to…
