The customer is in charge and the customer is talking - about you. There's great value in engaging the customer. Engaged customers buy more, tend to be more loyal and recommend their friends to you. The "thumbs up " on Facebook is one of the ways the customer spreads the word about you and one of the reasons you want to make sure you are engaging the customers in ways you never did before.

71% Take a Friend’s Recommendation

The customer’s opinion is more important than it ever was before. 71% of people said they take a friend’s recommendation for a product or service. Customers today are involved and engaged in a way never before possible and it’s changing the game. For the better, I think.   The customer’s in charge and the customer…

I am beginning to think the service givers are suffering from a disease I call E.D.S. – Empathy Deficiency Syndrome. Some of the symptoms include apathy and an amazing ability to look right at a customer and not see a thing. The other peculiar indication of this syndrome is the inability to use the words “I’m sorry” or calming phrases such as “I can understand how that might be upsetting.”

Overcoming Apathy by Bringing the Customer to Life in Your Company

JoAnna Brandi hates to generalize, but I am beginning to think the service givers, especially here in Florida are suffering from a disease I call E.D.S. – Empathy Deficiency Syndrome. Some of the symptoms include apathy and an amazing ability to look right at a customer and not see a thing. The other peculiar indication of this syndrome is the inability to use the words “I’m sorry” or calming phrases such as “I can understand how that might be upsetting.”

This week I had dinner with my Mom at Seasons52. As the hostess took us to our seats, she picked up two black napkins and when we were seated asked us, since we were both wearing dark clothing, if we'd prefer a black napkin.

The Black Napkin

Last week I was having dinner with a colleague in Miami. A wonderful Italian restaurant on the inter-coastal waterway. Good food, good company. In the rustic tradition the white napkins resembled kitchen towels – thirsty but – uh fuzzy. Absorbed as I was in the food and the conversation I didn’t pay much attention to…