By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD After a recent online purchase, I was given the projected delivery date. The package arrived a day before it was promised. I was impressed. However, two hours after it arrived, I received an automated phone call from the shipper telling me the delivery would be tomorrow. The message came too […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Email is a cost-effective and simple way to reach out and touch clients and customers. But just because it’s cheap and easy, this doesn’t mean it’s always a good idea. When done wrong, email messages can alienate the audience you’re trying to cultivate. Send Only Useful Messages Many years ago […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I was quite skeptical about “gamification,” the use of gaming concepts to motivate desirable behavior among employees or customers. Playing “games” at work, I reasoned, would lower productivity and decrease profitability. And although applying gamification to customers might result in a short-term increase in brand involvement or purchases, I doubted […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Last week I experienced poor customer service and great customer service. Both happened the same day – from the same organization. By choice I bank locally. My bank has a main office and two branches. For twelve years, I’ve always used just one branch. When I make a deposit, I […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Last month I wrote about the importance of embracing social media. Regardless how you may feel about it, social media is an increasingly important business enabler that should be part of our overall business strategy. In general, social media can be used as a means to connect with people and […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Whenever the phrase social media is uttered, people have one of three responses: “I love it,” “I’m sick of it,” or “I don’t have time for it.” Much has been said about social media, and that’s bound to continue, most likely with increasing frequency. Social media is not going away […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Getting my annual income tax return done is one of my most dreaded tasks. Though I keep good records, plan ahead, and take a conservative approach, “tax season” is a source of personal anxiety and trepidation. As I organized this year’s batch of requisite documents for my accountant, I stumbled […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Late last year the U.S. Call Center and Consumer Protection Act (H.R.3596) was introduced as the US Congress’ latest foray against our industry. Although it carries a benign, even possibly positive, title, it is neither. The bill’s Introduction (with typo) states its purpose as: “To require a publicly available a […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD As I gaze about my office, I am amused at its absurdity. It contains an eclectic array of form and function. Although my computer technology is first rate, the room’s remaining accouterments are a varied collection emanating from different decades, with diverging appearance and disparate degrees of utility. In short, […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Most of today’s younger drivers have never had the experience of pulling into a gas station and having an attendant run out and fill up their car with gas. When it comes to fueling their vehicles, all they know is self-service. I have a vague recollection of that time. When […]