There’s a warm feeling you get when you walk into a familiar place. When the staff knows you by name, greets you with delight and serves up “the usual”, you feel honored, respected and welcome. This is the differentiator between the “mom and pop shop” and the mega mall; between the corner store and the [...]
Read more
Archive by Author
Top Tweets of 2011
December 31, 2011
22 Comments
For many of us, this past year was a time of transitions and triumphs, of mountains climbed and summits reached. I know for me, one of the greatest sources of daily encouragement was the pure stream of wisdom I received on Twitter. So many wise advisors gave their time and their words to inspire and [...]
Read moreInfluence and Advocacy
August 10, 2011
13 Comments
I recently had the honor of being included alongside close friends on the Mindtouch customer service influencers list. I’m grateful to Mindtouch for investing in the research, and grateful to all who voted to place me on the list. I’m even more delighted that the message of customer advocacy is spreading and gaining traction. This [...]
Read moreMay the True “You” Shine Through
August 1, 2011
18 Comments
Two-Faced. Double-Dealing. Duplicitous. These are the terms we have for people who say one thing when they are around us and another when we’re gone. It’s an age-old complaint: Universally deplored. Why, then, have so many business learned to not only tolerate this behavior but to actually encourage it? There is an invisible line between [...]
Read moreLose Some “Wait”
February 25, 2011
Comments Off
Nothing says “DISRESPECT” quite like forcing someone else to wait. And yet, that is exactly what so many brands do daily to the very customers they claim to value! It’s conventionally accepted that the customer (who NEEDS something) should be willing wait for the service provider (who HAS what they NEED.) However, somewhere along the [...]
Read moreNet Promoter Score: The Ultimate Question
February 2, 2011
10 Comments
I swiped my debit card and stared at the tiny screen… I expected a prompt for my PIN. Instead, the monitor read, “How likely are you to recommend K-Mart to a friend”?” This caught me off guard. K-Mart wants to know if I LIKE them? Not only that, they want to know if I like [...]
Read moreSeek or Go Hide
January 27, 2011
11 Comments
“Hide and Seek” had screeched to a halt! My 11 year-old son had outsmarted his younger sisters by hiding BEHIND the dryer! My poor daughters had looked every place they knew. They were now wailing that he’d run away from home. It was time for Dad to get involved. With a loud shout, I commanded [...]
Read moreWhy We Matter
January 11, 2011
19 Comments
I didn’t even KNOW I was a Technical Writer. You see, back in 1995, I’d been brought on as a TEMP to answer merger-related email for a bank. When the bank’s Online Customer Service department suddenly faced an external audit, they asked me to document all the internal procedures. A few weeks later, as that [...]
Read moreA Technical Writer’s Christmas List
December 22, 2010
16 Comments
I saw Santa in the mall this weekend. The line was long, but I THOUGHT about it. I know I’m too old. I know he would NOT appreciate me on his lap. I get all that. But I WANT stuff. I want Technical Documentation stuff. Not products, mind you: I want FUNCTIONALITY! I know the [...]
Read more6 Ways to “Be The One” in 2011
December 21, 2010
14 Comments
The shriek shatters your daydream, causing your fists to clench. You spin, seeking the sound’s source. There, just 100 yards away, a helpless person is in danger! You’ll help, right? You’ll at least GET help, right? Of course you will … Right? Apparently, it’s not that simple. The answer shouldn’t depend on how many other [...]
Read more- Planned Inconvenience
- Top Tweets of 2011
- Bring your WHOLE self to Work?
- Why We Matter
- May the True “You” Shine Through
- The Paradox of Social CRM
- Top Tweets of 2011
- Influence and Advocacy
- May the True “You” Shine Through
- Lose Some “Wait”
-
tomopencrm: Really interesting article. It's a real paradox - ...
-
Clemens Rettich: Love this Tristan. It is so refreshing to see some...
-
KnowledgeBishop: Fantastic content collection, Mary Ellen! Thank yo...
-
-
