Towel Day has passed me by in the last few years (actually it’s passed me by since its inception) but I noticed it last week and as it reminded of a towel-related customer experience I’d intended to write something and shamelessly exploit the hashtag for a link or two. In the end a mild virus – barely even man-flu – was enough to put paid to that plan but, as it’s quite a good lesson in customer experience I won’t save it until next year.
Tales from the sharp end #1: M&S Food
Starting an occasional series in which I report back from the front line of customer experience. As well as an obsession with the minutiae of customer experience I have an obsession with keeping things as simple as possible (but no simpler as Einstein once put it) and so a recent experience with M&S Food reminded me, once again, how introducing even a small amount of complexity into a transaction can result in a poor customer experience, despite the heroic efforts of front line staff… Continue reading “Tales from the sharp end #1: M&S Food”
My week in CX #9
In a week in which my customer experiences revolve around eating, I give some feedback, find out how much my advice is worth, eat far too much pizza and receive more communication from the mysterious Amy Ingram…
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My week in CX #8
Delays to last week’s customer experience owing to some pressing client work means that I’m casting my mind back to about a fortnight ago… if only I had some memory enhancement to help me… more on that later. It was a week in which tech matters seemed to come to the fore, particularly in the area of artificial intelligence (AI) where the future may be arriving, albeit slowly.
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Dog days: when brands bite
I like the occasional beer, and I like brands that position themselves as something a bit different, so it was disappointing to read of the contortions that self-styled punk brewers Brewdog went through when their solicitors asked Birmingham pub The Wolf to change its original name – The Lone Wolf – as it conflicted with the brewer’s new spirits brand of the same name.
Brewdog’s actions sit uncomfortably Continue reading “Dog days: when brands bite”
My week in CX #5
In a week of customer experience lunches I re-discover that it pays to complain, get creative online and wish more people were like the #timetunneltrain driver.
Whole lotta lunch
Fay Maschler, restaurant critic of the Evening Standard publishes a diary of what we might call her meets and eats Continue reading “My week in CX #5”
My week in CX #4
There’s quite a bit in this week’s cavalcade of customer fun that relates to healthcare and queuing so it seems entirely appropriate to dust off a jazz-rock-fusion classic from my vinyl collection for this week’s photo. Meanwhile, some of the recent sagas come to a close (and some don’t) and everybody seems to want my feedback.
My week in CX #3
Some of last week’s less positive stories look like they could turn into long-running sagas, but there’s still some good ones amongst the purveyors of low-level annoyance – including a cautionary tale from the school of rock on how I let my own ‘customers’ down… Continue reading “My week in CX #3”
My week in CX #2
It’s been a good week for my own experiences as a customer covering everything from pubs to running, although not at the same time. Let’s start with the running…
Runner’s needs met?
Lately I’ve been dogged by a pain in my heel, most noticeable when running and I think I can attribute it to some otherwise super-comfortable running shoes I bought from Runnersneed last year. A brief internet search just now – which I normally avoid because of the risk of early-onset hypochondria – reveals Continue reading “My week in CX #2”
Service Smackdown 6: Casual dining, casual service?
It’s an occupational hazard of this line of work that I feel obliged to fill in online feedback forms whenever the opportunity is presented. Recently I’ve been invited to do so by two outlets operated by Tragus Group – whose website proclaims they are one of the UK’s largest casual dining groups and their brands include high street favourites Strada, Bella Italia and Café Rouge. As they use the same survey engine it seems a good opportunity to promote a Service Smackdown bout between two evenly-matched opponents: in the red corner, armed with several bottles of lethal brew, the Belgian Bruiser that is Belgo; in the blue corner, with an audience of adoring fans across the country, I give you Strada! Seconds out…
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