I first started writing my blog six years ago. Since that time, I have crafted hundreds of articles – producing them, almost religiously, on a weekly basis. Regularly, I am asked how I generate the ideas behind the articles – ‘do I have a plan and schedule for the year?’. No – is the simple [...]
The summer holidays are upon us. Sun. Sea. Fabulous Food. Fun. Friends. I am sure there are many more words that spring to mind when thinking about holidays planned both at home and abroad. The words I have chosen to use are all positive ones - exactly what should be used when thinking about a [...]
As we near the peak of the festive season, there are a number of annual rituals that I look forward to undertaking. Once presents have been opened and copious amounts of food and drink consumed, I settle in to the relative calm of the five days that separate Christmas and New Year. I have often [...]
Have you ever looked up the definition of the word Empathy? I would suspect that you have not! It is not often that we take the time to read dictionaries!! If you read the definition above, it is also likely that you will find it difficult to correlate many of the words used with organisations [...]
As a consumer, there are occasions when I am interacting with an organisation that my heart genuinely sinks. There are times when I think to myself, 'oh no - not again'. Sometimes I will even express my despair out loud. More often than not, the cause of my anguish is driven by poor customer service. [...]
As is often the case at the end of a long hard day, I collapsed on to the sofa to watch a little bit of television last night. I noticed that there was a programme on BBC2 at 9pm about the history of the London Underground. The programme was absolutely fascinating, and made me think completely [...]
It gives me absolutely no pleasure to write a blog about an organisation that is in significant financial difficulty. It is at times like this that our thoughts should be with the employees that may not have employment for much longer, and the suppliers, some of whom run small companies, that will potentially be out [...]
I woke up this morning to see and hear reports about the continuing demise of the British high street. According to the media, up to 30 high street chain stores are closing on a daily basis. These stores are being replaced by pawnbrokers, bookmakers and charity shops. Here is one perspective from the Independent newspaper [...]
For years, John Lewis along with Amazon and First Direct have been widely heralded as the shining examples of how to deliver excellent customer experiences. Recent benchmarking studies from Nunwood (referenced in this marketing week article - http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/the-brands-that-run-rings-around-their-rivals/3030720.article) and Temkin Group (http://experiencematters.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/report-2012-temkin-experience-ratings-uk/) back up what most of us recognise - that John Lewis are still believed to [...]
