I first wrote a blog post about Tesco two years ago. Entitled 'Tesco: Hero or Villain – You Decide', I made the case for Tesco being a hero - achieving huge financial success due to its ability to do everything the consumer wanted it to do. I wrote: Being blunt, Tesco have done what every retailer [...]
Every week friends and family share stories with me. The stories are a reflection of what is happening in the real world - the world we all live in as consumers and customers. Whilst many of the stories are positive reflections of people doing great things, more often than not, the story is one that [...]
Who was it that said 'rules were meant to be broken'? Depending on what you believe via the World Wide Web, the source ranges from a proverb, to General Douglas MacArthur to Richard Nixon. Wherever the phrase originated, when it comes to Customer Experience, it is one that is extremely apt. The question is, should [...]
It is difficult to find anyone who does not like John Lewis. It is difficult to find anyone who does not trust John Lewis. The UK department store with the distinctive green and white logo has been the undisputed retail King of customer satisfaction for many many years. In my 42nd year, I can still recall as though [...]
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. [...]
I sometimes come across stories that make me question whether or not the principle of 'customer experience' is even scratching the surface in society today. Stories that make me question whether or not organisations we transact with on a daily basis even know what is happening to us as we part with our hard earned [...]
Let me get one thing straight - I do not love Aldi. However, just to confuse you, I can also say that I do not dislike Aldi either. One thing is for sure - millions of UK consumers do love Aldi, including Mrs Golding! In September 2013, Aldi reported a rise in annual revenue of 41% (bringing [...]
Have you ever been in a situation as a customer where you have thought you would/could do a better job yourself? Have you stood at a checkout in a supermarket and felt the urge to jump over the conveyor belt and start scanning the things you want to buy? Have you ever re-stacked items on [...]
It may have escaped your notice, but it appears as though Christmas is coming. The eagle-eyed among us will have noticed Christmas displays being erected as early as August in some retail locations, but it is not until November that the commercial Christmas bandwagon really get's rolling. By the time we reach the first [...]
This is the historic city of Chester in North West England. With Roman remains a plenty, including the largest uncovered amphitheatre in Britain, the beautiful River Dee, and the world-famous 'rows' (two rows of shops - one on the top of the other) along the four main streets in the city, Chester has a huge amount [...]
