Erika Blanchard
Erika Blanchard
Erika Blanchard is the manager of digital marketing and social media for VIPdesk, a leading provider of Virtual Contact Center, Concierge and Loyalty Program Solutions. She is an experienced marketing and management professional with a passion for customer service and social media who has authored several eBooks and guides on Social Media and Web Apps.
Consumers are Savvy to Scripted Service Encounters
Scripted calls. We've all been there – and oftentimes it's easily tell when a call is scripted. I know I've been involved in service...
Executive Insights: Mark Robeson
The article reprinted below appeared in the recently-published Q2 issue of Loyalty Management magazine, which is published by Loyalty 360. Mark Robeson, Senior Vice President,...
Top Travel Trends for 2012
Trying to keep up with changes in the travel market is a daunting task. Technology has completely transformed the travel industry and both consumers...
Brands are People too
I recently stumbled upon the article, "Consumers choose brands like they do people" on The Wise Marketer, one of my favorite websites to visit...
The NEXT Step in Loyalty Marketing
Express, an American fashion retailer headquartered in Columbus, Ohio and New York, New York which operates over 550 stores in the United States and...
7 Customer Service Resolutions for 2012
It's 2012, which means; a new calendar, a new year and a new opportunity to start over… Over the past week, I've seen a lot...
Do You Believe?
When I recently came across the article "You Gotta Believe" by COLLOQUY Partner Jim Sullivan, I was intrigued. According to a recent COLLOQUY Loyalty...
Experiential Rewards in Loyalty Programs is Expected to Increase in 2012
We recently conducted a survey during a webinar which we hosted on Experiential Rewards, "Experiential Rewards Programs: Rewarding Customer Loyalty One Unforgettable Experience at...
Article of Interest: Let me guess
It seems like everyone has a loyalty program in place – and for that, as a consumer, I am grateful. I utilize each and...
Holiday Shopping: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly – and How to Survive
Now that Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are behind us – I thought this would be a good time to...
Article of Interest: Brand Loyalty or Loyalty to the Rewards?
Brand loyalty or loyalty to the rewards? This is an interesting question posed by Suzanne Vara recently on Social Media Today – and one...
Customer Service: Practice what you preach
I think we all know that many companies are seriously deficient in quality customer service. I know in any given week, I am horrified...
Article of Interest: Rewards Breakage – Boon or Bane?
I recently read a rather lengthy article, "Rewards breakage-boon or bane? The role of technology in optimizing breakage" by Sanjai Velayudhan, Senior Manager, Loyalty...
From the VIP Concierges
With Labor day weekend behind us – and the fact that I stayed put for the long weekend – I got to thinking (and...
Article of Interest: The Greatest Customer Service Story Ever Told, Starring Morton’s Steakhouse
s="c1"> So, I've been following Peter Shankman since I discovered HARO (help a reporter out) a couple of years ago; an extremely useful concept for...
Article of Interest: 20 Ways to Kill Customer Loyalty
Are your customers loyal? I'm sure you have some loyal customers, or odds are you wouldn't be in business; however, I'm sure there's quite...
Article of Interest: Creating Dramatically Different Customer Experiences
So how do companies differentiate themselves from their competitors? First, they need to be sure that they are focusing on the entire customer experience?from...
Article of Interest: Customer Loyalty: Beyond Earning Miles
It's hard to believe that loyalty programs started thirty years ago. Thanks to the AA Advantage, others followed suite – and many of us...
Learn how to tweak your loyalty initiatives for success
I recently read an article titled, Seven ways to tweak your loyalty initiatives for success by Mitch Martin, Director Business and Consumer Intelligence for...
Premium Customer Care: Developing a Customer Experience Blueprint
Many marketers today don't really understand what today's "new" customer wants; nor do they know what marketing strategies and tactics work anymore. We all...