Jim Barnes
Jim Barnes
Jim Barnes is a consultant, speaker and author on customer relationship strategy and metrics, and on the creation of value for the customer. Barnes operates Barnes Marketing Associates, Inc. from his base in Canada. His latest book is Build Your Customer Strategy (John Wiley & Sons).
Sometimes the best customer experience is no customer experience
A few days ago, I came across a most delightful quote attributed to John Logue. He said "it's almost impossible to overestimate the...
Your loyalty is not worth what we said it was: the pitfalls of devaluing customer loyalty points
Hilton Hotels has recently come under widespread criticism for their decision to devalue the points that members of the Hilton HHonors program have accumulated....
Dangers of Dumbing Down Customer Research
Just about every time I buy something from a major retailer or stay at a leading hotel these days, I am being asked to...
Capitalizing on Customer (In)experience
We're all focused these days on the customer experience and with good reason. But there is very good evidence that increasing customer inexperience may...
Will Hummer and Saturn Ever be the Same? What a Global Recession Does to Brand Management
Some of the biggest challenges facing executives during this recession are related to the retention of customer confidence in their brands. Some of...
Stop Cutting Prices! Retain Customers with Four Types of Experiential Value
A company's value proposition can't be carved in stone; it must be flexible and adaptable. The value we offer to customers is constantly changing,...
Customer Experience: More Important Than Ever in Tough Times
If customer experience is a viable differentiation strategy in good times, it is doubly so today. At a time when most firms will naturally...
In the Midst of a Global Economic Crisis, It’s Still All About Service
I set out this morning to write a blog with no mention of subprime mortgages, recession, economic downturn, or bailouts. I figured that...
Does Customer-Centricity Have to Be a Victim of the Economic Downturn?
Suddenly, and with very good reason, everyone is focused on the impact of the current world-wide economic crisis. How does a company maintain...
Let’s Talk About How We Create REAL Customer Loyalty
There is a conventional view that, if they are to achieve long-run growth, companies should create as many loyal customers as possible. It...
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone to Measure What Matters to Customers
A young woman in a research project I was conducting a couple of years ago told about a particular service provider she had called,...
Shallow Thinking Ensures That We Get the Kind of Customer Research We Deserve
There has been much attention paid of late to the fact that most managers are incapable of deep thought. In their recent book,...
Can Starbucks Still Be a “Third Place” When Customers Drive Through?
Starbucks is simply not what it used to be. The brand that was one of the pioneers of the notion of the brand...
Don’t Just Hand Over Research to Joe in IT; the DIY Age Demands a Lot More Finesse
The practice of marketing has been seriously impacted by changes in technology, in part because of technology's effect on consumer behavior, but at least...
You’re Not Customer-Centric Just Because You Say You Are
The ultimate arbiter of customer centricity has to be the customer. Many businesses shout in their advertising and emblazon on the back of...
In Defense of Airline Employees
It has become fashionable to bash airlines and, by extension, airline employees. It seems that everyone has an airline story and delights in...
Offshoring of Call Centers May Have Negative Brand Repercussions
The question of the effect of a decision to locate call centers in other regions or even other countries is one that has attracted...
The CEO Also Has to Be the Customer Experience Officer
It may be argued that the role of the CEO of an organization is to preside over its growth and ongoing success. My simplistic...
Please, Sir, May I Have a 10?: The Sad State of Customer Satisfaction “Research”
I stayed last week at a hotel near a major airport. Following an efficient check-in, I went to my room and began to...
It Was Not the Branded Customer Experience British Airways Intended
It's not exactly the best time to be the CEO of an airline. It's especially not a great time to be Willie Walsh. As custodian...