Marc Sokol
Marc Sokol
A psychologist with an eye for the ways organizational dynamics make it possible or impossible to delight customers, I see the world from the eyes of customers, employees and leaders who strive to transform customer experience.
Delta: Why your customer service training won’t work
Image by Getty Images via @daylife If you fly in the USA it won't be news to read that Delta's airlines has low ratings on...
There is no joy in marketing
"There is no 'joy' in marketing!" That's what a seasoned marketing professional told me the other day. He was reacting to a blog post in...
Sales credits marketing for the win
Image by Metro Transportation Library and Archive via Flickr "I just gave my prospect the materials sent over by marketing, sat back and waited for...
When change doesn’t require change: three lessons from IDEO
Initiating change is easy if you don't need it to last; initiating change that will stand the test of time, now that's difficult! So...
The real value of your brand is in the action
Cover of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping "Our differentiator is service. Others may say the same thing, but they don't deliver like we...
Customer-centricity at the crossroads
I know that you want to pursue a more customer-centric organization; what I don't know is what road you plan to take to get...
Raise the temperature to achieve customer-centricity
It is 14 degrees BELOW zero on the farenheight scale here in Minneapolis today. That's without wind chill factor, so anything I write today...
The problem with problems
In our last post we noted the distinction between puzzles and problems; whether you perceive customer-centricity as a puzzle or a problem actually impacts...
Customer-centricity: A puzzle or a problem?
Your commitment to customer-centricity isn't the issue; it's how you go about it that creates a stir. Is it a puzzle or a problem? You're…
Three customer experience differentiators to bet on in 2011
The end of each year greets us with reviews of trends in customer experience, either from the past year or ones to look for...
Memo to Santa
To: S. Claus, CCO (Chief Christmas Officer)From: North Pole Marketing Department Dear Santa, A few reminders as you get into the...
Driving customer-centricity: How to NOT spin your wheels
We had a lot of snow this weekend in Minneapolis where I live. Ever notice what happens when someone's car is stuck and they...
Why you can’t get traction driving customer-centric change
Your customer-centric change effort is doomed to fail. Sorry to be the messenger of bad news, but the harder you push, the more you are...
Customer-centricity: If you believe in it, bet on it
Otherwise said, put your money where your organizational mouth is. In a recent post, Patricia Seybold commented on the customer-centric culture and what it looks...
The journey toward customer-centricity
"How would you change an organization from internally-focused to customer-focused?" Last week we answered the question with a seasonally appropriate analogy. Here's part 1 of...
A customer-centric Thanksgiving
A colleague recently asked how to increase customer centricity. The discussion evolved to considering how much of the transformation depends on the nature of...
The future arrived last week. Where were you?
What if the future was already here but distributed in pieces and can only be seen by those able to 'connect the dots'? Do...
Permission to excel: when does it work?
Richard Davis, CEO of US Bank spoke to a group of us the other week about leadership and giving people permission to excel, whether...
How do you paint your customer service strategy?
Martin Hill-Wilson writes the blog, BrainFood Extra: Listening for anything about the customer. Recently he has written a thoughtful set of posts on...
Why benchmarking is bunk
Recently I helped a client build the case for an initiative they want to pursue. This included benchmarking how well different companies create...