Richard Shapiro
10 Tips for Turning the Return Counter into a ‘Welcomer’ Counter
After the holidays, consumers will return or exchange billions of dollars of merchandise. No one enjoys the return process; they may feel guilty about bringing back a gift a loved one carefully selected, dread the long lines and/or be anxious about grumpy customers and...
Who Hired These Folks?
About a year ago, I took my family to one the most prestigious museums in New York City. As suggested via the museum website, I ordered tickets online to speed up the entry process. However, almost everyone these days orders their tickets in advance,...
Customer Service in 2012 – My Wish List
As 2011 draws to a close, many of us are putting together Holiday Wish Lists. Working in the Customer Service industry, here is my wish list for the changes I would like to see in 2012 to ensure that all of us have...
Do you have your own “Cheers”?
I'm a fan of some of the old sitcoms, and one of my favorites is Cheers, one of NBC's longest-running series, airing from 1982 to 1993. At the beginning of every program are the lyrics from the show's theme song, "Sometimes you want to...
My Passion For Customer Service
I am always interested to learn how people became passionate about customer service. Let's face it, some people really don't care if a front-line associate is engaging and builds a relationship with a customer, but I certainly do! Recently, I was wondering about how my...
Customer Service Robots: Human and Mechanical
Self-service checkout counters are on the rise. Businesses are looking for new ways to trim costs and improve service, but are self-service checkout counters better or worse for customers? To me, it depends. Unfortunately, many folks who are stationed at registers, standing behind teller windows...
7 Customer Service Trends to Watch and Leverage in 2012
Providing exceptional customer service has long been seen as a competitive advantage. Social media, mobile technologies and altering demographics present businesses of every size with tremendous opportunities. All of these changes actually underscore the importance of getting back to the basics of treating customers as...