Richard Shapiro
Richard Shapiro
Richard R. Shapiro is Founder and President of The Center For Client Retention (TCFCR) and a leading authority in the area of customer satisfaction and loyalty. For 28 years, Richard has spearheaded the research conducted with thousands of customers from Fortune 100 and 500 companies compiling the ingredients of customer loyalty and what drives repeat business. His first book was The Welcomer Edge: Unlocking the Secrets to Repeat Business and The Endangered Customer: 8 Steps to Guarantee Repeat Business was released February, 2016.
Surveys: The Truth or Not The Truth
Everyone receives a request to complete surveys almost daily. Some contain only one question. Others have questions within questions. Frequently, customers don’t participate in...
Every Purchase Has A Story Behind It – Learn it to Generate Repeat Business
I’m not sure exactly why, but most customer service associates do not understand that every consumer purchase has a story behind it. Learning the...
Customer Experience Trends for 2016
The most successful weapon to fight customer attrition is creating a personalized customer experience that is unique to your business and the individual customer....
Promoting Self Service Versus Easy Access to Live Agents
An article in the Wall Street Journal on November 2nd hit the nail on the head about where customer service is headed. Christopher Mims,...
Retail Experience at Microsoft’s Flagship Store
Last week, Microsoft opened their first Flagship Store on one of the most famous streets in the world, Fifth Avenue, New York City. It’s...
The Customer Service Department Is The Most Valuable Home On The Block
Whenever I speak to an audience of customer service professionals I tell them that in the eyes of the customer their department is the...
Banish Tipping! Does it Damage or Enhance the Customer Experience?
There have been many articles in the news lately about tipping policies at restaurants. Danny Meyer, who spearheads the Union Square Hospitality Group, a...
Throwing Loyal Customers Under The Bus
You, the loyal customer, use a service that generates a monthly invoice. You have been a loyal customer for 7 years. Your credit card...
What’s the Best Way for Customer Service Representatives to Respond to “Thank You?”
It’s Customer Service Week; a time to celebrate and thank representatives for their service and commitment to a challenging position in any company. The...
Do you let your customers self-select their Live Chat representative?
I knew companies were offering consumers an option to self-select their representative for live chat. But I learned a great more about the benefits...
Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell: A Great Tool for Creating Passionate Customer Service
I read Jack Mitchell’s book, Hug Your Customers when it was first released in 2003. I loved it then and continue to recommend his...
Is Customer Experience A Date or a Romance?
If you search for the definition of customer experience, there are many variations; the sum of all of transactions, wowing the customer at every...
Companies Have Slashed Costs to Show Profits: Technology Is The Next Frontier
Since the economic downturn in 2008, corporate America has been managing to squeeze profits by reducing budgets, stretching staff thin and adding technology at...
My “Waiter for Life” is Moving On
Iron is our favorite waiter. He is proud that his name and story appear in my first book, The Welcomer Edge, on page 210. ...
Repeat Business Starts with Hope; 7 Suggestions for Fulfilling It
Hope is a strong emotion. We always hope for the best. When your kids are born you have hope they will be healthy and...
Your Customers Are Under Attack: 10 Reasons to Panic
Wake up! At no point in history has your customer base been more vulnerable than today. In the 1960’s and 70’s neighborhood stores were...
“PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS E-MAIL,” But Do Comment!
Customers do not like to feel frustrated. Frustration is a leading cause of customer attrition. I get very frustrated when I receive a “PLEASE...
Missing From McDonald’s Hamburgers: Customer Loyalty
McDonald’s has been receiving a great deal of negative press for their financial performance after announcing their new turnaround plan. For the quarter that...
6 Repeat Business Ideas for Retailers
It’s mid-July 2015 and we are celebrating summer activities; family vacations, picnics and summertime concerts. But as we get ready to move into the...
Lack of Communication Creates An Additional Malfunction
A few weeks ago there was an unfortunate incident with a United Airlines flight. The plane left Chicago bound for London and because there...