The $4 Million Complaint Call
Several years ago, a single problem customer changed the fate of my company. Here's the story. Read more
Customer Service
Recent Customer Service Articles
Customer Service Tricks for Small Business
From Amazon to Lego to Zappos, plenty of big corporations have won kudos for their personal touch. Here's how you can steal their best ideas. Read more
Customer Service: How to Handle Pushy Customers
Don't let your company get backed into a corner by a cascade of demands. Here's how to strike a deal that satisfies everyone. Read more
Building Radically Better Company Culture 
Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal talks about new ideas for an improved and motivated company culture. Watch video
How to Learn, and Profit From, Every Bit of Criticism
Criticism...who needs it! Well, you do, if you truly want to understand your customers, take the bad with the good, and spin it into gold. Here's how. Read more
4-Step Formula for Guaranteed Success
This amazingly simple formula drives virtually every successful business. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs and investors lose sight of these basic principles. Read more
Need Customer Service Help? There’s a Bot for That
Online customer service 24/7 can be hard to swing on a small business budget. But there is another solution. Read more
Customer Service Pop Quiz: Be Your Own Customer
When it comes to customer service, it's easy to assume that if there aren't any complaints, there's no need to improve it. Big mistake. Read more
Great Product? That's Just the Start
Boost customer loyalty, create marketing opportunities, and shorten the sales cycle--without spending much doing it. Here's how. Read more
Friday Fail: Customers Who Won't Pay
Tired of success stories? Every Friday on Inc.com we bring you epic tales of failure and shame. This week: worst excuses from delinquent customers. Read more
How 2 Software Engineers Built GrubHub
Matt Maloney and Mike Evans founded GrubHub, an online restaurant delivery service, in Chicago in 2004. Since then, they've expanded into 300 cities, and rai... Watch video
You Can’t Make Unfriendly People Friendly
Customer service is a tough job. Don't make it more difficult by hiring the wrong people. Read more
6 Keys to Building a Service Culture
If you don't take care of your customers, someone else will. Start by taking these six steps. Read more
The New Rules of Customer Engagement
Goodbye, customer touch-points. Hello, ongoing, meaningful contact that actually drives revenue. Here's what you need to know to be more engaging right now. Read more
How to Achieve True Job Security
If all you are is what you do, you have no job security. Nada. Zilch. Here's what really matters. Read more
Better Online Customer Service
Perfect your customer service, and your retention. Tips from Scott Gerber, founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council, and Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List. Watch video
The 5 Smartest Things to Say to an Angry Customer
Forget trying to "win." Instead, make the customer feel you're working together to make things right. Read more
5 Worst Things You Can Say to a Customer
Never let these phrases pass the lips of your customer service team. Read more
How Diapers.com Gets Customers Coming Back
Marc Lore and Vinit Bharara lure moms to their websites to buy diapers, soaps, and other essentials. Quick delivery, simple experience, and good customer ser... Watch video
8 Steps to Squash a Customer's Complaint
Before you rush to defend yourself or fight back remember to put yourself in your customer's shoes. Read more
Your Prescription for Productivity
Here's how a mind-body approach can help you achieve peak performance--both personally, and company-wide. Read more
The 5 Most Powerful Words in Sales
Your words help you build relationships with customers--so choose them carefully. Read more
Facebook Mobile Ads: Don't Believe the Hype
Why you should think twice about an advertising scheme coming from a company that's about to IPO. Read more
8 Guaranteed Ways to Drive Customers Away
If your long-term customers are leaving--and not coming back--you're probably making one of these mistakes. Read more
Caution: Your Business Is Not Irreplaceable
It is easier than ever for your customers to find your competitors. Make sure they do not need to. Read more
How to Fix Your Retail Website
Butch & Harold's peel-and-stick wall art, dry-erase boards, and sticker picture frames were a hit with retailers, but online sales were nearly nil. Here's ho... Read more
4 Cool Tools to Engage Customers Online
These new tools offer innovative ways to engage people who visit your site, and keep them coming back. Read more
Book Review: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Author and journalist Charles Duhigg explores the power of habits--including how savvy marketers use them to activate consumer spending. Read more
The Little Things That Make or Break Your Business
Your product must be good--that's a given. But if you're going to win, it's about the experience . Read more
The Customer Is Not Always Right
In some rare cases it may become necessary to fire a customer that disrespects your team. In those cases, show your team that you have their backs. Read more
When It's OK to Ignore Costs
I know, I know: You're worried about expenses. But sometimes you need to invest in developing new friendships for your company. Read more
Want to Delight Your Customers? Map How They Feel
Make sure every interaction you have with your customers inspires a positive emotion. Read more
The Case for Sharing Company Secrets
There's one simple way to make your customers trust you: be open and honest with them from the start. Read more
How the Super Bowl Shortchanged the Web
Streaming the Super Bowl was smart. Turning it into a second-tier version of the event? Not so much. Read more
5 Steps to Saying You're Sorry
It's a mistake to refuse an apology to angry customers. Here's how to get really good at saying 'I'm sorry.' Read more