Keeping the Dream Alive
When the sizzle of a sales pitch fizzles in the wake of the work necessary to fill the order, it's a great time to offer customers a perk to keep them occ... Read more
Customers
Recent Customers Articles
Mapping Eliminates Mystery
"Where's my order?" is perhaps a customer's most frequently asked question. And how a company answers this question is a hallmark of its customer service.... Read more
Peer Pressure Motivates
By making its 45 employees responsible for setting service standards and accountable to each other for their performance, a $1.7-million ... Read more
Ideas You Can Deliver
To compete with bigger chains, a video store offers some unexpected conveniences. Read more
Private Connections
Want an alternative to the Web? Many company are reaching customers by creating private on-line services. Read more
A Whack on the Head
A past Inc. 500 business owner explains how, when you're ready to learn, failure can be the best teacher. Read more
Errand Boy
This start-up wants to do your shopping, get your dry cleaning and more, all for a small fee. But, will it fly? Read more
Reward Good Customers
A cataloger explains how she rewards customers with a gift when they exceed a certain dollar amount in a single order. Read more
The Snack Food That's Packing America
A profile of a start-up that is producing an all-natural packaging material. Read more
Marketing: Outta Site
An overview of how a small company turned a one-dimensional Web site into a dynamic, interactive marketing tool. Read more
Pricing: Getting a Move On
How a moving company overcame problems with inaccurate estimates by using software tailored to its industry. Read more
Selling: Five Ways to Blow a Sale
Five different Inc. 500 CEOs share their biggest sales mistakes and what they learned from them. Read more
Customer Relations: Image Building
The owner of a remodeling company explains why it does indeed pay to be nice. Read more
Event Marketing: Making the Most of Sponsorship Dollars
A bike-shop owner explains how his business has benefited from sponsoring bicycle races and other community events. Read more
Communications: Getting the Most Out of Voice Mail
A serious voice-mail user gives readers some advice on how to get the most out of their voice-mail system. Read more
Newsletters: Spicing It Up
The publisher of newsletters lists some dos and don'ts for those interested in producing a newletter of their own. Read more
The Friction-Free Economy
As the barriers to competion evaporate, the world is becoming the small businessperson's oyster. Read more
Marketing: Informing Customers
A bakery owner tells how she uses loyal customers to spread the word about her company's gourmet breads. Read more
Customer Surveys: Asking the Hard Questions
A PR firm's founder explains how he uses customer surveys and what results the surveys have produced. Read more
Marketing: Microbrew Marketing
A new approach to marketing that uses a free shuttle service for pedestrians is examined. Read more
Book Review: Back to Basics
A short review of the book Customer Service for Dummies, by Karen Leland and Keith Bailey. Read more
Marketing: Capitalizing on Customer Data
A store owner tells of how she has been gathering client information for years, and how she uses the data. Read more
Customer Service: The Staff-Written Job-Order Form
A quick look at how a printing company turned to its employees to solve problems they had with a job-order form. Read more
Communications: Together at Last
A quick look at how a company electronically linked its phone system and computer network. Read more
Wrong Move
Why packing the Cleveland Browns off to Baltimore wasn't good business, no matter how you look at it. Read more
Six Characters In Search of a Strategy
Six strategies that six separate travel companies use to compete and thrive in the new economy. Read more
Customer Service: Grassroots Problem Solving
A quick look at a company that has turned to shop-floor employess to handle its customers' needs. Read more
Leader of the Pack
A bicycle retailer explains some of the strategies he used to attract and keep his customers. Read more
Hot Commodity
A close-up look at how reviewing sales practices and training allowed a company remarkable growth. Read more
Selling: Living with a Long Sales Cycle
A CEO explains how he used current and would-be customers to create his approach to selling. Read more
Communications: Out of City, Out of Touch?
A solo business owner explains how a long-distance service has allowed him to stay in touch with customers. Read more
Connecting to the Source
A CEO explains how today's communication tools let you go directly to customers to find out what they want. Read more
Marketing: Intellectual Capital
A quick look at how a staffing company is using its expertise to conduct free seminars for customers. Read more
On-line: Selling on the Web Can Wait
A marketing manager explains why she is waiting and researching the World Wide Web before establishing a site. Read more
