American Airlines: When 2+2= -8 Just to Get Back to 0

Filed Under Branding, Customer Think, Marketing, Successful Blog | 10 Comments

Stuck in the Airport

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I have traveled 1,481,924 miles with American Airlines. I’m a loyal customer. It means something to me. It should mean something to them. Apparently it does 50% of the time.

Saturday I flew out of Philadelphia. It’s not American hub, but I flew American anyway. My flight was delayed, an unfortunate circumstance that occurs too often in Philadelphia. The delay was 4 hours. I did what I do — got a drink and something to eat. Then I looked for a story. I think of the story I found as When 2+2= -8 Just to Get Back to 0 Read more

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Service with a Smile

Filed Under Successful Blog | 2 Comments

It Was Fun to Buy There

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I stopped the bookstore at O’Hare. I figured some business books were in order. I thought they might help spur some ideas for the project I was traveling to work for. I picked out a few and went to the counter. There I was greeted by a smiling young man.

He noticed I was eyeing the books on the counter.

“Still looking?” he said still smiling.

“Nah, I have to save some books to buy on way back,” I smiled too.

“Because you bought more than 3 books, I get to give you this fabulous and useful tote bag. Would you like me to put these fabulous books inside this fabulous and useful totebag?”

“No, I think I’ll put the books in my carryon.” I partially opened my bag and stuffed the books in as best I could, but one book and the tote wouldn’t cooperate. The man behind the counter enjoyed watching my book packing adventure.

“Looks like you’ll be putting the totebag inside your other totebag.” he said.

“Yep, I’ll be totally toting, the totebags. There! That works. See you on the way back.”

“I hope so.”

What Customers Want

That young man made my morning. He turned a chain bookstore into a conversation with a friend. It wasn’t about how much I was spending. I about the experience. The brand was the young man’s great disposition. He’s a guy who likes his customers.

He does things I value.

  • He talked to me as an intelligent person worth knowing.
  • He made the experience pleasant — fun.
  • He left me with a story to tell.

You can bet that I’ll be back in that book store. I need to tell him how great the books are.

Have you had a great customer experience lately?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
Airplanes, Airports, and Ideas
Don’t Read Your PR, Read Your Marketing Copy
Feeling a Customer’s First Response
See the Customer Think series on the SUCCESSFUL SERIES page.

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Airplanes, Airports, and Ideas

Filed Under Business Life, Customer Think, Successful Blog | Leave a Comment

Field Trip

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I’m on an airplane to meet with a project partner for the next few days. What a great opportunity to be a customer. I’ll be capturing moments and ideas for posts to come. Can’t let those real events go unrecorded. Observing is what writers do. I figure I’ll collect a week’s worth of ideas in the next hour or two.

I love flying, but the airport I’m flying into always has a delay. . . . More after I’ve landed.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
See the Customer Think series on the SUCCESSFUL SERIES PAGE.

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What to Do Before They Ask What Do You Do?

Filed Under Branding, Customer Think, Marketing, Successful Blog | 19 Comments

What’s Your Name

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When is a rose not a rose? When it is Compassion. When a car not a car? When its a Model J DUESENBERG. Why did I quit teaching? Because I couldn’t find another word.

It’s true that’s the reason.

I left college being called a master teacher, with student teachers following me into the classroom. It had something to do with my philosophy that if I couldn’t sit in a desk all day, I’d be damned if I would ask a 6-year-old to try to do so. I loved the kids and the teaching, but when new friends asked What do you do? I heard myself saying, I’m a teacher, but not like any you ever knew. That wasn’t good. That’s when I realized that I needed a new word or I wouldn’t be teaching.

You’ve probably not left a career over a word, and probably suspect there was more to it. There was, and there wasn’t. The way folks viewed me was the problem. I wasn’t what they imagined. I didn’t like being put in their box.

But we rely on words figure out our world view.

There is no getting away from that.The next best thing is picking our words.

What Are You? a Blogger? a Writer? a Publisher? a Sales Rep? a Marketer? a Citizen Journalist? a Critic? a Martyr?

What do you do? they say. What do I answer? Read more

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Kala, a Reader, from Sprint/Nextel Cares

Filed Under Branding, Customer Think, Successful Blog | 5 Comments

Thank you, Kala

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This morning, Kala left a comment to the post I wrote July 11 about Sprint/Nextel.

Hello. I read your blog and am very eager to assist you. I work for Sprint Nextel and would love the opportunity to resolve this matter for you. Please e-mail me with your contact information.

I sent her the emails I had received since I’d made that post public, and within minutes I had a phone call from her.

What a charming lady! She’s not only charming, she’s also in a position to change things. Kala fixed my problem in a few seconds and acknowledged that the system was broken.

How refreshing! I’ve met a telco representative who listens and she makes good things happen for customers. Her name is Kala.

Sprint/Nextel has no idea of her value to their brand.

Thank you, Kala, for your help. Thank you, too, for being a reader.

Smiles,
Liz

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