Category Archives: Customer Service

HMV – predictable or what?

Posted on December 31, 2018 by

125 stores, 2200 direct employees, an unknown number of individuals and businesses also linked to, and supplying, the company;  the administration and likely demise of HMV would be problematic at any time but between Christmas and New Year it has … Continue reading →

Posted in administration, Amazon, Boxing Day, Closure, Competition, Consumer Change, Customer Service, Government, High Streets, HMV, Internet shopping, Local Retailers, Online Retailing, Rates, Record stores, Retail Change, Retail Failure, Tax, Technology, Timpsons, Town Centres, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Some thoughts on the ASOS profit warning

Posted on December 18, 2018 by

The ASOS news this week was to many something of a surprise, but in reality it really shouldn’t be.  A profit warning on Monday wiped almost 40% off its share price and impacted other retailers as well.  Many of these … Continue reading →

Posted in Asos, Black Friday, Brexit, Christmas, Competition, Consumer Change, Customer Service, Internet, Internet shopping, Online Retailing, Profits, Rates, Retail Change, Retailing, Tax, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowships 2017

Posted on June 27, 2016 by

In the summer of 1989 I spent eight weeks travelling around the United States and Canada looking at the customer service practices of North American retailers.  I visited numerous retailers, large and small, and interviewed countless owners, managers, directors and … Continue reading →

Posted in Basketball, Churchill Fellow, Customer Service, Retailing, USA, Winston Churchill Memorial Trust | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Easy, it Ain’t

Posted on September 7, 2015 by

What with the announcement by a number of retailers that they are re-considering the tone of voice and announcements made by their self service checkouts and others who are removing such non-human (inhuman?) equipment, it has not been a good … Continue reading →

Posted in Automation, Communications, Customer Service, Easyjet, Personal, Retail Failure, Self-Scanning, Self-Service, Service Quality, Twitter | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bread of Heaven

Posted on August 3, 2015 by

A couple of years ago this blog fell silent for a month or so. No, it was not one of my extended holidays (if, only), but rather involved me being otherwise occupied around the death of my father. Well, my … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Service, Service Quality | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Great, the Good and the Minister

Posted on June 29, 2013 by

There are a lot of retail industry conferences out there, and if I combined the industry ones and the academic ones (assuming cost was no barrier) then I am sure I could readily conference the year away. Boring, repetitive but … Continue reading →

Posted in Brands, BRC, Consumer Change, Customer Service, High Streets, Internet, Multichannel, Retailers, Tax | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Don’t Bank On It

Posted on July 18, 2012 by

I was in a Building Society branch last Saturday morning in the centre of Stirling – a rare enough occurrence on its own, but made more interesting by the conversation going on next to me. The customer had a problem … Continue reading →

Posted in Banks, Customer Service, Internet shopping, Marks and Spencer, Opening Hours | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment