The gurus call it the Internet of Things. You may be asking why your toaster needs to be connected to the Internet, but we can all see the benefits of a car that can talk to other cars on the road, or receive updates from the factory remotely. (We can also see the dangers of a car so online it’s …
AR and VR: How bad it could be
As mentioned in the first post in this series on AR, VR and the metaverse, young Mark Ramsay loved cyberpunk novels. Introduction to cyberpunk Perhaps your thoughts range from, “Really, Ramsay? Who cares?” to, “Why study cyberpunk novels and films?” Here’s why. They are entertaining. The genre’s greatest voice, William Gibson, has novels that read like modern-day Raymond Chandler, thrilling …
Great advice from an award-winning client
I’d like to congratulate Soft Shoe for yet again winning the Gold Medal Service Award from Footwear Insights. I’ve had the privilege of serving Soft Shoe for a few years now. They take serving the employee, and what they call Customer Service Mode for customers, extremely seriously. Here’s a list of customer service advice from Gold Medal winners, with Soft …
Podcast 87: Ask one more question
A short episode for a simple subject: Asking one more question can transform the interactions you have with others. We would love your questions and comments for future episodes: Email Mike and Mark. Listen here … subscribe on Spotify, Amazon or Apple … or view below.
AR and VR: What you need to know
Everybody is now talking about VR, AR and the metaverse. I’ve been thinking about them since reading cyberpunk novels in my teens. If that sounds silly, stay tuned. VR/AR are here. They are helpful. And those novels paint a dire warning about what’s to come for your work and family. Introduction to AR You’ve probably been experiencing AR—augmented reality—for some …
Podcast 86: Lessons from the Lockpicking Lawyer: messages to your tribe
An anonymous attorney who picks locks on YouTube has a valuable lesson for anybody trying to attract employees or customers who really “get you.” Three lessons, to be exact. (Note to audience: Mark managed to make it through this entire episode without once mentioning Mitchell and Webb’s classic Padlockigami. But watch and enjoy.) We would love your questions and comments …
Labor shortages: Your (and Macy’s) huge opportunity?
Marxists probably laugh gleefully at this Washington Post headline: “Macy’s offers corporate workers a ‘valuable opportunity’: In-store shifts.” My friends on the left have been talking about this a lot: Of course there is a worker shortage, because finally employees can refuse jobs that don’t pay a decent wage. Greedy capitalists aren’t in charge any more. Don’t even try to …
Trolls in the back, and the heartless in the front
Some advice: If you are booked on a flight with me, and the flight goes through Charlotte, change your flight. But maybe two times, I have never flown through Charlotte in one day. My flight gets canceled, I miss the connection or–yesterday was a new one–I am taken off a plane about to depart because something is wrong and they …
Podcast 82: How to retain employees for free: Do you care?
You can’t tell people you care–you have to show them! So how do you do that? There are three basic concepts, and two simple behaviors, to do just that. Put this episode into practice and stop employee turnover. We would love your questions and comments for future episodes: Email Mike and Mark. Listen here … subscribe on Spotify, Amazon or …
In case you need courage to keep your customer experience budget
CMS Wire had this straightforward article in response to The New York Times trumpeting that businesses were cutting customer service-oriented programs due to fears of inflation. I’m not that old, but I’ve already seen it happen maybe five times: Bubbles burst, and some companies get scared and cut. Other companies take advantage of the market and take care of customers. …