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Archive | June, 2012

Can you turn a hassle into a benefit?

You could write some complex code to figure out the correct postage for product returns to provide exact reimbursement for customers. Or, you could do what Groupon does. I returned a small item, and they gave me a $10 credit to cover postage — and a little extra. Less work, fewer hassles, and I’ll be […]

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Really, I wish I’d thought of that

BrightFarms is doing something remarkable. People want local food. Grocery stores want a steady supply of fresh produce. So, BrightFarms is building farms on the roof of grocery stores, who pre-agree to buy the crops. That’s one of those big, simple ideas that makes you go, “Whoa!” Read the full story at Fast Company.

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Newsletter #891: The “Stop Overlooking These Opportunities” Issue

[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] Smart marketers know the biggest opportunities are in all the little, boring, everyday stuff. Right now, you’re missing a simple chance […]

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How a $4 fee costs a company $4,000

You’ve heard this story before: New York hotel charges a $4 fee to receive an overnight envelope for a guest. And they won’t bring it up to the guest room. And they’re rude about it. So the guest moves an upcoming family vacation to another hotel (3 rooms x 7 nights). And the guest’s spouse […]

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NVIDIA’s case study: “The Global Snowball” video exceeds expectations

Join us at SocialMedia.org‘s BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media conference on July 18 in Chicago for 8 great case studies from MillerCoors, FedEx, U.S. Cellular, 3M, Kraft Foods, American Family Insurance, Reebok, and Aetna. Our BlogWell series is an amazing opportunity for social media leaders at big brands to get practical, how-to advice […]

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Breaking habits

The loudspeaker at O’Hare Airport has been explaining the 3-1-1 liquids rule every 20 minutes, for 10 years, to people who are already past security and already know the rule. This was probably a helpful announcement at one time, and maybe worth repeating. But now they’re in a rut — doing it because they have […]

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I’m more likely to forgive the error if you let me know what’s going on

Intuit gives us a great example of good customer service during a bad moment. They have a simple form that lets people request an update when their service comes back online — so they don’t need to keep checking back in frustration. What simple thing can you do to relieve a moment of tension?

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Do you have “former employees” or “alumni”

Former employees are just people who happened to work at a company. Alumni are people who were members of an institution — maybe a family. Alumni worked with you for a while and came to the end of their time with you — but still appreciate the experience and identify with the organization. They are […]

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Q: When does greed cost more than it brings in?

A: When your customers don’t just refuse to buy your overpriced product — they’re insulted that you are actively trying to rip them off. This is the point where one lost sale turns into long-term lost business and negative word of mouth. Here’s a photo from a movie theater in Naples, FL that is trying […]

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