When did customers become irrelevant?
by Paula Gray, AIPMM

In the AIPMM webinar "The Lessons of Launch", Mark Carr of CMG Partners stated that 54% of businesses do not involve customers in the new product development process. Carr said that most businesses listen to someone's "gut" in determining what customers wanted. He stated that only 1 in 10 of those new consumer products succeeds, and only 1 in 4 B-to-B products succeed. That is a tremendous correlation. Statistically, the "gut" has only a 10% success rate in consumer products and a 25% success rate for B to B. Perhaps businesses would be more successful if they listened to the ultimate purchaser of the product, the customer.

Develop Shock and Awe through Service Recovery
Don't blow your biggest chance to quickly create customer loyalty!
by Jim Alexander, Alexander Consulting, LLP

One of the most powerful relationship-building tools available to services organizations comes from a situation most of us dread — screw ups — the installation that never worked or the problem fix that never stuck. These very things that result in a hassle for you and a headache for the customer are marvelous opportunities to turn lemons into lemonade.

Here are three alternatives to increase your testimonial numbers or their quality.

Create an online diary or blog, use an auto responder method, set up a form on your web site or set up a survey.

Get Your Share of 'Old' Business.
By Stuart Ayling

Firms should use a sales development plan to increase their 'share of customer' i.e. share of 'old' business.

Lets face it...winning new business is fun. Particularly in service firms where there is substantial personal involvement required to gain clients. But the jubilation of landing new accounts often leads to problems.

While you're focusing on gaining new clients, settling them in, and organising the recently won project, what about your other clients? Remember them...you know, the ones that still want you to do work for them. Their requirements may not seem as exciting as they once were, but you cannot afford to ignore them.

I often times receive my best training in customer service in the most unlikely situations.

My 6-year-old son, Taylor, had been pressuring me for weeks to take him to a baseball game. At the time, I was still on strike as a major league baseball fan. Hence, I decided to take him to see the local team play in the College Baseball Regional Championships.

The game was terrific. It had all the elements that have made baseball our national pastime: great hitting, exciting fielding, and a late-inning comeback by the home team.

In fact, the home team won the game.