June, 2011

As people realize we like them and respect their opinions, they share information about themselves that can be helpful in analyzing whether they can use our products or services.

So says Canadian businessman Michael J. Hughes, who is known as "THE Networking Guru." Hughes runs a highly successful Ottawa, Ontario-based consulting business that works with Fortune 500 companies and international associations across North America.

On a cloudless summer day in suburban Chicago, a woman put her two children in the car and drove to the shopping mall. There she met one of her best girlfriends, who also came to the mall with her kids.

The group of two moms and four kids spent the whole day at the mall, having lunch in the cafeteria and then leisurely strolling, shopping and people watching. An afternoon movie in the attached theatre and malted milkshakes at the ice cream parlor finished off the mall excursion before the women drove back to their respective homes to prepare dinner.

You have no doubt noticed that technology is changing the 'face' of customer service.  Traditional ways we used to interact with customers, win their trust, and keep them coming back are becoming irrelevant.  Here are three of the most significant trends in customer service, and how you can position your business to capitalize rather than capsize in response.

Trend #1  Self Serve Slavery

Email marketing is one of today’s fastest marketing mediums, and can be an inexpensive way to market your business if done correctly. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) did an assessment on the email marketing industry and found out that its potential return on investment (ROI) can be almost around $60 USD per $1 USD spent.