MANAGEMENT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

July 31, 2024Posted inGeneral Management
Recently returned from a magnificent trip to Africa. During the trip we stayed at four different lodges, all wonderful in their own way. One lodge in particular stood out. Every person we passed stopped and introduced themselves with a smile. In general, the lodge staff was smiling a lot, even when they were amongst themselves. A sense of well-being and positivity permeated the place. Even my extreme food pickiness and requests (I didn’t know blueberries…

THE IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE PART II

July 19, 2024Posted inGeneral Management, Retail
This article is a perfect follow up to my recent article on the importance of customer experience and perception. It is a summary of an interview conducted by David Martin of Julie Mayrant, the dynamic, ever-vivacious leader of Woodforest’s consumer bank. Woodforest’s roots are in consumer banking. It has over 740 branches in 17 states, mostly located inside Walmart and catering primarily to America’s working class. While much has been written about the importance of…

A Reminder: What Customers Really Want – The Definition of Top-Notch Service

June 19, 2024Posted inOperations, Uncategorized
Customer Experience has become a term of art in our business, as well as in many others. Banks have whole departments and senior executives dedicated to perfecting that experience from inception, the first time a prospect contacts the bank through any channel, until the relationship's conclusion, hopefully, many years later. Banks have spent billions of dollars on Customer Experience, largely on technology, in an effort to reduce friction points and make all bank interactions easier.…