Customer Service

Cabela's social media response plan was a mess: Someone posts a complaint, the social media manager takes a screenshot, emails it to the customer care team, the customer care team tries to find the customer in its database (and most often they don't), then 72 hours later the social media manager responds. That social customer service system left two-thirds of Cabela's customers’ posts unanswered and a lot of people unhappy. Cabela's wasn't just dropping the ball on customer complaints, it was also missing big opportunities to build relationships.

Every year around this time, consumers begin their search to find the perfect gift for loved ones. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, consumers must navigate through the frenzy of the season while brand marketers and retailers simultaneously offer extreme deals in a bid to reach them and drive sales. There are several ways brands and retailers can cut through the clutter to make a positive, and lasting, impression on consumers that will keep them coming back long after gifts are unwrapped. Consider the following three tips:

Kate Spade has been all over the news recently. Whether it be for its partnership with Gap Kids, clever "under construction" window shopping or viral holiday ads featuring Anna Kendrick, the handbag and accessories retailer has had a busy last few months. Not to mention the company posted a 48.7 percent increase in net sales in its latest fiscal quarter. However, while its marketing strategy is smart, it's Kate Spade's excellent customer service that's going to win over shoppers this holiday season.

It’s not April Fool’s Day! Just before the holidays, Lowe's really is introducing two robotic shopping assistants at one of its Orchard Supply Hardware stores in San Jose, Calif. According to a press release from the home improvement retailer, the autonomous robots — called OSHbots — were developed by Fellow Robots, a technology company that specializes in the design and development of autonomous service robots, in partnership with Lowe's own Innovation Labs.

Learn how the world’s best brands engage with consumers on a new level, extending conversations to get customers and influence revenue.

J.C. Penney says it's back in the business of giving its solidly middle-income customers what they want. The 112-year-old department store chain has switched itself off from survival mode and put the spotlight back on growth. The fixes for a failed transformation, including a mended balance sheet, were put in place over the last 18 months under CEO Mike Ullman. Now new president and CEO-designee Marvin Ellison will start work at the retailer's Plano, Texas headquarters Nov. 1, and a transition plan is ready to implement. 

Engagement is a word you hear over and over again in the retail industry. Companies are continuously looking to find ways to better engage customers and prospects in an effort to create lifelong relationships with them. B-to-B retailer New Pig, a seller of absorbents and spill containment and control products, has found an interactive way to engage some of its best customers. New Pig's Vice President of Direct Marketing Robert Cameron presented a session yesterday at NEMOA's directXchange Fall Conference in Groton, Conn. on the company's "pig panel."

Customers are angry at Hudson's Bay after the company cancelled some of their online orders, purchased at a deep discount by combining multiple rebate codes. Over the weekend, customers were sharing the discount codes on popular consumer forums such as Redflagdeals.com. Customers said they were able to purchase items at a major discount. In one post on RedFlagDeals.com, a user said he was able to purchase a Vitamix blender that regularly sells for $530 for 45 percent off. 

Our experts walk you through opportunities to not only cut shipping costs, but also improve shipping service to your customers.

L.L.Bean has done it again. For the third time this year, the Freeport, Maine-based apparel and outdoor gear retailer has topped the customer service charts. According to StellaService, a customer service benchmarking company, L.L.Bean was rated in the top 25 in all categories, earning the top spot for best overall customer service in July 2014.