Sort of… A few years ago, I decided I wanted to get into Marketing. I had been studying influence and human behavior, and I wanted to apply it in the real world. I had also been learning from a then-guru named James Altucher. And it just so happened, Altucher’s company Read more…
A lesson for anyone who has worked in finance… Years ago, in what feels like another lifetime, I worked in a call center. And not just any call center. It was the call center for a mutual funds company here in Denver. And this wasn’t just any time… it was Read more…
If you hear this, prepare for a bad time… It happened to me again today. The first time was with an insurance company, some time last year. I thought I was hearing things at first. Surely nobody could really be THAT stupid, right? As customers, we’ve become used to a Read more…
You are being watched… I’ve never been to Disneyland. Not in a hurry to. And I’ve never had a bad experience with the Brazilians. Good roasted meat. But apparently, at Disneyland, the Chinese tourists are somehow not the worst. Brazilians take their crown. I heard a story of a group Read more…
Despite their TERRIBLE customer service… I’m writing this email from a brewery down the street from my place. Why? Because my internet is out at home. My first thought when I realized what was going on was “Oh fuck, I’m going to have to call customer service… at COMCAST!” If Read more…
A question from Quora… As many of you already know, I regularly answer customer service questions on Quora, both in written and video form. Today’s post originally appeared there as the answer to a (very poorly worded) question, “What are consumers during phone calls with customer service staff absolutely annoyed?” Read more…
They can get away with it. You can’t. I had to drop a package off at the post office this morning. Made a big sale on eBay, $6! I’m one of those rare people in the millennial generation who actually owns a printer, so I print my labels at home Read more…
Last year, a woman in Georgia needed some toilet paper. A lot of toilet paper. 3 whole cases of the stuff. Not for horrible bowel problems (that we know of), but for an office building she managed. So, like most people who need… anything, she went on Amazon and placed Read more…
Getting the right balance between humans and systems… In customer service, we tend to think we always know best. Sure, there’s that old saying “the customer is always right,” but nobody really believes that, right? I’ve talked about that before, and I won’t rehash it here. But I’m talking about Read more…