http://www.retailonlineintegration.com Copyright 2011 North American Publishing Company en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss It’s the time of year when everyone’s thinking about romance. But did you ever think about how much romance is involved in building and sustaining customer relationships? I have. When I look at the sales and marketing process, it... ]]> Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:53:17 EST I was away last week teaching positive communication. Twice while walking through the lobby of the hotel, people stopped me to say, "You have a great smile." The same thing happened in the airport. Hmmm. I didn't realize I was smiling. I... ]]> Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:33:13 EST It’s a nice time of the year. Despite the hustle and bustle — and for retailers, the craziness and the opportunity to "get in the black" — there's a warmness, a softness and a kindness that wants to express itself. Yes, I... ]]> Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:59:10 EST Customers … ya gotta love ’em. We all want more of them, and we all want the ones we already have to spend a little more time and money with us. These days many customers don't have the money to spend, so the natural tendency is... ]]> Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:40:35 EDT Last week was a hectic week; I hope you were celebrating. The first full week in October is National Customer Service Week . Companies of all kinds have been honoring their employees and customers in fun ways with food and games and a little... ]]> Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:35:23 EDT I flew Southwest Airlines last week and once again it put a smile on my face. I’m not sure if it was the song that the flight attendant sang as we landed or the enthusiastic faces and gloved hands I saw before I left. I swear it looks... ]]> Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:12:29 EDT “There’s no magic to magic,” Walt Disney once said, “it’s all in the details.” Sometimes those details are small, seemingly insignificant things; little extras that add up to a strong positive impression. ... ]]> Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:01:14 EDT When Steven Slater jumped out of his own JetBlue airplane earlier this month using the emergency chute, he did more than raise eyebrows. He raised awareness. He’s America’s latest folk hero and T-shirt celeb. With cries of... ]]> Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:26:13 EDT Consumers are constantly letting you know what they want, how they'd like to be treated and what their needs are. This feedback is there for the taking — if you pay attention and listen carefully. You’ll have plenty of... ]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:25:42 EDT We’ve only known each other for a short time, but there’s one thing you know for sure: When you read my blog, you're going to find some recurrent themes. One of them is value. Why? Because as a consumer, I don’t think most... ]]> Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:12:02 EDT Lately I've been feeling a little blocked creatively, so I called on a mentor and asked for some advice on loosening up the creative energy I sensed was inside. “What can I do,” I asked, “to get things moving?” ... ]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:00:13 EDT