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Have I delivered excellent customer service?
Anne Rose RetailCall a company's customer service department about a problem or issue, and invariably the service rep ends the call with the all-too-familiar question, "Have I delivered excellent customer service?" What exactly is the point of such a question? Understandably, the companies want to know how their customers perceive their brand's willingness to address and resolve problems. They want to foster customer satisfaction and loyalty, and they want to leave customers with the perception that the company cares about them.
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How will the rise of Black Friday in Canada affect Boxing Day?
Katherine Radin RetailIn years past, holiday shopping for Canadians meant going to the local mall or store a few weeks before Christmas, picking out an item for an intended recipient and making a purchase — likely at full price. In recent years, however, this has changed. The spread of American "shopping holidays" such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday to the north have offered Canadians a chance to save in the weeks leading up to the holidays. This year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday broke several records, and shoppers are completing their holiday shopping at discounted rates.
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A record-setting number of consumers ‘shop small’ this year
Katina Hernandez RetailIt looks like Small Business Saturday is here to stay. The annual shopping holiday that encourages consumers to "shop small" at local businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving achieved record numbers this year. Created in 2010 by American Express as a grassroots movement to help small businesses increase sales during the holidays, this year's event broke all previous records. An estimated 2.1 million businesses and 112 million shoppers participated on Saturday, Nov. 26.
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Metals Thoughts: 1 hike to rule them all
Brad Yates Natural ResourcesWe seem to have settled in just a bit over the last couple of weeks, and while the downtrend since the U.S. election is still in place, we have had a few days respite from the selloff and seem ready to challenge the downtrend to the upside.
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Use landscaping to cut down commercial energy consumption
Doug Haymore Facilities & GroundsYou've done all the right things — you turn down the thermostat after hours, you've replaced your light bulbs with LEDs, and you even ensure your computers hibernate quickly when not in use — but you're running out of ways to cut down on your energy usage. While all of those internal ideas are a step in the right direction, it can be helpful to look outside for even more ideas.
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Police beef up security during the holidays
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & Security'Tis the season to be merry — except maybe for the men in blue. While we all rejoice and relax, the holiday season is a time for extra caution and additional responsibility for police departments around the country. There are more DUI cases at this time of the year than any other, more cases of robbery and theft, and unfortunately even terror threats —like the ISIS threat to the Macy's Thanksgiving parade this year. Jammed-up traffic among the shopping and festivities, visiting families and travel itineraries all contribute to a law enforcement headache.
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Metals Thoughts: Midnight diplomacy edition
Brad Yates Natural ResourcesThe USD is taking a slight breather from its one-way appreciation trade, and that has given metals an opportunity to form something of a base in the last couple of sessions. The ETF selling continues at a pretty steady pace and has done nothing but liquidate since early November.
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The new overtime rule has been stopped — but for how long?
Jessica Taylor RetailA new salary limit for the Fair Labor Standard Act's overtime rule was supposed to take effect Dec. 1. But the changes, which would affect about 4 million workers, have come to a screeching halt after a preliminary injunction by a federal judge in Texas last week.
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How the Hanjin bankruptcy nearly ruined Christmas
Alan Kelsky Distribution & WarehousingAs Hanjin Shipping was moving container cargo to ports all over the globe this summer, news broke that affected retailers worldwide. Hanjin, the world's seventh-largest container shipping company filed for bankruptcy Aug. 31 in Seoul, South Korea.
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Top wishes from holiday shoppers for your social media content
Emma Fitzpatrick MarketingWhen you think of social media during the holiday season, your mind likely jumps to your marketing strategy and the corresponding number of impressions, clicks and sales. For your followers, their goal is much simpler, and dare we say, heartwarming. When asked what they want from brands during the holiday season on social, the largest segment of consumers said holiday cheer, found Sprout Social's research. After all, isn’t that the reason for the season?
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