Make surveys make sense

Customer/employee surveys are important. I know this, and I try to go along with companies who take the time to survey me as a customer. But they need to do a better job of asking questions that are both within the customer’s ability to answer and that they can...
Usability bugs

Usability bugs

Random petty annoyances in the usability world: When a web site makes me log in, but has nowhere for me to log out. When a site makes me log in more than once (for instance, once to enter a members-only section, and again to comment on a discussion forum). When my...

Left hand, meet right hand

A card arrived yesterday the old fashioned way, in the mail with postage stamp and all. It was from my friends at the local Honda dealership. Since I have just closed the deal on a new car, I thought it might be a “thanks for buying our car” type of card....

It’s cheating to set the bar low

Have you noticed that companies seem to be deliberately managing our expectations downwards? I’ve run across this a couple of times lately : When I traded in loyalty points for lift tickets for a recent ski trip, the web site said it would take about two weeks...

Customer service/disservice files

Is the way your company operates thinking of the customer first? Or at all? I have recent examples of two companies that did a good job and two that did not. The surprising instances of customer appreciation: Bank of Montreal: My husband and I have banked with BMO for...

Threats from my ISP

This week, I received what I consider to be a threatening e-mail from my Internet service provider: “In the next couple of weeks, when you log into your Bell Mail [an aside: always known as Sympatico; are they changing it?] using your Internet browser,...

I [heart] my local library

The library in my town has been there for me for many years. When my children were small, we joined the reading program every summer, and we were frequent borrowers of books and occasionally toys throughout the year. It’s the first place I turn when I hear of a...
No glamour left in the air

No glamour left in the air

Remember when flying used to be glamorous and exciting? You’d look forward to your trip. Flight attendants were cheerful and helpful, and gave out blankets and pillows so you’d be more comfortable. On long flights, you’d get a hot meal chosen from a...