Take a look at some of the things
we've been pondering,
and make up your own mind.
And if you enjoy these and are looking for more, then make a beeline for our very own Mark Di Somma's personal site, and check out a whole bevy of opinions and perspectives. You'll find Mark's new site at http://www.markdisomma.com.
Why should your customers report to your processes?
There's no such thing as customer service! No such thing – because customer service is not one thing. Contrary to what many business books seem intend on preaching, and what the CRM technocrats have continued to trumpet, customer service cannot be adequately quantified singularly.
That’s because “customer service” should not be about a single, generically set manual of KPIs, response times and IVR technologies. That kind of service is prevalent, boring and forgettable. Personalised, branded customer service by contrast, is interesting and engaging, and relevant, because it delivers on the promise that each brand has made to their customers in memorable and highly individualised ways.
The fact is that the level of customer service you offer your customers can be as rudimentary or as sophisticated as you like. As long as you explain those terms of business to your customers very clearly, in ways that really appeal to them, so that they fully understand that’s what they are getting, and they choose to do business with you on those terms.
NEW! Write off: So many words, too little sense
It’s one of the great curiosities of business writing today that so many organisations seem obsessed with communicating at the expense of commonsense, comprehension and, in the worst cases, plain truth. Everybody it seems wants us to listen. What so many aren’t able to do is make sense. From annual reports to corporate literature, sales brochures to the web, the whole world’s disclosing in writing. It’s just that, too often, the writing itself puts you to sleep.
But it doesn't have to be this way!
From our Pushing Barrows series: The Brand or The Bland
Belief in customer service is falling, yet it remains a major professed priority for many companies. Why is this happening? Generic customer service, suggests Paul Stewart. Too many companies have a customer service style that is just the same as everyone else's. The opportunity? Brand your customer service and engage customers as never before.
Sick of working
Suddenly, B2E is in and everyone is keen to tell you they're committed to
living their brand from the inside-out. So why is it that the very same
issues seem to pop up in every culture that is not working to capacity? Here
are 10 sure signs of a culture that is short-changing its people.
Singing in your rain
A powerfully aligned culture is testimony to the power of purpose. That's
because when people have a cause to come to work for, extraordinary things
happen. Three things make that possible - information, inspiration and
motivation. Find out why.
Brand Attention Disorder - who forgot to tell the writers about brand!
Too many companies fail to fully think through the written expression of their brand. A copy strategy provides not just a powerful framework for creativity but also a consistent context for judging whether the spirit of
the brand is being upheld at every verbal touchpoint. So why aren't more companies doing it?
"I don't want another bloody relationship" - a challenge to direct marketers everywhere
So called relationship marketers are failing to capitalise on the most powerful marketing relationship of all. Why? Because way too many of them are addicted to tactics.
Know Logo - there's another option: build a cult brand
Suddenly it's cool to be obscure. Companies in all sectors are discovering that maybe, just maybe you don't need mainstream promotional techniques. This article outlines 10 ways to build a brand with a fantical following.
The new brand of war - Are you buying it?
We examine the way the war in Iraq has been packaged and sold to us through the mainstream media. The results prove the need to set a line in the sand
for how far branding is allowed to go.
The case for courage
Rethink not just you who are, and what you do, but why the hell anyone would care. Audacity pushes companies to be brave as they need to be to compete successfully. We drive you to make a must-buy promise to your customers. Find out why you need to be brave in the first place. Our short white paper "The case for courage" explains why we believe companies today need to be this fearless.
Want to commission an article or maybe have us write a white paper? Email us at push@audacity.co.nz. Or call us in Wellington, NZ on +64 4 801 7720.
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©2008 The Audacity Group. 
