bengston

crowdsourcing

just another buzzword? I like the concept behind it but it's not really new. There's always been focus groups and customer driven innovation. some companies more, others less. However the term crowdsourcing could indeed give the topic a good boost: As always a good name for a concept is needed for managers to remember it :)

here is a good article in German about it.

new "security" feature at Credit Suisse Direct Net

Now you have to enter the secure ID not only when loggin in, but every time you do a transaction! Even for a simple transaction like moving money from one account to the other within the same client you have to do it. This is not only a major pain in terms of user friendliness, but also another major barrier for people with disabilities! I can only hope they get rid of this stupid feature asap!

customer experience after the sale

I have just read the Forrester report "The Out-Of-Box Experience: Digital Cameras". They have done a very interesting thing: They bought three different digital cameras from three different online vendors. Their observation covers the time frame from when a customer receives a package until it is successfully used. Very interesting stuff:

It matters how you pack a product (this can be seen with all the unboxing items currently to be found on gadet sites around the web)

It matters what is sent along the box (i.e. the packaging slip)

It is important to get the product up and running fast and with no problems. This means the documents need to be clear and help the user instead of confusing him.

They also make a point that the findings are applicable to all businesses. I totally agree on this point: A company should try to find out, wether the product they just sold is actually used and wether the customer values the product.

ouch...

Verärgerter Sunrise Kunde verschafft sich Luft.. via bloggin' chm

I'll put you through

Don't we all love it? Call somewhere, ask for something and then the obvious reply: "I'll put you through!" A halfway intelligent person would call the destination, talk briefly to this person verifying that a) the problem is understood and b) the person is at the desk. Unfortunately most companies / agencies just put you through. Under normal circumstances you end up on an answering machine of yet another person since the destination man / woman has diverted his line even further. Too complicated? Yes indeed. And very frustrating too. And just when I type these lines, a woman calls back. She thinks she has missed an important call and does know nothing. Too bad when work is lurking round the corner of a phone eh?