As mentioned yesterday, my 140 Characters Conference talk in New York June 16 features discussion of whether consumers gripe more about positive or negative retail experiences.

The New York Times gave an extended look at an app called Gripe, one that claims to "make people more powerful in the real world" through the dissemination of their praise or criticism via Twitter, Facebook and other social networks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/technology/29digi.html

Gripe says it acts as the "Better Business Bureau" in the Twitter age.

Nothing like offering low expectations.

I'm going to try the app that has been around for more than a year. I know no one who has. Have you?

Maybe we'll end up on on Gripe's top influencer list - http://www.gri.pe/users/top. More than that, let's see if our gripes and praise change anything in the brand/consumer dynamic.

 

If you judge engagement purely on the number of tweets, the recent discussion of social and mobile at a Seattle Social Media Club event was a success.

I was honored to share the stage with Dan Anderson, Emerging Media Manager for T-Mobile USA (@dananderson); Paul Booth, Digital Marketing Manager, Web and Mobile, for the North America subsidiary of Microsoft (@paulboo); and Wyatt Lewin, Online Communities Coordinator at HTC (@wylew).

Much of the talk is captured here.

Seattleites like me have made whining about the weather a daily activity. Multiple times a day, actually, given our devices, connectivity and impatience.

Since we have another one of those Memorial Day weekend disappointments, it’s time for the archives – and a preview of the July 4th destination.

There are differing opinions on whether consumers are more likely to share a positive or a negative customer service experience. I tell both but relay my positive encounters about twice as much as the negative ones.

We’ll explore this June 16 at @jeffpulver’s 140 Characters Conference http://nyc2011.140conf.com/

 

During the recession, shortsighted businesses competed on price rather than level of customer service. It turns out that the consumer noticed and in big numbers is reacting now by taking his or her business elsewhere.

According to the American Express® Global Customer Service Barometer, 78 percent of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience. Further, three in five Americans (59 percent) would try a new brand or company for a better service experience. Most surprising and disturbing is the finding that consumers are willing to pay a premium for a good interaction.

According to the study, seven in ten Americans (70 percent) are willing to spend an average of 13 percent more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service. This is up substantially from 2010, when six in ten Americans (58 percent) said they would spend an average of 9 percent more with companies that deliver great service.

As to whether “help” is enough, two in five (42 percent) said companies are helpful but don’t do anything extra to keep their business. Also, one in five (22%) think companies take their business for granted.

The survey is generally in line with global findings from Accenture which reported earlier this year that satisfaction with customer service has decreased since 2009 in each of 11 characteristics measured. Also, 64 percent of consumers have switched companies in the past year due to poor customer service. Accenture findings point to a high level of distrust. Only one in four respondents say they trust the companies with which they do business, according to the survey.

Missing from the survey is detail on what consumers do with their mistrust? Do they use their mobile phones to get on social networks or text when companies fail at so-called “Moments of Trust”? Do individual tweets, blog posts and Facebook postings influence sales and loyalty? I’ve commissioned a study and will release the findings in June when I speak on the subject at Jeff Pulver’s 140 Characters Conference in New York. (Article first published as Paying The Price For Customer Service on Technorati)

I’ve got the number 470 on my mind tonight.

Huh, you wonder? It’s not only the number of years since the saying “you’re known by the company you keep” was first uttered (according to Wiki answers), it is the number of times I smiled today since I got web close to legends Jeff Pulver and Craig Newmark.

Jeff graciously has given us his 140 Character Conference speakers a spot on his highly read blog http://140conf.com/blog. My turn was today http://bit.ly/kY3hKS. Hours later, I shared the page with Craig, the founder of Craigslist. http://bit.ly/j24HW9. I encourage you to read Craig’s post about giving voiceless people a voice.

And, if you’re so inclined, please read my preview of the new Moments of Trust presentation set for June 16.

I also suggest you smile 470 times before bed. I had my reason – I’m sure you have yours.

Like many baby boomers, I have a love/not-ready-to-try-it relationship with technology. Personal technology is as much a part of my lifestyle as golf was earlier in life (talk about love/hate). Not only am I fascinated by the advances, I’m an eager participant with two smartphones, a Kindle, an iPad and two MacBooks.

If you think I’m “all in,” I’d have to say, “not quite.” You see, when it comes to my money and the technological products around it, I’m as careful as a crossing monitor. To this day I have always walked into a bank, waited in line and walked out with my deposit record delivered to me by a teller. So you now want me to adopt a behavior that has me bumping or scanning my money into my account?

On a panel at this month’s Boomer Summit in San Francisco, Intuit’s Omar Green made a case for me to be “smarter.” Intuit’s director of strategic mobile initiatives said his company is building a mobile wallet that guides you to the optimum purchase. Green spoke of a scenario where the wallet advises you on which credit card to use to get maximum return and the times when you should cash in loyalty points and save your money. That is a compelling concept for me, assuming I can get past the reluctance to hand to Intuit or anyone else details of my arrangements with American Express, the retailer in the mall and the like.

But unlike the ATM where I save time (admittedly no small thing) but nothing else, I conceivably would receive real monetary rewards from a “smart” mobile wallet. Are we ready?

In a KPMG study, U.S. respondents who said they were comfortable using their mobile devices for financial transactions grew only to 16 percent, a 6 percent increase from the last survey. Respondents not comfortable with such usage declined to 55 percent, an 11 percent drop from the last survey. Among all U.S. respondents who have not conducted banking through a mobile device, 52 percent cited security and privacy as the primary reason. Consistent with many technology advances, younger consumers are more likely to participate at least in the early days.

Why might a “smart” mobile wallet work? According to the Yankee Group, 73 percent of mobile subscribers want an offer. I’m in that category. So Intuit and the thousands of others chasing this opportunity have a shot. I’m willing to take a look. But the convincing stage has just begun.

(Post first appeared on Intuit Network http://network.intuit.com/2011/05/11/a-smart-mobile-wallet/)

Mom's flowers are beautiful today, but they inevitably will wilt. Hopefully your marketing campaign around one of the special days of the year won't meet the same fate.

As I told Mobile Marketer, Mother's Day is like many other - a chance to open an on-going dialogue with consumers.

“It’s wise to think long-term,” I remarked. “Engagement during the Mother’s Day period opens the door to remarketing opportunities. “If you treat the customer right and provide value, the mobile subscriber might be interested in ongoing information and offers,” he said.

Read the rest of the article here http://bit.ly/knl59X

You surely will laugh at my resistance to deposit a check through an ATM machine – in 2011. As progressive as I am about technology, to this day I have always walked into a bank, waited on line and walked out with my deposit record delivered to me by a teller. So you now want me to adopt a behavior that has me bumping or scanning my money into my account?

On a panel at last week’s Boomer Summit in San Francisco, Intuit’s Omar Green made a case for me to be “smarter”. Of course, I have a smartphone – actually I carry two. What I don’t have is a smart mobile wallet. Neither do you but that is soon to change if Green’s timeline is correct. Intuit’s director of strategic mobile initiatives said his company is building a mobile wallet that guides you to the optimum purchase.

Green spoke of a scenario where the wallet advises you on which credit card to use to get maximum return and the times when you should cash in loyalty points and save your money. That is a compelling concept for me assuming I can get past the reluctance to hand to Intuit or anyone else details of my arrangements with American Express, the retailer in the mall, and the like.

But unlike the ATM where I save time (admittedly no small thing) but nothing else, I conceivably would receive real monetary rewards from a “smart” mobile wallet. Surely Intuit won’t be the only company to incentivize me to participate. Those chasing the mobile wallet dream include Google, eBay, PayPal, the mobile operators in a joint venture called ISIS, and thousands or more other entities.

Are we ready? In a KPMG study, U.S. respondents who said they were comfortable using their mobile devices for financial transactions grew only to 16 percent, a 6 percent increase from the last survey. Respondents not comfortable with such usage declined to 55 percent, an 11 percent drop from the last survey. Among all U.S. respondents who have not conducted banking through a mobile device, 52 percent cited security and privacy as the primary reason. Consistent with many technology advances, younger consumers are more likely to participate at least in the early days.

Why might a “smart” mobile wallet work? According to the Yankee Group, 73 percent of mobile subscribers want an offer. I’m in that category. If I do join the 21^st Century when it comes to financial transactions, I’ll use the phone on one of my mobile devices to record the moment.

(first appeared on iMedia Connection --http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2011/05/03/mobile-wallet-that-saves-me-money-now-thats-smart/)