blog along: « Customer Experience: Take A Stance

04
March
2011

celebrate friends and fans – 2011

Comments Off

Fridays are for celebrating Stance Friends and Fans. I encourage you to visit their facebook page, website or place of business and tell Stance about your experience with their company, product or service.

Fadó Irish Pub in Denver will host an event on Friday, March 11, for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation where nearly 300 people will have their heads shaved by stylists from Salon and Spa on the Boulevard. Those shaving their heads will be enthusiastically cheered on by crowds of friends, family, doctors, nurses, children and others who have been touched by cancer in hopes to further awareness.

On March 17, 2000, three executives turned their industry’s St. Patrick’s Day party into a head-shaving event to benefit kids with cancer. Their 20 “shavee” recruits planned to raise $17,000, and instead, they raised over $104,000.

The movement quickly grew into the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer research, and today the St. Baldrick’s Foundation funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization. Since 2000, more than 147,000 volunteers have shaved in solidarity with children with cancer and raised over $90 million for life-saving research, and each is a walking billboard for the cause.

A few of the kids being honored by the event:

Preston has Stage 3A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with cancer in his neck, top left clavicle, liver and spleen. He was treated at The Children’s Hospital and is currently in remission. He is eight years old and a hero and warrior.

Bella was one year old when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She was treated at The Children’s Hospital and is currently in remission. Her treatment ends March 11, 2011. Now three years old she remains strong and is an inspiration to everyone.

Fadó Irish Pub will donate 20 percent of food sales during the event to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Get involved and either shave your head, volunteer, eat or donate, but give hope to infants, children, teens and young adults fighting childhood cancers. Visit St. Baldrick’s Foundation website to learn how to be a shavee, support a team or donate in general.

______________________________________________________________________________
If you have participated or worked with St. Baldrick’s Foundation, please share it here. If not, visit them today. I look forward to hearing about it and sharing your experience with other Stance Friends and Fans.

Tags: benchmark, brand promise, cancer, cem, charity, customer centric, customer experience, customer retention, customer service, empower, engage, expectations, fado irish pub, family owned, Friday, fundraising, happy customer, journey, kids with cancer, listen, moment of truth, optimal conditions, reality, shave heads, social media, st. baldrick's foundation, st. patrick's day, support, volunteer driven, word of mouth
Posted in Celebrate Stance Friends and Fans

18
February
2011

celebrate friends and fans – 2011

Comments Off

CrossFit Denver is the fitness destination for Coloradans who are serious about improving their overall performance, general physical preparedness, body composition and quality of life. They work with professional athletes, weekend warriors, soccer moms, golfers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters, grandfathers, kids, business executives and everybody in between.

CrossFit is a nationally affiliated program developed by experts in functional fitness. Their program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general and inclusive. Their specialty is not specializing.

We are CrossFit Denver (YouTube Video)

CrossFit Denver was the first public CrossFit affiliate in Colorado opened in 2005 by Denver native, Randy Goldstein. Slowly but surely, Randy’s passion for CrossFit and coaching began spreading the CrossFit word and educating the masses on its bountiful benefits in life, health and fitness. CrossFit wants to give you all the information you need to make an informed decision whether it’s a good fit for your fitness goals. They don’t want unhappy members who have been “trapped” into a commitment.

The first step is for you to get to know them, and for them to get to know you. I personally started CrossFit this week and can feel that the rewards will be great.

CrossFit Denver on Facebook.

CrossFit Denver website.

130 Lipan St
Denver, CO 80223
303-482-2420
______________________________________________________________________________
If you have experienced CrossFit, please share it here. If not, visit them today. I look forward to hearing about it and sharing your experience with other Stance Friends and Fans.

Tags: align, analysis, benchmark, brand promise, cem, crossfit, customer centric, customer experience, customer feedback, customer retention, customer service, empower, engage, exercise, expectations, Experience, experience exemplified, experience mapping, family owned, Friday, happy customer, moment of truth, optimal conditions, restaurant customer service, social media, sparkpoint, strategy, touchpoint, word of mouth
Posted in Celebrate Stance Friends and Fans

04
February
2011

celebrate friends and fans – 2011

Comments Off

34 Degrees – What Does It Mean? Thirty-four degrees is the latitude of Sydney, Australia, where company founder Craig Lieberman discovered his passion for food and wine. It’s also where he got his first taste of Australian crispbread, the inspiration for their thin and crispy crackers. In 2003, Craig launched 34 Degrees and began importing specialty foods from Australia. Eventually Craig’s desire to bring his business and his love of food closer to home illuminated the need to take the company in a new direction. In 2008, he discontinued his importing venture to become a manufacturer focused exclusively on making 34° Crispbread in Colorado.
.
Mission – Simply to make the very best crackers that are as good on their own as they are with a little something extra — especially when that something extra is cheese. Taking pride and pleasure in what they do today, knowing that their creativity and commitment to innovation will elevate their customers’ enjoyment of 34° Crispbread tomorrow. Using a handful of natural ingredients, they carefully bake wafer-thin crackers until they are subtly toasty and overtly tasty. 34° Crispbread offers six varaties: Natural, Sesame, Cracked Pepper, Rosemary, Lemon Zest and Whole Grain.
.What makes them so clever?
: The perfect companion to cheese.
: Simply made, simply delicious.
: Effortless entertaining.
: Clean and crisp.
: They’re good for you.
.
Look for 34° Crispbread products in specialty stores and restaurants, or contact them to find out how you can order them direct.3507 Ringsby Ct, Ste 106
Denver, CO 80216
tel: 303.861.4818
fax: 303.484.4664
sales@34-degrees.com

34° Crispbread on facebook.

34° Crispbread website.

______________________________________________________________________________

If you have done business with or enjoyed 34° Crispbread, please share it here. If not, visit them today. I look forward to hearing about it and sharing your experience with other Stance Friends and Fans.

Tags: boulder, brand promise, cem, cheese and crackers, colorado business, crackers, customer centric, customer experience, customer feedback, customer retention, customer service, employee training, empower, engage, entertaining, expectations, Experience, experience exemplified, family owned, feedback, food and wine, Friday, happy customer, importing, moment of truth, natural ingredients, optimal conditions, positive referral, repeat business, repeatable, restaurant customer service, retail service, social media, sparkpoint, touchpoint, wafer thin, word of mouth
Posted in Celebrate Stance Friends and Fans

28
January
2011

celebrate friends and fans – 2011

Comments Off

Denver is made up of neighborhoods and architecture that are as diverse and unique as the people who live here. Say hello to Diana and Michael Kearns, The Kearns Team, who take pride in their knowledge of Denver Real Estate, especially in Stapleton, Park Hill, Wash Park, Highlands, Whittier, Lowry and Lower Downtown.
.
Whether you are relocating to the Denver Metro area from another city or simply moving across town, they can provide the information you need. Relocation buyers have special needs, and they know corporate relocation processes. The Kearns Team will help you understand local practices in home buying or selling.
.
For every transaction, either Diana or Michael will be your primary contact, and the other will provide additional support. This allows them to continue to provide personalized service while also being more flexible to meet your needs. When you are ready to buy or sell, visit their facebook page and contact them.

The Kearns Team on Facebook.

The Kearns Team website.

Call The Kearns Team at 800-841-8220.
______________________________________________________________________________
If you have done business with The Kearns Team, please share it here. If not, visit them today. I look forward to hearing about it and sharing your experience with other Stance Friends and Fans.

Tags: align, alliance, benchmark, brand promise, buy a home, cem, change agent, customer centric, customer experience, customer feedback, customer retention, customer service, denver, denver metro, denver real estate, employee training, empower, engage, expectations, experience exemplified, family owned, Friday, green building, happy customer, journey, kearns team, lowry, moment of truth, mortgage, optimal conditions, perception, positive referral, process, reality, remax, repeat business, retail service, sell a home, social media, sparkpoint, stapleton, strategy, touchpoint, wash park, word of mouth
Posted in Celebrate Stance Friends and Fans

22
January
2011

celebrate friends and fans – 2011

9 Comments

There is a great word that originated in Louisiana called: lagniappe (pronounced lan-yap). The Creole word literally translated means “the gift.” It refers to a small, unexpected extra gift or benefit presented by a store owner to a customer at the time of purchase. The people of Louisiana have embraced the term and broadened the definition to include any time a little something extra is given.

When applied to marketing, it equals a marketing lagniappe: any time a business goes above and beyond to provide a little something extra.
.
Stan Phelps, Chief Solutions Officer for Synergy Events, is searching for 1,001 examples of marketing lagniappe for his book: What’s Your Purple Goldfish?
.
The basic ingredients or R.U.L.E.S of Purple Goldfish: Relevant-Unexpected-Limited-Expression-Sticky.
.
REWARD: For each of the first 1,001 examples of lagniappe Phelps will donate a non-perishable food item to the Thomas Merton Center, a soup kitchen in Bridgeport, CT that provides food and other programs that help people move out of poverty to become self sufficient.
.
In addition, each Purple Goldfish example will be featured on the website and the best examples will be featured in his upcoming book.
.
How to contribute:

: e-mail your Purple Goldfish to sphelps@synergyevents.com.
.
BONUS: If your Purple Goldfish gets in to the book, you receive a complimentary signed copy.

Examples of worthy marketing lagniappe or Purple Goldfish:

: Southwest Airlines – Grab you bag . . . it’s on. Southwest doesn’t charge for bags.

: TD Bank – TD Bank’s penny arcade in their lobby, a free service to exchange coins.

: Five Guys Burgers and Fries – Free peanuts while you wait and extra fries with your order.

: Doubletree Hotels – Complimentary warm chocolate chip cookie when you check-in.

: Zappos – Free upgrade of your shipping to next day.

.
What is your recent Purple Goldfish? Tell Stan Phelps and share with Stance.

Want to learn more? Watch this YouTube video: Marketing Lagniappe – In Search of Your Purple Goldfish.

Visit marketing lagniappe for more great examples of a Purple Goldfish.

Follow Stan on Twitter.

______________________________________________________________________________

If you have submitted a Purple Goldfish, please share it here. If not, visit them today and submit a new one for the book. I look forward to hearing about it and sharing your experience with other Stance Friends and Fans.

Tags: align, angry customer, benchmark, brand promise, cem, change agent, customer centric, customer experience, customer feedback, customer retention, customer service, employee training, empower, engage, expectations, Experience, experience exemplified, family owned, feedback, Friday, happy customer, journey, lagniappe, marketing, moment of truth, optimal conditions, perception, positive referral, process, purple goldfish, repeat business, repeatable, restaurant customer service, retail service, social media, sparkpoint, strategy, touchpoint, word of mouth
Posted in Celebrate Stance Friends and Fans

20
January
2011

why do you social media?

2 Comments

I have almost 800 friends on my persoanl Facebook page, over 300 fans on my business fanpage and close to 1500 followers on Twitter…not huge numbers, but respectable. Of those 2600 friends, fans and followers, 75 percent consists of retail, blogs, restaurants, services, entertainment, career connections and news sources.

Every day I read about what is for sale, what the economy is doing, how to run my business, what time happy hour is, what the special is tonight, why bedbugs are making a comeback, how to train my dog and the latest top 10 list about something.
.
I comment. I engage. I ask questions. I like. I share. I tweet. I retweet. I post. I suggest. I repost…and over and over.
.
Oh, and I also schedule updates to post later. I do this to make good use of my time and share information on a wide variety of topics that interest me and my friends and followers. I am proud to say that 99.4 percent of the time, I am available to ENGAGE with friends, fans and followers when the post goes live because that is the point of social media.

So why do I Social Media?

From a professional level (for my business and for my clients): to build relationships and to understand the root causes of customer sentiment and behavior in order to prioritize improvements that enhance each customer’s experience.

Listen
Know your customers
Care about your customers
Evolve with your customers

From a personal level: to create relationships, to support those I believe in, to stay connected with my past, to build my future and to find out what the special is tonight….because after all, food is high on my list of priorities.

Why do you Social Media?

Tags: align, angry customer, benchmark, brand promise, cem, change agent, customer centric, customer experience, customer feedback, customer retention, customer service, empower, engage, Experience, experience exemplified, feedback, happy customer, ice cream, journey, listen, moment of truth, optimal conditions, perception, positive referral, process, repeat business, restaurant customer service, social media, sparkpoint, strategy, touchpoint, word of mouth
Posted in Social Media

14
January
2011

celebrate friends and fans – 2011

Comments Off

In 1902, Mose Iacino’s family came to Colorado from Grimaldi, Italy, in search of a better life. Young Mose had a mind full of ideas, an entrepreneurial spirit and an appreciation for quality seafood.
.
In 1918, Mose Iacino, age 16, set out to bring fresh seafood from Seattle to the people of Denver and the surrounding area and created Seattle Fish Company. Although much has changed since that time, Seattle Fish Company remains a family-run business, where Mose’s spirit of innovation, dedication and service lives on.

Mose developed a system for transporting fresh seafood to the landlocked state of Colorado. It entailed packing fresh fish in sawdust and ice, and shipping the goods by railcar from Seattle. At each train stop, the ice was replenished to keep the seafood fresh. Denver citizens flocked to his stall inside his uncle’s shop at 1537 Market Street downtown. Little did Mose know that he was launching a career that would last a lifetime.

Today, fresh and frozen seafood is flown into Denver International Airport seven days a week from American coasts and port cities from around the world. The product travels in special shipping containers that maintain the seafood in peak condition.

Mose built a thriving business on ingenuity, customer service and quality seafood. His son, Edward Iacino, carries on the tradition as Chairman and CEO, grandson James Iacino is President and granddaughter Chelsea Iacino is Human Resource Manager.

Today, nearly 100 employees work to deliver their products to more than 650 grocers, restaurants, hotels and caterers, making them one of the largest seafood distributors in the western United States. They are also an active member of several industry organizations that help ensure high quality and sustainable practices. As the region’s largest supplier, they bring value and selection that are second to none — with the personal service of a three-generation, family-owned business. As a certified Marine Stewardship Council supplier, Seattle Fish Co. is committed to protecting the environment and maintaining sustainable practices from catch to consumer.

Visit Seattle Fish Co. on facebook.

______________________________________________________________________________

If you have had the pleasure of experiencing a Culinary Connectors tour, please share your experience. If not, visit them today. I look forward to hearing about it and sharing your experience with other Stance Friends and Fans.

Tags: align, benchmark, brand promise, cem, change agent, customer centric, customer experience, customer feedback, customer retention, customer service, empower, entrepreneurial spirit, Experience, experience exemplified, experience mapping, family owned, feedback, Friday, happy customer, marine stewardship council, moment of truth, optimal conditions, perception, positive referral, repeat business, repeatable, restaurant customer service, restaurants, seafood, seattle fish, seattle fish co, social media, sparkpoint, strategy, sustainable, touchpoint, word of mouth
Posted in Celebrate Stance Friends and Fans

07
January
2011

celebrate friends and fans – 2011

Comments Off

Fridays are for celebrating Stance Friends and Fans. I encourage you to visit their facebook page, website or place of business and tell Stance about your experience with their product or service. If you have already interacted with the featured Friday Stance Friend or Fan and have a story to share, please do.

________________________________________________________________________________

Culinary Connectors was launched on November 15, 2008 by its president, Becky Creighton, to share the love, passion and excitement of Denver’s culinary world.
.
Joining a Culinary Connectors tour is like stepping into the comfortable kitchen of a talented good friend. Experience excellence at the elbow of award-winning chefs in a small intimate group where pomp and pretense is replaced with genuine laughter shared over delicious details and tasty tidbits of expert information. Taste your way across Colorado’s complex cultural heritage from its high-stepping international recognition down to its home-spun roots and warm hearth.

Why Culinary Connectors:

-Learn where to find the freshest seasonal, local and organic produce
-Taste and sample, pair wines, learn the whys-and-hows
-Discover the gourmet shops and local artisans frequented by top chefs
-Sample from purveyors in quaint neighborhoods off the beaten path
-Learn how to meld regional influences into a recipe to make it uniquely yours
-Delight in “backstage access” and candid conversations
-Learn the treasured ingredients that elevate a dish from edible to indelible
-Feed your mind and body, nourish your foodie soul

Culinary Connectors provides behind the scenes culinary tours to Denver, Boulder and Aspen top restaurants, gourmet shops and ethnic markets. Visit www.culinaryconnectors.com for a tour calendar and details.

______________________________________________________________________________

Tags: align, analysis, benchmark, brand promise, cem, change agent, culinary, culinary connectors, customer centric, customer experience, customer feedback, customer retention, customer service, denver chefs, denver restaruants, empower, engage, ethnic markets, expectations, experience exemplified, family owned, foodie, gourmet shops, organic produce, perception, positive referral, process, repeat business, repeatable, restaruant tour, restaurant customer service, social media, sparkpoint, touchpoint, word of mouth
Posted in Celebrate Stance Friends and Fans

31
December
2010

celebrate stance friends and fans

Comments Off

Happy New Year. Fridays are for celebrating Stance Friends and Fans. I encourage you to visit their facebook page, website or place of business and tell Stance about your experience with their product or service. If you have already interacted with the featured Friday Stance Friend or Fan and have a story to share, please do.

Today we take a look back at the Stance Friends and Fans featured in 2010.
.
It started in October with Newberry Brothers Greenhouse and Florists, a family owned and operated Colorado company started over 60 years ago that specializes in custom floral design, greenhouse plants and gourmet Colorado-Proud gift baskets.
.

.
Also in October we featured kuulture, a family owned frozen yogurt store in lower downtown Denver.

.
A newbie to facebook and twitter but not to the mortgage industry, G&S Mortgage, a Denver-based mortgage company owned by George Gore III, my brother.
.
In November we welcomed SooperTramp, Trendy Dog Collars and Leashes for your Canine Sooperstar started in 2009 by Suzie Brown.

Our first featured sports team was The Denver Browns, an organization founded in 2006 by Gino Grasso and managed by Matthew Repplinger with the goal of developing amateur baseball players starting with Little Leaguers to Big Leaguers.

.

And last, but certainly not least, Stance featured Eric Elkins, author, business owner, dad, single man about town and lover of food and drink.
.

.
Stance supports locally owned small businesses that provide the optimal customer experience to each of their customers. They are all unique in their offerings, and I hope you support them as well. Cheers to all and I look forward to sharing in 2011.

If you have done business with any of the Stance Friends and Fans, please share your experience. If not, visit them today. I look forward to hearing about it and sharing your experience with other Stance Friends and Fans.

Tags: align, benchmark, brand promise, cem, change agent, customer centric, customer experience, customer feedback, customer retention, customer service, employee training, empower, expectations, Experience, optimal conditions, positive referral, process, repeat business, repeatable, retail service, sparkpoint, strategy, word of mouth
Posted in Celebrate Stance Friends and Fans

10
December
2010

celebrate stance friends and fans

Comments Off

Fridays are for celebrating Stance Friends and Fans. I encourage you to visit their facebook page, website or place of business and tell Stance about your experience with their product or service. If you have already interacted with the featured Friday Stance Friend or Fan and have a story to share, please do.

Today we celebrate Eric Elkins, author, business owner, dad, single man about town and lover of food and drink.
.
Eric lives in Denver with his super-cool daughter and his super-annoying cat. He used to be a scientist…he used to be a cook in restaurants…he was once an elementary school teacher…then he was a youth content editor at The Denver Post..

Now he has his own company where he plays on his computer all day. At WideFoc.us, he specializes in helping businesses with social media tools like blogs, forums, Facebook and Twitter. He also writes about being a single dad at DatingDad.com. And don’t forget his book Ray, reflected, a young adult/middle grades novel based in Santa Cruz, CA.

You can find Eric a number of ways. Connect with Eric. Buy his book. Pick his brain. Enjoy a perfect martini. He has something to offer everyone.

Tags: brand promise, change agent, colorado author, customer experience, customer feedback, empower, engage, expectations, Experience, experience exemplified, experience mapping, family owned, foodie, Friday, novel, retail service, social media, sparkpoint, word of mouth
Posted in Celebrate Stance Friends and Fans

take a stance: