win lunch with the ed

As part of our constant commitment to improving the Customer Strategy brand, we’re looking for feedback from the people who matter – you. We’ve put together a (very quick) questionnaire that asks you what you like about CS (apart from its incredibly smart and good-looking editor. Ahem..) We’re also interested in finding out would like to see more of and what you think we’ve missed out. Your opinion counts and we really do take on board your suggestions. Take a minute and fill out the form at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MWXTX35   (if the link doesn’t work, just cut and paste it into your browser).

As a way of saying thank you for your time, I’ll be taking one respondent out to lunch next month.

Competition time

Win two essential books for managing your customer relations: Managing Customers Through Economic Cycles by John McKean and The Relationship Revolution by Larry Hochman.

About Managing Customers Through Economic Cycles: Whether you are a global Fortune 500 organization or a small business Managing Customers Through Economic Cycles show you how to optimize your business’s sales and marketing approaches specific to survive and thrive in each economic cycle and transition.

Author John McKean:  John McKean is the Executive Director of the Centre for Information Based Competition, which provides thought-leadership and practitioner-level guidance to help businesses advance to a mastery level of customer information, interactions, and communities ranging from human-to-human to social media/mobile conversations – both as rational consumers and high-order intuitive people. He is frequently called on by the world’s leading businesses to inspire new levels of customer awareness and effectiveness through fact-based insights and a passion for customer excellence. John McKean’s real world customer work is balanced with the academic rigors of guest lecturing at MIT Sloan Graduate School and postgraduate work at Harvard University.

About The Relationship Revolution: Customers are angry. The turmoil of recession has left them feeling let-down, anxious and betrayed. They know how often businesses over-promise and under-deliver, and they’re now deeply cynical. Trust in business is at an all-time low. This defining moment calls for nothing less than a ‘Relationship Revolution’. In his new book, Larry Hochman, former European Business Speaker of the Year, outlines how the businesses that will prevail will be the ones who understand that customer relationships will be the dominant factor in determining success in the post-recession era.

Author Larry Hochman: Larry Hochman is one of the most popular keynote speakers in the world and a former European Business Speaker of the Year. He is a globally recognised expert on customer relationships, leadership and talent management. Before beginning his speaking career twelve years ago, Larry held a number of senior positions at British Airways and the loyalty management company Airmiles in both New York and London. He was also a pioneer of corporate mentoring in Europe and has been the personal mentor to many Chief Executives all over the world. Originally from America, Larry currently resides in both London and Venice.

To win both of these books, you must be a registered member of Customer Focus, the professional networking Linkedin forum for senior customer focused executives.

You can register by clicking this link: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2683663&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=%2Egdr_1267447271994_

Once you have registered with Customer Focus, answer this question: What is the name of the Customer Strategy magazine CSI writer? Answers to: cseditorial@ubm.com. Competition closes on April 3rd 2010.

Meeting Don

I spent a good few hours with Don Hales yesterday. If there’s any one person whose name is synonymous with the customer service profession, it has to be Don’s.  At this point I would ordinarily pause to explain a little about Don’s background as an author, professional speaker, the founder and chair of judges for the National Customer Service Awards and the National Sales Awards. I might even delve a little further back and recount his experiences as the former Deputy Managing Director at Quest Media. But, to be honest, if you’re reading this blog, then you probably know most of this already. Our meeting was held in the suitably refined surroundings of the Institute of Directors, central London. Over cups of hot chocolate and coffee our conversation flitted lightly between our professional aspirations and our personal past-times (Don has a penchant for golf and I for Star Trek and playing with gadgets). I found Don the perfect example of someone who is supremely comfortable in his own skin. No airs and graces, no pretensions. Just rock solid industry knowledge, an instinctive understanding of the opportunities and challenges that lie before us and a charming, self-effacing charisma that is hard to fault. A true gentleman. Don has agreed to contribute a fortnightly column to the Customer Strategy website and a monthly article to our digital magazine. In the articles you will have an opportunity to hear Don’t thoughts on the customer service industry and perhaps gain an insight into the mind of the man who has become the god father of the industry.