Business Pundit

The top topic on Twitter this morning was that Gmail was down Were you a member of the panicked masses who could not handle today’s GMail problems? I certainly was. I spent hours obsessively refreshing the GMail site, refusing to believe that… Read more

A recent Chicago Journal of Consumer Research study found that businesses can make consumers feel more special by creating multi-tiered loyalty programs, which pander to a sense of status: Many businesses create loyalty programs to confer a… Read more

While reading Phil Baumann’s blog, I came across a suggestion for readers to get a professional reputation management service. I have heard of large companies using these kinds of services, but am less familiar with the idea of small… Read more

I’m writing this post aboard a Washington, DC-bound US Airways flight. I don’t fly this airline much. In fact, all I knew about them coming in is that they charge you for water. This fact at first sounded grim, like a human rights… Read more

From the Chicago Journal of Consumer Research: According to new research in the Journal of Consumer Research, simply asking people a question about whether they’re willing to volunteer their time leads to increases in donations of both time… Read more

I posted a while back about the amazing customer service I received at a local furniture store. You may recall how impressed I was with their personal service and attention to the finer details, such as having a plate of warm cookies and a vacuous… Read more

After a huge identity theft ring involving the thefts of 40 million credit card numbers was busted last week, most retailers were under an obligation to tell customers whether their data was stolen. According to the Wall Street Journal, however,… Read more

The Economist points out a key advantage to being a new entrant in an old (saturated?) industry: The term cherry-picking can be applied to the behaviour of new entrants into old industries, firms which try to choose their customers carefully…. Read more

I wish my bank served chocolate coins on a silver platter. In fact, I wish everyone served me chocolate. Unfortunately, only a handful of businesses appear to comprehend this point. Ritz-Carlton, for example. And Roseburg, Oregon-based Umpqua Bank…. Read more

(Image credit: Germes-online.com) Today, cribmaker Jardin announced a 320,000-crib recall. The spindles and slats on their cribs were found to break, entrapping and potentially strangling children. Not a helpful feature for a structure… Read more

No matter who you are, it comes up eventually: The case of the angry client. If you’re a teacher, it’s an angry student or parent. If you’re a doctor, an angry patient. If you’re self-employed, an angry customer. People get angry all the… Read more

(Image credit: guardian.co.uk) Someone recently leaked photos of the new Verizon LG Dare. With full touchscreen capabilities, a 3.2 megapixel camcorder, and Bluetooth, this new phone— Wait, did you say the 3G iPhone is being unveiled? With… Read more

(Image credit: AP) I’m a compulsive traveler. Over the years, I’ve consumed a veritable buffet of airline rides on journeys that took me anywhere from across the state to across the globe. The downside of all this is that I’m cheap. That… Read more

Here comes summer! For this work at home freelancer it means a mish mash of work, kids, birthday parties, and grass stains. And then there’s the shelling out of hard earned dollars for a variety of activities to keep the kids out of my hair long… Read more