[Miscellany] Time tracking, refreshing my teaching examples, and new reading

September is for rebooting Ah, August... I always end it feeling a little bit frustrated that I didn’t do everything that I needed / wanted to get done (including not having as much fun or rest as I was expecting or was expected to). September, on the contrary, feels like it’s full of potential. It’s … Continue reading [Miscellany] Time tracking, refreshing my teaching examples, and new reading

[Miscellany] LinkedIn as a research tool, tips for writing non-fiction, and reading at the dinner table

LinkedIn as a research tool and source of insight Much has been written about the value of Twitter, Facebook and review platforms (e.g., Trip Advisor) as sources of insight (for instance, about customers and their habits). Yet, LinkedIn is not usually thought of in the same pool of useful research tools.   LinkedIn can be … Continue reading [Miscellany] LinkedIn as a research tool, tips for writing non-fiction, and reading at the dinner table

About emojis

Yesterday (July 17th) was, apparently, World Emoji Day. Why? Because the emoji symbol for calendar shows the date July 17th (which, in turn, is based on the logo for Apple’s Calendar app).   According to website Today Translations: Whilst really taking off in 2011 when Apple first offered its users the ability to send emojis on … Continue reading About emojis

[Miscellany] Customer reviews, GDPR fines and musings on graduation

Stick the film, then post a photo I have recently ordered some black out film for a window that lets in too much light during the night. There are 12 steps in the instructions, starting with cleaning the window, all the way down to… taking a photo and posting it with a review, online.   … Continue reading [Miscellany] Customer reviews, GDPR fines and musings on graduation

Life update: bad days make good stories

Child 2, who is turning out to be a musicophile, showed me this tune about someone who is grateful for the sour grapes in their life. The lyrics include the following verses: We had to work a bit more hard Only just to get a little bit less far We could laugh about it all … Continue reading Life update: bad days make good stories

When does customisation increase customer satisfaction – or my curtains’ challenge

Customisation is one of those marketing ideas that look great in theory but don’t always work in practice.   The benefits of customisation include: For the firm: For the customer: Savings on product development time and costs Customer insight Access to certain skills Customer satisfaction Ability to charge higher prices Functional benefits – e.g., getting … Continue reading When does customisation increase customer satisfaction – or my curtains’ challenge

[Miscellany] Fear sells, Facial recognition banned in San Francisco, and RIP Grumpy Cat

Fear sells What would be really, really useful, if you lived in a dangerous area, and wanted to keep an eye on your house when you are not there?   A doorbell with a camera, perhaps?! Maybe, a doorbell with a camera powered by a facial recognition system?! Or even a doorbell with a camera … Continue reading [Miscellany] Fear sells, Facial recognition banned in San Francisco, and RIP Grumpy Cat

What UK customers are complaining about

Complaint handling company, Resolver, has recently published statistics for the Top 20 types of customer complaints that they helped solve, via their free complaints tool. As these statistics refer to the complaints’ handled by Resolver, naturally, we get a very limited view of the problems that customers may be experiencing and complaining about. For instance, … Continue reading What UK customers are complaining about