ETD: 733 Customer service; Website redesign for Holidays;
Vanity Sizing; Barbanel Design and Promotional Products; RFID News
E-Tailer's Digest
etd_post@gapent.com
Tue, 28 Oct 2003 06:29:37 -0500
E-Tailer's Digest --- Everything for the Retailer
Issue #0733 October 28, 2003
George Matyjewicz, Moderator mailto:georgem@gapent.com
Published by: GAP Enterprises, Ltd. http://www.etailersdigest.com
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CONTENTS
[1] Greetings
[2] Customer service
[3] Website redesign for Holidays
[4] Vanity Sizing
[5] Barbanel Design and Promotional Products
[6] RFID News
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[1] Greetings.
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Hi All:
Today we have some first-hand customer experience comments from a pro -
somebody working in that arena. What do you think?
Jan Owens reports on the latest trend for the Holidays - Website
redesign. IMHO, not a moment too soon. Some of the sites drive me
nuts. It looks like a designer worked on the site without outside help
from consumers. What is your experience with retail sites - both good and bad?
Over on Market-L we've been discussing vanity sizing, posted by ETD list
member Derrick Robinson. Interesting concept. What do you think?
More an more companies are coming on to RFID. What about you? Are you ready?
We have another member profile today, which will be at our site for
posterity at our "Members: Who Are
You?" http://etailersdigest.com/resources/members/index.htm Yes, I am
doing some work at D'Arcangelo. And we have a form there for you to tell
us about you. As I said when I first proposed this idea, we have "known"
each other for a long time, yet we often don't know anything about each
other. So, tell us who you are and what you do.
Now, let's get to everything for the retailer.
Sincerely
George Matyjewicz, PhD
Chief Global Strategist, GAP Enterprises, Ltd.
mailto:georgem@gapent.com
http://www.etailersdigest.com
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[2] Customer service
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Re: Javilk's response. Some good points. I've been in customer
service, specifically in Hospitality & retail, and I've been using a
straight forward REAL approach much like "How can I help you, and how may I
assist you?" It feels like a more genuine reality. And it works. Integrity
and consistency, paired with showing up with honest intent is really what
customer service is all about. As far as I'm concerned all of the companies
listed previously have a lot to learn about true customer service. The
phone company from my experience who's winning hands down is AT &T.
Thanks for listening,
Daphne
www.daphnespa.com
+++ [Moderator's Comments] +++
Thanks for real-world experience Daphne.
After reporting some great customer service, I thought it was time to
report some real dumb customer service. And it happened to be with one of
the phone companies. I ordered a DSL line in our new condo from Verizon
Avenue, a subsidiary of Verizon that handles high rise buildings. The said
that Verizon would have to come first to do something then Verizon Avenue
could come to install the DSL. The problem was Verizon would come on
Monday and Verizon Avenue on Friday and we had to be there both days!
Needless to say, a conversation with a supervisor was necessary to get them
both to come here on Monday. What was really funny was the on-hold message
that stated how great they were with customer service.
George
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[3] Website redesign for Holidays
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There is a great article in the NY Times about how etailers and online
retailers are getting better at website design. Two of the more important
issues: the recognition that customers are increasingly task-specific in
their shopping. We're busy, and we only want to do so much browsing and
having our time taken by non-productive entertainment. (I hope anyone who
still has an "intro page" remembers to have a "skip intro"
button.) Second, many good firms have a "user team" guiding the site
re-design as the "voice of the customer," not just one website designer or
tech exec. It helps to understand how the CUSTOMER searches for products
on your site.
I have a good candidate for a "help this website" makeover. On a certain
tableware/jewelry website, I decided to buy a lasagne server that I'd seen
in the retailer's catalog. The website's search engine turned up NO
results when I searched "lasagne server" or "lasagne," even though the
catalog listed at least items (And multiple silverware patterns) by this
name. Further: my catalog indicated that if I bought 4 pieces of tableware
service, I would get a discount of $10 off each item. I got almost all the
way through the order process (including all the way through the credit
card details, shipping charges, total charges, etc.) before the final click
to buy. Since I didn't see the discount, I bailed out. I did call the 800
number to place the order, but even they seemed not to have the sale listed
-- the nice gentleman checked his copy of the paper catalog on hand to give
me the discount.
Somebody -- talk to each other, or at least talk to whoever is in charge of
updating the order procedures in the company!!!
Here's the article...
As the holidays approach, online retailers are seeking to spiff up their
sites and minimize consumer frustration.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/27/technology/27ecom.html?ex=1068265410&ei=1&en=0f890936a6287f2b
Jan Owens
+++ [Moderator's Comments] +++
Not a moment too soon. Businesses need to look at their sites and address
the needs of their customers. I thought the days of Web designers were
over, and business people now had influence on what goes into a site.
Another area that is a big waste is when a retailer runs a full page ad in
some major and expensive (or not so major) publication advertising a
product, and directs you to the general site, rather than a special page
for the ad. CompUSA did that over Columbus Day. They had this special
promotion, and when I went to order, I couldn't figure out how to get the
promo. So I called. And they didn't know either. There were 10 items in
the promo, and you had to key every one in, rather than get a bundled
package. "Each has a special promo by the manufacturer" was the
answer. "What about the convenience of your customer?" I replied. Dumb.
Since we're on the subject, what is your experience with retail sites -
both good and bad?
George
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[4] Vanity Sizing
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List member Derrick Robinson posted this on Market-L and I thought it would
be of interest to etailers...
I heard some female critics blaming marketers for deception. They were mad
about the vanity sizing techniques that some manufacturers are using to
sell apparels. Here how the concept works.
You are a female and wears a size 7 pair of jeans. You enter a store that
uses the vanity sizing techniques and if you see a pair of jeans (size 7)
that you like and tries it on, to your surprise the jeans is too big. This
is called sizing down or vanity sizing. Some clothing manufacturers are
taking advantage of this techniques in order to make their customers feel
good about being able to wear a smaller size. These companies feel it will
make shoppers buy more from them. However, the bad thing about this
strategy with respect to the consumer is, when that consumer goes to a
another store and tries on a different brand of jeans that uses a true
sizing scheme, the consumer may start to feel insecure about the size
knowing that last week she bought a pair of jeans that was a size 5 and
this week she had to buy a pair that was a size 9. Manufacturers that are
using the vanity sizing system are encouraging society's unrealistic
standards for small size of thinness which may be contributing to the
problems of eating disorders and women's negative body images.
Any thoughts on this?
Derrick Robinson
+++ [Moderator's Comments] +++
To subscribe to Market-L
<mailto:Maiser@mail.telmar.com?body=subscribe%20Market-L>
George
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[5] Barbanel Design and Promotional Products
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Barbanel Design and Promotional Products has two entities: 1)Direct
marketing agency: list rental, creative, design, direct mail, fulfillment,
etc. and 2)Promotional products division: pens, shirts, bags, etc.,
etc., etc.
We have over 20 years of marketing expertise (direct and positioning). We
are focused on creative and execution.
Barbanel has been in business for 18 years. I personally have been in
direct marketing for 20 years. The reason I started the business was
because of my passion for marketing and working with companies to position
themselves properly in the marketplace.
Right now Barbanel is marketed by Word of mouth. Trade shows, advertising,
search engine optimization, etc. are` all being planned.
Contact me for more information on how we can help your organization.
Craig G. Pierce, Director of Sales
Barbanel Design and Promotions
305 Whitney Street
Leominster, MA`01453
cpierce@barbanel.com
Tel: 978.840.4100
Fax: 978.537.9599
PS: GREAT newsletter -- keep it coming (please) !!
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[6] RFID News
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From Consumer Goods Technology...
Manhattan Associates and Zebra Technologies launch software applications
that print RFID-tagged labels from office computer printers for use in
retail supply chains. The systems are designed to print radio frequency
identification (RFID) labels compliant with the Electronic Product Code
(EPC) data standards that will eventually support an EPC network for
sharing product data among retailers and suppliers. Zebra and Manhattan
Associates announced their RFID printing applications at the EPC Symposium
held in conjunction with the Frontline Supply Chain Week trade show in
Chicago. Checkpoint Systems and Texas Instruments also made RFID-related
announcements and demonstrations at the symposium. Checkpoint Systems
demonstrated an EPC/RFID application that retailers and suppliers can
install to track RFID-tagged shipments. Texas Instruments Radio Frequency
Identification Systems is developing ultra-high frequency RFID tags that
will meet EPC standards.
Provia Software, a provider of supply chain execution software solutions,
announces the availability of RFIDware, a new product solution for Wal-Mart
suppliers and others needing to comply with the retail giant's January 2005
deadline for RFID compliance. The product announcement was made at a press
conference at Frontline Supply Chain Week in Chicago. RFIDware is a
stand-alone RFID kit, which enables product suppliers and 3PLs with an
existing WMS, ERP or host system to become RFID compliant. Available for
general release later this year, Provia's RFIDware is an EPC standards
compliant solution for companies that need to ship RFID compliant product
to vendors requiring RFID tracking of inbound pallets and cases.
Tyco Fire & Security, a major business segment of Tyco International,
releases SensorID Works, a radio frequency identification (RFID) software
program that gives manufacturers, distributors and retailers the
opportunity to evaluate RFID technology using small-scale pilot programs.
The software package, which is compatible with existing RFID products from
Tyco and other technology providers, is designed to support off-line RFID
tests, so customers can better visualize the power of RFID before moving
forward with full-scale pilot programs. Users can choose from four
demonstrations for their trial run: inventory counting, portal monitoring,
perpetual inventory and shipping/receiving. SensorID Works can be run on a
standard PC or laptop, further reducing RFID start-up costs.
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