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August 2012
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9 posts from September 2012

Serve your customers with better data

Instead of saving customer data for your benefit, you should save customer data for their benefit. Tq-120907-sd 

Bryan Pearson: Ecco experience repeats key lessons in good data use, 2012-Aug-27

I believe that most employees would embrace the opportunity to make the customer experience better. But it is up to the employer to provide them the necessary tools to do so, and this includes the kinds of data that show the customers’ purchase patterns and preferences.

NY Times: What restaurants know about you, 2012-Sep-4, by Susanne Craig

Increasingly, restaurants are recording whether you are a regular, a first-timer, someone who lives close by or a friend of the owner or manager. They archive where you like to sit, when you will celebrate a special occasion and whether you prefer your butter soft or hard, Pepsi over Coca-Cola or sparkling over still water. In many cases, they can trace your past performance as a diner; how much you ordered, tipped and whether you were a “camper” who lingered at the table long after dessert.

“We will write if the person is kosher or can’t eat shellfish,” said Ed Schoenfeld, who owns RedFarm in the West Village. “And we take note of the people who sat for six and a half hours last time, so next time we are sure to give them an uncomfortable seat.”


How much I enjoyed TEDxTheWoodlands

You see a lot of smiles in these pictures from TEDxTheWoodlands August , 2012. Unlike most TED events which are held in auditoriums, this even was held at the local Art League, and the attendance was limited to around 50 people. The had a raised stage on one side of the room, and it worked quite well. The speakers included more artists than usual, and they focused on helping us see the world the way they do. 

Seated next to me in one shot is industrial designer Thi Vu, who shared his wonderful designs and even passed them into the audience to examine. You can't do THAT at a typical TEDx event. 

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Pictured standing by himself on the stage is artist named Andre Gandin, a real find. I love his bird sculptures. The theme of the show was "wonder" and he had the most apt comment to me as a fellow creative: "As I am making these things, I wonder, 'am I going to get any money for this?'"