SETH GODIN… POOR CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS ARE “SCALABLE ENGINES OF ANNOYANCE”. Nice rant from marketing guru, Seth Godin, on his blog. He makes the point that to get a customer’s attention with an ad you have you to yell. With a call center, you have their undivided attention. Delivering an exceptional experience is an unmatched marketing opportunity.

NEIMAN MARCUS USES TECHNOLOGY TO TAKE PERSONAL SHOPPING TO NEXT LEVEL. Download an app for your phone that recognizes when you walk through the door of a Neiman Marcus store. It will instantly tell you which Sales Associates are on duty, so you can find your favorite, and will feature deals based on your interests / past purchases. Sales Associates similarly see when you enter… receive a Facebook photo of you, so you can be identified, and get a record of your purchase history — allowing for a more personalized shopping experience.

GIVE IT FIVE MINUTES. This post is making the rounds… a simple one from 37 Signals. The gist is that its human nature to sometimes over-react, but if we suspend judgment just five minutes we give ourselves time to assess how we really feel about an issue and whether or not it is worthy of debate.