Yup, I know, I know. I've been gone a long time, and for that I apologize! I could say that it was the whole COVID-19 syndrome and take the easy way out, but that wouldn't be honest. The sad truth is that I'm just as lazy as the next person! And of course, when you add in the very real COVID-19 situation, the fact that I have a very heavy teaching schedule at HKUST, a "day" job here at Datatrade, and other responsibilities, I could come up with many valid sounding and believa

If you still need to be convinced to either start a loyalty program or ramp up an existing program, then these new statistics from the latest research should get your juices flowing, they're amazing! Here are my personal favorites: 58.7% of internet users believe earning rewards and loyalty points is one of the most valued aspects of the shopping experience. 87% of customers are willing to have various details of their activity tracked in exchange for more personalized reward

That famous saying goes on to say "if not now, then when?" And do you know what? It's not only timeless and spot on, but it's especially timely for the days we're living in right now in Hong Kong. Now is the time more than ever that your customers need to know where YOU stand, meaning RIGHT THERE with them, supporting them, understanding them, feeling their pain and frustration, and continuing to stand ready to serve and deliver. Loyalty is always most important during times

Many clients have asked me, over the years, how important is my brand for #customerretention? Of course it's important, and perhaps today more than ever before. Why? Because #branding has evolved beyond just a name, logo, and mission statement, into an area we now call #brandactivism. Customers today, perhaps for the very first time, want to know, in fact demand to know "what does your brand STAND for?" Customers feel more comfortable associating with brands that reflect thei

Let's take the last part of that question first...YES! Absolutely. Random reinforcement is a psychological principle that has been proved scientifically over many decades to change behavior in the direction desired. It's part of the psychology of behavior modification and it's called "conditioning". And as I've said in previous posts, changing customer behavior is what we all strive to do, right? So let's look at an example we can all relate to in order to understand and see