Category: Ramblings

When I first started out in eCommerce back in 1994, there was no such thing as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, the term “search engine optimization” wasn’t coined yet and there definitely wasn’t Facebook. Today, if you want to get the word out about your website, you have to work hard to… Read More "“Bus Drivers, Teen Idols & PPC.” Or, “Ferreting Out Pay-Per-Click Problems.”"

One of the most important features of my phone isn’t the paltry 16GB of storage, the ability to install an app that will show me some guy who is 16 feet away, or the super-fast processor that allows me to watch Green Acres episodes on YouTube while I’m on the… Read More "“Instagram. Where it’s At.” Or, “Photo Sharing is a New Addiction.”"

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that one of the topics I dive into quite frequently is customer service. Most of the time, I’m bitching about a bad experience I had such as my recent post where I took on both Chase bank and Holland America… Read More "“A Supplemental Guide to Customer Service.” Or, “A Free Bottle Goes a Long Way.”"

For those who follow me on Facebook, you saw the pictures I took of the dead sperm whale that washed up on the shores of Boca Raton on Friday (January 10, 2014).  Since this is one of those “once in a lifetime” experiences, I’d thought I’d share them here as… Read More "“Circle of Life.” Or, “A Dead Whale in Boca Raton.”"

Every now and then I love being “that customer.” You know the kind I’m talking about. The one who’s such a tool his/her last name should be Craftsman. I enjoy being “that customer” primarily to see how a company handles a customer service situation. As someone who built businesses with… Read More "“A Flat Out No.” Or, “Being That Customer.”"

For the past 42 years, we were the best of friends. We met long ago. Before I could walk. Before I could talk. We grew up together, but rarely spoke even though we were in the same house and often times shared the same workspace. It may sound like we… Read More "“Eulogy for a Friend.” Or, “Lights Out. Everybody.”"

Last week I had the “pleasure” of leaving the Sunshine State to head up north to Pennsylvania to visit family, friends and the bird known as “Tom.” Having lived in Florida for several years now, let’s just say that northeast winters take their toll on this old body of mine.… Read More "“Did You Boscov Today?” Or, “A Trip Down Memory Lane While Freezing.”"

A few weeks ago I hosted a webinar for Solid Cactus customers where me and my panel of guests discussed some things every eCommerce store owner should be doing to make sure their customer service department is ready for the holiday rush. I know most of you are probably concentrating… Read More "“It’s Time to Get Customer Friendly.” Or, “The Customer Service Doctor is In.”"

It’s not often I get excited about a new feature for an eCommerce store. After all, what else is there that we can put on a store to make it easier for people to buy? Let’s face it, there’s only so many ways a click-to-enlarge can work and there aren’t… Read More "“Like Me. Please?” Or, “A New Way to Build Your Facebook Fan Base.”"

I remember a few years ago sitting in our webinar “studio” dressed as Santa Claus as sweat ran from my forehead causing the polyester strands of hair from the white wig to stick to my face as I kept pulling pieces of the fake beard out of my mouth. Next… Read More "“Jingle Bells, Festivus Poles and Calls Waiting.” Or, “Time to Fine Tune Your Customer Service for the Holidays.”"