Whoa! Style issues and Customer Service

Here we go, post #2.

The first night I went out to eat in Dallas I realized one thing. I cannot expect to dress like I used to in the neighborhood of Mt Lookout. Dallas just doesn't roll like that. Being out in dallas forces you to step up your game when it comes to style. So, whoa! I was actually buying new jeans last week, dealing with way too much attention in stores like J Crew and Dickies...trying to decide which one was going to happily take my money. But it didnt stop there. I was in polite terms (not so much) told by my wife that my current dress shoes wouldnt cut it; and, btw that I needed ANOTHER pair of casual sneakers because the adidas I own are too plain. It takes a city to bring out that great honest side in the mrs, and make me feel like a high schooler in college. Anyway, style may have to become a new line item on my monthly budget.

My last thought of the day deals with the proven correlation between poor customer service and declining market share. My primary evidence for the week - Amazon.com. I had a splendid back and forth with the online marketplace regarding a dispute claim that I had, which they were nice enough not to tell me about. When I contacted customer service I was politely told it was all my fault and they were sorry, but I could do nothing about it. If you want the email thread, I would be happy to email it to anyone that owns AMZN. No thank you. Side note to AMZN, I now am not a user of my Amazon Visa or Amazon Prime account - both closed/canceled.

Another great example:
1. Dell - share is down, and so is customer service ratings ... a great analysis at Motley Fool

Personally, I think Sprint is a serious contender, and look at their stock lately - DOWN. Maybe Cingular should consider that as they turned up flat in the latest news.

So, the moral of the story is: Now I understand why companies keep a close eye on customer satisfaction. Either through brand tracking or "net promotor scores", or flat out listening to feedback, it looks like I will be investing in companies that are proactive with service.

Oh, and look for some guest writers to join the scene...so keep daily tabs on the site if you are interested in more than just my thoughts. TamingZeus is going to get stock, investing or some sort of money advice on a weekly basis from my buddy in Boston, BeanBoy - identity remains concealed to hedge on any possibility of bad advice...I am still pursuing other talent, we'll see if people come around. I certainly can't run this thing myself.

I'll leave you with this. Want a cool t-shirt for the christmas season? Buy this.