Josh Linkner Detroit Free Press Business Columnist Published 6:00 AM EST Dec 1, 2018 Following the polite knock on my hotel room door, I was stunned. “Just a little something to welcome you to our hotel,” said the smiling and well-appointed young man as he placed what he was carrying down on the desk in my room. The beautiful display included a chocolate guitar, hand-dipped strawberries, and a few other candies. Along with some musical notes, the chocolate letters spelled out the word “welcome.” Inside the high-quality envelope on which my name was neatly printed was a beautiful card reading: “Dear Mr. Linkner: Welcome to the Four Seasons Hotel Denver. In honor of your passion for jazz, we hope you enjoy your amenity!” The jazzy font stood out on the background of a jazz guitar card. I didn’t even know jazz guitar cards existed! I didn’t speak to anyone at the hotel in advance of my arrival. To … [Read more...] about Four Seasons Hotel’s surprise is a customer service winner
Banks customer service
Top Workplaces 2018 special awards winners stand out for positive attitude, customer service
By Richard Webner Published 1:15 pm CDT, Thursday, October 11, 2018 Jon Wayne Service Company has a “wheel of success” posted all over its offices to communicate the company’s values to its employees. Jon Wayne Service Company has a “wheel of success” posted all over its offices to communicate the company’s values to its employees. Photo: John Davenport /San Antonio Express-News Photo: John Davenport /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 Jon Wayne Service Company has a “wheel of success” posted all over its offices to communicate the company’s values to its employees. Jon Wayne Service Company has a “wheel of success” posted all over its offices to communicate the company’s values to its employees. … [Read more...] about Top Workplaces 2018 special awards winners stand out for positive attitude, customer service
HSBC’s new bank customer assistant is a robot
Banks have used technology for back-office functions like check-clearing, record- keeping and regulatory compliance for decades. But as technology becomes more sophisticated, consumers can expect more direct interaction with artificial intelligence-based robots and virtual assistants that are expected to save bank's money and increase efficiency. Enter Pepper -- a humanoid customer-assistance robot created by SoftBank Robotics America that HSBC (HSBC) is introducing this week at its flagship Fifth Avenue branch in New York. As many as 18 million people walk by the location every year, and HSBC is banking that the perky Pepper will pull more of those consumers inside. "We wanted to bring some fun into banking," said Pablo Sanchez, head of retail banking and wealth management at HSBC. "We want to attract new customers into the branch with something that is fun and exciting." But Sanchez insists Pepper isn't just a gimmick -- it may even add jobs to the branch as the number of customer … [Read more...] about HSBC’s new bank customer assistant is a robot
Santander bank threatened to close mum’s account after she jokingly called Bradford ‘curryland’ to call centre worker as they chatted about restaurants
SANTANDER threatened to close a mum's account after she referred to the city of Bradford as "curryland" during a telephone call to one of their workers. Sarah Leigh, 50, was speaking to a call centre operator about her credit card, when he mentioned he was from the northern city. Mrs Leigh claims she made the remarks in a bid to make conversation and was only referring to the city being home to a large number of curry houses. She had recently read a story about how a river in the city had turned yellow due to the large number of Asian restaurants, thought to number around 200, accidentally polluting the water system. Mrs Leigh claimed the worker had not complained about her remarks during their conversation, so she was shocked to receive a stern letter from the bank. She told the Daily Mail: "I didn’t swear, I didn’t comment on religion or the colour of the person’s skin. The water turned yellow by waste pipes going into Bradford's water system"It’s so … [Read more...] about Santander bank threatened to close mum’s account after she jokingly called Bradford ‘curryland’ to call centre worker as they chatted about restaurants
Zelle, the banks’ answer to Venmo, proves vulnerable to fraud
By Stacy Cowley, New York Times Published 4:49 pm, Monday, April 23, 2018 Photo: MELISSA LYTTLE /NYT Image 1of/1 CaptionClose Image 1 of 1 Brian Kemm, a Bank of America customer who lost $300 last November because of a misdirected Zelle payment, in Pasadena, Calif., April 18, 2018. Zelle, a service that allows bank customers to instantly send money to their acquaintances, is booming, but the same features that make it so useful for customers have made it irresistible to thieves. less Brian Kemm, a Bank of America customer who lost $300 last November because of a misdirected Zelle payment, in Pasadena, Calif., April 18, 2018. Zelle, a service that allows bank customers to instantly send ... more Photo: MELISSA LYTTLE /NYT Zelle, the banks’ answer to Venmo, proves vulnerable to fraud 1 / 1 Back to Gallery … [Read more...] about Zelle, the banks’ answer to Venmo, proves vulnerable to fraud