This is Susan Abbott's TypePad Profile.
Join TypePad and start following Susan Abbott's activity
Join Now!
Already a member? Sign In
Susan Abbott
Toronto, Canada
Specialist in customer experience, insight and innovation
Interests: Professionally, I'm interested in organization design, innovation strategy, customer experience, qualitative research and culture. My actual work involves qualitative research, studying trends, facilitating innovation, and professional speaking. Personally, I'd expand this list to art, travel, the great outdoors, skiing and scootering. Plus I love great design, stationery stores and cool tech stuff.
Recent Activity
Consumer Curation: How big can look small
Image
I love how Longo's is packaging their house roasted coffee. Just look at this gorgeous bag, carefully hand labelled with the roast, including the temperature (!) If the roaster had signed the bag, it would have fit. Which so totally... Continue reading
Posted Apr 11, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Finding insight: what art projects have in common with insights projects
Image
The Mapping Manhattan art project is an interesting exercise in finding insights, very similar to a qualitative research project. Continue reading
Posted Apr 8, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Are people gaming your customer satisfaction surveys?
Image
Asking your customers to give you solid 10's on your customer feedback questionnaire just MIGHT bias the results. Continue reading
Posted Mar 28, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
TypePad HTML Email Very true Alan. I had not thought of Flores in this context, but it makes sense. And going slower at the start creates faster progress later in many contexts. Thanks for posting.
Toggle Commented Mar 24, 2013 on A modest proposal about procurement: let's turn the RFP process on it's head at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
1 reply
A modest proposal about procurement: let's turn the RFP process on it's head
Image
All processes must evolve. It's time for purchasing to evolve to fit the needs of a knowledge-based economy and the need for innovation to drive competitive success. Continue reading
Posted Mar 21, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
2
e-mail marketing for better or worse - how to make it better
Image
Most of the commercial pitch e-mail I get is hideous. Every now and again, something breaks through in a significant way and catches my attention. Today it was Amy. Continue reading
Posted Mar 19, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
The innovative workout
Asking different questions can get you unstuck in a big way. It's a powerful tool, whether your problem is dirty dishes piling up, or feeding people during space travel. Continue reading
Posted Mar 7, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Write Better Surveys Now: Secrets to Successful Surveys
Image
Write better surveys now. The complete guide to survey writing gives you fast, focused information you can use to create better surveys. Continue reading
Posted Mar 5, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Hey Paypal, ever hear of the envelope system?
Image
I've been dabbling in a little online selling of late, for a couple of reasons. One client suggested he pay me with his company credit card so I didn't have to deal with the delays from their payables department. I've... Continue reading
Posted Mar 4, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Don't change it just because you can
Everyone is dealing with a lot of change these days. [Holy state the obvious, Susan] So if you can save them from making changes that don't fix a problem, you should. Case in point - the Microwave. We've owned two... Continue reading
Posted Mar 3, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
End the survey torture now - write better surveys.
Image
Find yourself writing a survey? Want to do it better? Here's how. Continue reading
Posted Feb 26, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Why it's so hard to build a service culture
If you are a manager, you probably wonder why your staff can't deliver the helpful proactive service you want. Continue reading
Posted Feb 19, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
1
Are car dealers over-investing in nice facilities?
Usually, it is the first movers that reap the rewards from this kind of investment, imho. They create a better retail experience, and they reap the rewards from image and perceived brand value. Here's a few more examples ... Continue reading
Posted Feb 14, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Why you need to use all your plugs: innovating with your current capabilities
Image
What resources and capabilities are lying fallow in your organization? How can you solve your problems by using things that are just out of sight? Continue reading
Posted Feb 12, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Gathering customer feedback: the good, the bad, the ugly
Image
I've now received approximately 25 e-mails from Forsee requesting feedback on a purchase I made at BestBuy. I'm embarassed to even call this research, it's so awful. Continue reading
Posted Feb 1, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
How to say thank you, part 2
We are all asked to make donations for a wide variety of causes. And we get various forms of acknowledgement. What works for you? Continue reading
Posted Jan 31, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
How you say thank you
Not-for-profits are selling you an intangible, not a good or a service. Often a thank you is part of the bargain. Who is good at this? And who isn't? Continue reading
Posted Jan 30, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Gamification: are you really making it fun?
I'm attending a presentation on Gamification this week -- and another on Big Data. That's a lot of buzzwords for one week! The Gamification session offered through TPMA (Toronto Product Managers Assoc.) had some "homework" assignments that were supposed to... Continue reading
Posted Jan 28, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
How encrusted are our contacts? I just found one...
How encrusted are our contacts? I just found one for Palm technical support. Last time I had a Palm device ... maybe 2005?? Continue reading
Posted Jan 24, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Why no one is reading your killer e-mail
great article on how to write e-mail subject lines. Continue reading
Posted Jan 22, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
More on gaming and innovation in social games
The very ability to measure everything has created a deep bias towards metrics instead of human judgment in many industries, and social gaming is no exception, according to Tadhg Kelly, writing in Tech Crunch. Continue reading
Posted Jan 15, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
Translating consumer insight into product design: take the icemaker
There's often a gap between the insight and the design solution. Take the common icemaker, for example. Continue reading
Posted Jan 15, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
1
What's up with Pa55word~}s?
If --- despite the non-stop advice to have a strong password --- most people think a profanity or their pet's name is solid, then we are light years away from widespread adoption of iris scans. Aren't we? Continue reading
Posted Jan 15, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
0
TypePad HTML Email Too true! Thanks for stopping by and posting!
Toggle Commented Jan 12, 2013 on You're only as good as your front line staff at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
1 reply
You're only as good as your front line staff
Image
You can only be as good as your front line staff. Something I was reminded of as a waiter stole my half-full carafe of coffee and gave it to another table. Continue reading
Posted Jan 10, 2013 at theIdeaStudio (Customer Crossroads)
Comment
2
Subscribe to Susan Abbott’s Recent Activity
Ray Poynter
View all »
1 Favorites
Blogs and Sites
Around The Web