Boutique Wine Shops Build Long-Term Relationships for Best Customer ServiceNews from Patch.com:
News earlier this week that Rudy Kurniawan, a wine broker who had sold up to $ 1.3 million in bogus wine at prestigious wine auctions, was arrested by the FBI got me thinking about how local wine consumers can be assured that the wine they are buying is legitimate.
The simplest and most effective advice is to get to know your local boutique wine shop staff or wine steward at supermarkets. There are many specialty stores and supermarkets with extensive wine selections on the Eastside.
Pete’s Wines, Grand Cru [...] Continue Reading…
March 19th, 2012 Boutique Wine Shops Build Long-Term Relationships for Best Customer Service
March 19th, 2012 Eight district level consumer foras to be set up in J and K
Eight district level consumer foras to be set up in J and KNews from IBNLive.com:
PTI | 04:03 PM,Mar 18,2012
Jammu, Mar 18 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir government will set up 8 district-level consumer foras for the protection of consumer rights in the state. As many as two Divisional Level Consumer Foras have already been set up in the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar for the purpose, while 8 District Level Consumer Foras, are being set up shortly, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Qamar Ali Akhoon said here. Highlighting the significance of consumer rights, the Minister said [...] Continue Reading…
March 18th, 2012 Rant not: These tactics get best results
Rant not: These tactics get best resultsNews from Lexington Herald Leader:
Consumers today are more empowered than ever after they’ve been wronged by a company. That’s because squeaky wheels have more and better ways to squeak. Effective complaining is a learned skill, whether it involves a retailer, service provider, restaurant, airline or any other business.
“The whole game is ‘effective’ complaining, getting what you want,” said Consumer Action’s Linda Sherry, author of the advocacy group’s free guide How to Complain. “I see companies caring less and less about individual customers. They are arrogant because they can be. We need to keep [...] Continue Reading…
March 18th, 2012 Consumer Watchdog Gets Its Wish – FTC, EU to Investigate Google’s Violation of …
Consumer Watchdog Gets Its Wish – FTC, EU to Investigate Google’s Violation of …News from Daily Disruption:
By Duane Barnhart | @dailydisrupt | March 17th, 2012
Consumer Watchdog welcomed reports on Friday confirming that the Federal Trade Commission and European regulators are investigating Google for violating the online privacy choices of consumers using the Safari web browser on Apple computers, iPhones and iPads. In a letter last month, Consumer Watchdog said that Google was lying to consumers and called on the FTC to act.
Read Consumer Watchdog’s letter to the FTC here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/ltrleibowitz021712.pdf
“Google engineers are playing fast and loose with the public’s [...] Continue Reading…
March 17th, 2012 Consumer advocate’s view: Citizens Federation shines a light on Minnesota …
Consumer advocate’s view: Citizens Federation shines a light on Minnesota …News from Duluth News Tribune:
Talk about it
Some important events are taking place in St. Paul that people in the Northland aren’t much aware of, events that will have a big impact on us all. Key developments regarding health care, insurance and the state budget are unfolding outside of the local spotlight.
The state has a large problem. Private health-plan HMOs, which operate low-income programs such as Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare, have been heavily and improperly overpaid by the state government for many years. It was announced Feb. 14 that the [...] Continue Reading…
March 17th, 2012 Samsung Rugby Smart review
Samsung Rugby Smart reviewNews from Engadget:
It’s been nearly four months since the Samsung Galaxy Nexus arrived, bearing the latest version of Google’s mobile OS, known to most of us as Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich. In this span of time, only a handful of smartphones and tablets have been blessed with an upgrade to this iteration. Why? One word: differentiation. The majority of mobile manufacturers are determined to come up with their own brands and tweak the open-source OS to their whimsy as a means of standing out from the rest of the crowd. But doing so involves [...] Continue Reading…
March 16th, 2012 When Businesses Can’t Stop Asking, ‘How Am I Doing?’
When Businesses Can’t Stop Asking, ‘How Am I Doing?’News from New York Times:
Angela Shoemaker for The New York Times
Kimberly Nasief fills out surveys out of professional interest and blogged about one, titling the post “Infant Who Begins Babies ‘R’ Us Customer Satisfaction Survey Dies of Old Age.”
A commercial transaction, in its simplest form, involves a customer paying for goods or services. But these days, that is just the first step.
Businesses want your opinion of them, too, and their requests for feedback, like relentless tugs on the sleeve, now seem to come with every purchase, every call to a customer [...] Continue Reading…
March 16th, 2012 Consumer Watchdog Issues Warning To Groupon
Consumer Watchdog Issues Warning To GrouponNews from Sky News:
Groupon, which went public last year, has pledged to change the way it promotes offers following an OFT probe
12:05pm UK, Friday March 16, 2012
An investigation by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) found widespread examples of rule-breaking, including malpractice involving reference pricing, advertising, refunds and interactions with merchants.
Groupon, which offers deals on products from hotel stays to meals out, immediately pledged to change its practices.
It has been given three months by the watchdog to make improvements, including ensuring that prices are accurate and transparent and that all its offers are realistic.
Cavendish [...] Continue Reading…
March 16th, 2012 St Lucia’s Government Promises to Make Consumer Protection Bill a Priority
St Lucia’s Government Promises to Make Consumer Protection Bill a PriorityNews from Caribbean Journal:
March 16, 2012 | 10:17 am | Print
By the Caribbean Journal staff
St Lucia’s government is pledging to give attention to the proposed Consumer Protection Bill, according to Senator Ubaldus Raymond, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
Raymond, who was speaking in an address to the nation on World Consumer Rights Day, said the government will look to cut down on red tape surrounding the development and implementation of consumer legislation and consumer policy.
“The government of St Lucia, as consumers themselves, [are] of the concerns [...] Continue Reading…
March 16th, 2012 Book Review: ‘The Power of Habit’, by Charles Duhigg
Book Review: ‘The Power of Habit’, by Charles DuhiggNews from BusinessWeek:
Editor’s Rating:
How companies can profit by understanding and tweaking our routines
The Power of Habit:Why We Do What We Do and How to Change ItBy Charles DuhiggRandom House; 371 pp; $ 28
When Alcoa (AA) introduced Paul O’Neill as its Chief Executive Officer in 1987, investors thought the new boss was pulling a prank on them. Standing on a stage, O’Neill did not speak about increasing market share or earnings forecasts. Instead, he pointed out the nearest emergency exits. “In the unlikely event of a fire or other emergency,” [...] Continue Reading…