Is That Invitation Worth My Time?

5 Ways To Test A Social Network For Relevancy is a great little article in a great blog, Startup Spark, that quickly summarizes the acid test questions you need to ask yourself *whenever* you get an invitation to *connect* on yet another social network.

Back in the day, I would register for every new site that came along just to check it out and vet its validity, place a private bet on how long it would last. I remember registering for Six Degrees and never going back. However, they had enough people like me doing that that they got bought for some obscene number based on the eyeballs they'd aggregated.

There's still a lot of that same "checking out the next thing" mentality. I mean I signed on to about a half dozen sites just yesterday. But, that was Sunday and I could allow myself some playtime that was still mildly productive.

In the heat of the business week, do we really need to join another social network? If you're asking yourself that while feeling guilty about rejecting someone's invitation, this checklist is for you!

No, maybe not exactly customer service experience related...unless you count the direct customer service value of this article.

Better Than An Apple A Day

At first I didn't think this was relevant to the customer service experience, but then I realized that this *is* what it's all about...this is all any customer wants to feel...no!, not literally!



Best wishes for a great week!

Our Inner Economist

Economics for Humans: Tyler Cowen on Using Incentives for a Better Life - Knowledge@Wharton is a great interview offering insights into the value of using incentives in all aspects of your life for a richer, more rewarding life.

As I read the portion of the interview about using incentives in the workplace, I realized that one reason I've chosen to follow the entrepreneurial path is that I had too many experiences where I was consistently disincentivized to strive for ever higher performance in my jobs.

Then, I thought about how these same principles can be applied in our relationships with our customers.

The applications of Cowen's theories are endless. Can't wait to read the book!

What Bu-bu-bubble?

This YouTube - Here Comes Another Bubble song is too funny to share and too scary to contemplate.