Sheridan Orr

The Interrobang! Agency

Sheridan Orr is considered the Ralph Nader of the customer experience. She is a noted speaker and author as well as the managing partner of The Interrobang! Agency, a consulting firm focused on crafting customer experiences. Her primary area of expertise is consumer behavior in a connected world. She has over a decade of experience working with some of the world's most recognizable brands. When she's not waxing poetic about the modern, connected customer, she's an avid skier and atomic soccer mom.

Customer Experience Lessons from the NBC Olympic #epicfail

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Posted on 2012-07-30

I watched Bruce Jenner before he was a Kardashian. I cried when Nadia Comaneci scored a perfect ten. I ran the school track barefooted because Zola Budd rocked. Therefore, I eagerly anticipate the Olympics.

With this joie to vivre, I opened a jar of hummus and a Pabst Blue Ribbon (I’m patriotic too) at 4:00 on Friday. I anxiously scanned 2000 channels only to find that the opening ceremony was tape delayed.

Moreover, I was blocked from the BBC live coverage because of the agreement with NBC. After consulting with my tech friends, I downloaded Tunnel Bear and tried to watch it that way to no avail.

My frustration at being blocked from live coverage was compounded by the fact that Twitter and other social media were buzzing with images and comments from the ceremony—a ceremony that I could not watch for another three hours. I returned the hummus to the frig, but kept the PBR out to nurse the agony of defeat.

A New Hash Tag is Born

...

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The Curious Incident of Employees, Social Media and a Brand

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Posted on 2012-07-18

Burger King was thrust into crisis mode when a photo of an employee abusing the lettuce went viral

How can three employees, a smart phone and a social website throw a major company into crisis mode? You might want to ask Bryson Thornton, director of global communications for Burger King that question.

Thorton and his team have been doing damage control since a picture of an employee standing in lettuce went viral. The caption read, “This is the lettuce you eat at Burger King.”

The photo was originally posted on the site 4Chan...

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The Hippocratic Oath of Customer Experience

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Posted on 2012-07-14

Retailers should follow the Hippocratic Oath when dealing with customers.

Hippocratic Oath of Customer Experience

For thousands of years, physicians have been taking the Hippocratic Oath to “first do no harm”. This philosophy is also excellent advice for anyone dealing with customers rather than patients.

I come from a long line of shoppers—perhaps that is why I am so passionate about retail. When I was growing up my Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother would drag me off for marathon shopping trips each Saturday.

We would frequent stores where the clerks all knew my grandmothers...

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Meet Your New Gift Registry: Pintrest

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Posted on 2012-07-11

Pintrest makes an excellent gift registry for all occasions.

I’m planning a party for my younger sister. Usually, I flip through magazines or ask friends for ideas. However, this time I went straight to Pintrest.

As I feverishly pinned for the party, I found so many cute things that I started an alternate board to collect things I wanted. It isn’t that I’m super creative. It was that almost every other person had a “Want it” or “Love it” board and I hate to be left out.

After I finished collecting ideas for my sister’s party, I went through the “Want It”...

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Is Your Customer Experience Smashable?

0 comments 1,779 reads

Posted on 2012-07-06

Joshy enjoys his extended vacation at the Ritz-Carlton

When was the last time your loss prevention team became an Internet sensation because of excellent customer service? Well, that’s what happened when Joshy went missing.

Joshy is the beloved stuffed Giraffe of the youngest member of the Hurn family. Sadly, Joshy didn’t return home from the vacation with the rest of the Hurns. Desperate to console a distraught toddler to sleep, the...

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Fifty Shades of Frustration: Why Women Hate Best Buy

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Posted on 2012-06-18

Women retain cortisol longer than men so this visual cacophony could have longer lasting effects.

It is the Saturday before Father’s Day and I’m sitting at the Cold Stone Creamery with my son. That’s when I notice something strange—even eerie. Women are rushing into all of the other stores, but avoiding Best Buy, which is directly across from us.

Men typically like gadgets and electronics. Therefore, Best Buy should be an ideal place to shop for Father’s Day. However, it is as if there is estrogen repellant wafting from their doors. I point this out to my son and terror spreads across his face.

I’m curious and can’t stop myself—no matter...

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Four Hot Retail Trends Made Better by Customer Self-Service

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Posted on 2012-06-11
Even iconic Liberty is setting up a temporary location to attract Olympic visitors

London is buzzing this summer. People flocked to the city for the Diamond Jubilee. While it captivated the world’s attention, it was just a warm up for the Olympics. As athletes and devoted fans from around the globe descend on the city, retails are getting prepared. Therefore, you can see some of the hottest trends in retail on steroids. Four in particular are made better by incorporating self-service or kiosks. They are:
- Pop Up Locations
- Smaller Footprint Stores...
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You Had Me at Hello but… : What Big Data and Neuromarketing Miss

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Posted on 2012-05-24

Target uses big data to target women entering their second trimester

I’m a geek. I love big data and ferreting out patterns. Nothing fascinates me more than the burgeoning field of neuromarketing.

Like most marketing geeks, I read the New York Times article about Target using statistics to predict when women were entering their second trimester in awe of the sheer marketing brilliance. By detecting small changes in women’s purchasing behavior and a few ‘trigger’ items such as a large quantity of unscented lotion, Target is able to discern when a woman is entering in her second trimester.

This is a critical...

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Gen Y and Self-Service: A Love Story

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Posted on 2012-05-22

I just finished interviewing retailers about their employee challenges. By far, the largest complaint was about managing Gen Y. Now those same complaints were being echoed again.

They are lazy.

They don’t want to pay their dues.

What exactly are they wearing? And do they think that is appropriate for work? I mean look at the Facebook guy! Wearing a hoodie for a Road Show!

They don’t read their emails.

They won’t look me in the eye when I’m talking to them.

They are like children, but they are 25! When I was their age, I had a mortgage and two kids!

I can’t get them to put away their phones and wait on customers!

The room is packed with some of the largest retailers in the world at the Micros Retail Connect event. We are patiently waiting for Jason Ryan Dorsey “The Gen Y Guy” to impart his wisdom on us. The first thing he does is validate all of us cynical Gen Xers and hardworking Baby Boomers.

“Our generation...

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To Ignite Your Customers, Fire Up Your Employees

1 comments 2,186 reads

Posted on 2012-05-08

The connected customer can find anything they want. Your employees can differentiate the experience and your brand.

I’m one of those connected customers. I scan QR codes. I read product reviews. I’m never without my phone and it is loaded and ready with Google Shopper, Red Laser and Barcode Hero. I write reviews on Trip Advisor and Yelp! I seek feedback about products from my friends on Facebook and Twitter.

My son is an avid soccer player. He probably knows as much about the merits of different products as most people who sell soccer products. He’s a keeper and therefore his...

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