​The folks at at Software Advice - a free resource for customer service technology reviews - just  concluded a six-month project called "The Great Retail Experience Race: Local vs. National." The research was designed to compare the customer experience of five small retailers and five comparable national chain stores.  The findings are summarized  in the attached info-graphic.  Although not a large study with a great statical base (they only used local Austin retailers), the findings are interesting.

​Being hit by a natural disaster (tornado) and man-made disaster (fire) within a two month period will get you thinking about crisis readiness! Having survived the afore-mentioned events without more real pain than insurance company and contractor frustration, I am quite aware of how much worse things could have been for our family and for my business. This prompted me to call crisis communication expert Gerard Braud of Braud Communications to share ideas with you on how a business can plan for communication to customers in a time of crisis.

"It is human nature to deny how bad a situation can get," says Braud. "Business owners and managers can see a headline in the news and think ëOh, I'm so happy that didn't happen to me! ë Unfortunately, many business owners figure they will just roll the dice and take their chances. While organizations often have provision for interruptions in the supply chain, most do not have a concrete plan for communication in a time of crisis."