When a public relations practitioner is rendered speechless, pay attention. That's one lesson from a recent Dilbert comic strip storyline, where the PR manager protested Dogbert's evil marketing ideas. PR sees the big picture. Think of me as the canary in your coal mine, offering perspective and strategy that work a lot better than Dogbert's ideas. Let's talk!

Respond! That's the lesson after a test of 49 well-known companies. Only half replied to the e-mail inquiries and only 33% of those met the 24-hour deadline. To have better online customer service than Apple and Wal-Mart, reply promptly. Source: MediaPost

Blogs are probably passe now that even the CEO of Marriott has become a blogger. The Internet world moves fast, so stay alert to what's on the horizon and what's being adopted by your target audience.

I was stuck at the DMV, needing a fax machine to receive insurance company documents. TechnaPrint, my longtime printer, was blocks away. The happy ending to this customer service story: TechnaPrint let me give its fax number to the insurer. Thanks!