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In a not surprising outcome from a report in the UK, it is revealed that many consumers would elect not to remain loyal to a business after a suboptimal experience with delivery of goods. Conversely, a high proportion indicate that a positive delivery experience is a condition that could promote future purchase behaviour and customer loyalty.

This one is an odd twist on the usual reminder and mantra that customer loyalty and customer satisfaction aren't the same beast. There is a segment in every marketplace so sensitive to price that loyalty means nothing. The example given, RyanAir, is interesting; I've flown them, I won't say the experience was spectacular, but the price was fine. So point made is that even though there isn't a lot of love for RyanAir, they also do just fine financially, from current appearances. The article notes something worth repeating: "People have become less loyal today because they have finally figured out that as far as brands are concerned, loyalty is a one-way street. For many brands, the more loyal you are, the more they overcharge you." This is not a great prevailing attitude for airlines, or any other business with loyalty "programs". Buying intention can change pretty rapidly, even when an experience was "satisfying".

From the land of the "unexpected" yet familiar, this brief report indicates that a bot has been coded to search the Twitterverse for the purpose of enhancing an online learning experience. Not quite Skynet, but clearly interesting. The bot will apparently identify suitable answers to student questions, and facilitate the generation of FAQ sets for course students.