Banks are thinking about imposing annual fees of $25 or $30 on debit cards, according to people familiar with bank strategies. Other banks will increase fees on checking accounts. For example, during 2011, Bank of America will offer four basic checking accounts in some states, instead of three. Three of the four will offer new ways for customers to avoid fees, while the fourth, the Essentials account, has an unavoidable monthly fee between $6 and $9.

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According to Ritz-Carlton's Diana O'Reck satisfying customers is average performance and does not make you stand out among your competitors. For Ritz-Carlton, the goal is to go beyond satisfying guests and do what is needed to keep them coming back. Employees create relationships and an emotional connection that ultimately results in more engaged customers. Ritz-Carolton management provides constant reminders for employees on how to "wow" hotel guests. Managers provide all employees with a "gold standards" pocket-sized card which lists the firms five main customer service rules.

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As 2010 came to a close, Elaine Buxton completed her term as President of the Mystery Shopping Providers' Association (MSPA), North America. Elaine has been involved with the MSPA since its beginning in 1998. Confero was a charter member of the organization. 

• Room for improvement in the customer experience arena. In a recent study conducted by Forrester Research, over 7,700 customers responded to questions on satisfaction with 154 companies. Surprisingly, respondents ranked only 6% of companies as excellent. They ranked 2/3 of the brands as okay or poor.
   

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We are celebrating a significant milestone in 2011--Confero's 25th anniversary. Throughout the year we'll recognize and thank our clients, who are the reason for our growth and staying power, share stories from the "old days," and feature the number "25" in newsletter articles and other ways. We are excited to kick off our celebration of this important accomplishment with employees, clients and business friends.

Confero is pleased to announce its new headquarters location. The move was completed during the holidays and went smoothly, since the location is only minutes from our previous office. We are now settled in and working from the new location. The new office is in a great location and will allow us more space as we continue to grow. Our address is: 535 Keisler Drive, Suite 204, Cary, N.C. 27518.

The American Heart Association's Go Red for Women "National Wear Red Day" is Friday, February 4th. Each year, thousands of organizations across the country, including Confero, participate in different ways to help raise awareness of heart disease in women. Heart disease is the number one killer of women: 1 in 3 women die from the disease each year.