Siri Has a Sense of Humour
The newest shiny object on the block is the iPhone 4S. Although most people were disappointed with the announcement last week, a couple key features stood out as game changers.
For most, it was Siri, an application exclusive to the 4S. Siri is voice activated and responds in a woman’s voice. She can help you do nearly everything from schedule reminders, to write and read your text messages, to finding a local Indian restaurant.
She’s also pretty funny.
On launch day, we already have a Tumblr of funny answers that Siri as given to ridiculous questions. Shit Siri Says plays off the name of the popular Twitter account (and not-so-popular TV show), Shit My Dad Says. My favourite back and forth at the time of posting?
Fun, friendly, clever. Just like Apple itself.
Apple has a reputation for creative, clever, intelligent and easy-to-use products. The killer app for the iPhone 4S is no exception, and it looks to be more than just a selling feature for this years release. It gives the product a personality, something Apple usually accomplishes through aesthetics instead of apps.
Is it a must-have smartphone because of this? Probably not. Will you go around and show all your friends the funny things that Siri says? Definitely. And that will help strengthen not just the relationship consumers will have with the product, but also with Apple.
If this is Steve’s swan song, it’s a pretty sweet tune.
The Human Side of e-Commerce
(This post was originally published on March 28th, 2011)
As any self-respecting boyfriend knows, flowers are a ladies best friend on Valentine’s Day. Well, maybe on every day. Okay, okay, every day should be like Valentine’s Day. But flowers hold a certain significance on Valentine’s Day.
So this past February 14th, I ordered flowers online with FlowerCreations.ca and had them sent to my girlfriends place of work. The process was seamless: they had great pictures of the bouquets I could order, and the check-out process was easy and painless.
Sure enough, I got an excited IM from a very happy (and embarassed!) girlfriend. Thanks to Flower Creations, I was a hero, and all I had to do was click a button. Would I use them again? Absolutely.
But last week, I went to go check my mail and found a small card-size envelope from the website. Inside, to my absolute surprise, I found a hand-written note, addressed to me, and a business card.
Richard,
Thank you for purchasing from Flower Creations.
We appreciate your business and hope to be able to provide flowers for you again in the future.
Flower Creations
Is it odd that I was floored by this act? Shouldn’t all companies make it a practice to thank their clients personally? Probably, but since that isn’t the case, any time someone goes above and beyond, it becomes extra special.
What have you done to reach out from behind the computer screen and thank your clients or partners? A simple act like a hand-written thank you note can go a long way to making a lasting impression.
The Caffeinated Imagination 