<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3799" src="http://luminositymarketing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Customer-Experience.bmp" alt="" width="330" height="295" />Recently, <em><a href="http://www.coinstar.com/" target="_blank">Coinstar</a></em> was featured in a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/business/media/14adco.html?src=busln" target="_blank"><em>New York Times</em> </a>article for strengthening its customer experience. <em>Coinstar</em> operates coin-counting machines in supermarkets, local banks, check cashing service centers, and other locations. It is widely known that users of the <em>Coinstar</em> machines can exchange their collection of coins for cash, however, the 9.8% fee often comes as a surprise to new users. Another surprise is the option that users have is to select a gift card for the full value of the coins in order to bypass the 9.8% fee. <em>Coinstar</em> has had no-fee gift certificates available for the past 5 years but never advertised this until recently. <em> </em>They have partnered with retailers such as <em><a href="http://www.starbucks.com/" target="_blank">Starbucks</a>, <a href="http://www.gap.com/">Gap</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank"> </a>to provide the fee free gift cards. Recently<a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/?cid=OAS-US-DOMAINS-itunes.com"> </a><em><a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/?cid=OAS-US-DOMAINS-itunes.com">iTunes</a>, <a href="http://www.borders.com/online/store/Home">Borders</a></em>, and <a href="http://www.regmovies.com/"><em>Regal Cinemas</em> </a>went beyond bearing the fee and offered gift cards that were worth more than the actual coin exchange. For example, they proposed $50 gift cards for a minimum of $40 worth of coins. <em>Coinstar</em> began advertising the fee free gift card option late last year with print ads in such publications as <em><a href="http://www.people.com/people/" target="_blank">People</a> </em>and <em>New York Times</em>. Advertising the fee free option may increase the volume of transactions <em>Coinstar</em> receives by appealing to those who are averse to the fees<a href="http://luminositymarketing.com/blog/?p=3796">[...]</a>

The New York Marathon got me thinking about getting a new pair of running shoes. Lately, I have been trying to get back into shape through running. For me it is somewhat of seasonal exercise as I try to burn off all the beer calories after a lazy summer. Over the years I have discovered through trial and error that the choice of shoe is important in order to get the proper support necessary to avoid shin splints and other muscle strain.

As running has exploded as a recreational sport, sales of running shoes have increased 60% over the previous decade according to a recent article in the New York Times. It seems every year a company releases a new break-through in running technology such as the Nike+ shoes that sync to your iPod. In fact, a few years back Adidas tried to up the ante with the Adidas 1 that featured a microchip that was supposed to adjust the shoe to your running style. Whatever.

Yoda Breakdown: Robot shoes a good runner do not make[...]