How much is enough and does it matter to customers? How much do CEOs make compared to average workers? The average American says it is 7 to 1, but that is way, way off. If I said 10 to 1, would that shock you? How about 50 to 1? Certainly, it cannot be more than … Continue reading Pay-scale imbalance. Customers care and you should too.

If you are a person in a front-line, customer-facing role like maybe a customer support rep, food server, host, valet, bartender, etc., the importance of being able to do your job well is not lost on you. Moreover, you also know how important it is to behave well by being nice and easy to work … Continue reading Five Practices That Will Make Customers’ Lives Easier and Their Experiences Better

A large part of the American healthcare industry has an integrity problem. Okay, don’t choke on your coffee. What integrity problem? Well, while I respect and am often inspired by the frontline professionals committed to taking care of sick and injured people, the industry is largely controlled and managed by huge, faceless—and many times heartless—insurance … Continue reading Got integrity? It’s a good question for the healthcare industry and for your business.

Competition. It would seem we humans are naturals at it. In today’s fast-paced world, it would seem to be a central element of human nature. However, it is not as much how we humans are wired as those who are so devoted to rugged individualism might like to think. Humans are not the biggest, fastest, … Continue reading Competition or collaboration. Which do you choose?

WARNING: Rant alert. Sometimes you just have to let it out. “When did you start doing customer experience?” One of the dumbest questions ever. This is like asking, “so, when did you start breathing?” Dumb, right? But what’s the connection? From the minute you start a business, you are “doing” customer experience. In fact, you … Continue reading Why “Are you ‘doing’ experience?” is the dumbest question ever.

Fun at work is necessary if you want to increase employee happiness. But why? Why should you want people to have fun? It’s business and business is about results and getting jobs done. Well, you can get jobs done and see results while having fun …and… having fun has some major benefits. Happy people tend … Continue reading Fun. Why work should have more and how you can do it?

Dear Business, What is your intent? What is it you really want to accomplish? So many of you say you want to serve customers. You say you provide the best service or exceed expectations. But there’s a problem. The talk is big, but the walk is small. Stephen Covey said, “We judge ourselves by our … Continue reading A letter to Business from Customers. What’s your intent?

One of the problems people have with service has nothing to do with what they receive, rather it has to do with language. I have written many times about the fact that we all serve, and some people get in a huff about that. They simply hate the idea that they serve. Even when I … Continue reading Why we hate “service” and one thing we can do to change that.

Believe it or not, I have had managers ask me, “Why should we build a service culture? How will my organization benefit?” While we could make a lengthier list, here are five key benefits. Happier Team Human biology is geared chemically to grow helpfulness. Humans are not the biggest, strongest, or fastest beasts in the … Continue reading A service culture. Is it worth the effort?

I heard this the other day: “Business is war!” Why? Why do some people think of it as war? Is it a preoccupation with competition? What exactly is there to be won? How do you measure the winner? Is it when your company is the last one standing? Is it when you make one more … Continue reading Forget “winning” the business war, just get to work on getting better.