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.

Empathy is officially defined as the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of others. However, the best definition I have ever heard comes from Gwen Yi Wong at Tribeless.com who says, “Empathy is the capacity to see parts of yourself in others.” We all use and experience empathy in different measures. … Continue reading You can change the world and it begins with ABC.

How many times have you been a customer of your business? That might sound weird but so many business leaders and their employees have never actually been customers of their own company. Why do I ask? Well, if you never do it yourself, how will you ever know what your customers must live with? And … Continue reading How many times have you been your own customer?

In Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference, two doctors, Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli, set out to prove that compassion is critical to healing. Seems like common sense. Of course compassion matters, but does it really? Is there measurable evidence to prove it? This is what the authors wanted to clarify. … Continue reading Book Review: Compassionomics by Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli

WOW! We hear so much talk about wowing customers and how that is critical to creating great experiences. But what does it mean and how do we do it? Wowing, as far as most of us have understood it, is creating those breathtaking moments where a customer is knocked off their feet by some noteworthy … Continue reading How to make wowing customers part of the DNA of your organization.

I just had the pleasure of reading Simple Truths of Leadership: 53 Ways to Be a Servant Leaders and Build Trust. It is the latest work of Ken Blanchard in collaboration with Randy Conley. I have often wondered why Blanchard always—at least as far as I know—writes in tandem with one or more other authors. … Continue reading Book Review: Simple Truths of Leadership by Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley

“Customers do not buy goods or services. They buy offerings which render services, which create value...activities render services, things render services.” - Evert Gummesson 1995 What is it that customers actually buy? Is it a “thing” or a “thing you do” for them? Or is it what that “thing” or “thing you do” does to … Continue reading Every business is a service business. Change your thinking to that to make a difference.

Mark Miller, bestselling author of Win the Heart, Chess Not Checkers, Leaders Made Here, Talent Magnet, Win Every Day and at least a half dozen other titles has given us a new one called Smart Leadership: Four Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact. Unlike many of his books, this one does not use a fable … Continue reading Book Review: Smart Leadership by Mark Miller

What is the focus of most of your customer service training? If it is like so much of what is out there, there is a big emphasis on managing angry customers. If that is true for you, why is it this way? If your big worries are angry customers, would it not be wise to … Continue reading Do you have a game plan for customer experience or are you just reacting and hoping for the best?