I was playing golf once and a member of our foursome who owns his own business asked me what he should tell his employees so they would deliver great service. It did not take me but a minute, I looked up and said, “You have to give a shit.” A little crude, yes, but I … Continue reading How care for more than the work you do can transform your business.

I was having a problem with some software. This meant the dreaded call for help from a call center. After searching the website, with no success, for a number to call for help, I emailed to get a number. Once I got a response, I reluctantly dialed and got through to a nice young lady … Continue reading Four Things That Make Customers Miserable and What You Can Do About Them

Ut Prosim - That I May Serve “Serve to lead; lead to serve.” I use this phrase often, but it leaves some people in a quandary. What does it mean exactly? Let’s break it down. SERVE TO LEAD Leaders are people who get things accomplished by inspiring others to help in the effort. Good leaders … Continue reading If you want to lead, serve. If you want to serve, lead. What? How does that work?

Defection. That’s when customers leave. It’s when they find greener pastures. It’s when they ask for a divorce.  Generally, it’s because customers have an unsuccessful, unsatisfactory experience. Think of that like having a roommate who is regularly late with their part of the rent and is a drag to be around. You start looking for … Continue reading Three Reasons Customers Defect

A constant question, “What do customers want?” Answer: A successful result.  But what’s a successful result? A successful result is when customers get their job done with no hassles. Let’s unpack that. There are two parts. GET THEIR JOB DONE It is said that no one buys a drill, they buy a hole. What that … Continue reading Creating Successful Results Will Transform Your Business 

I have always seen selfishness as one of the key sins of humankind. To think of yourself with little to no concern about others just seems to be a horrible way to live, not to mention being of little benefit to the evolution of a better world. However, there are many who defend selfishness with … Continue reading Why selfishness is hurting us and what we must do to change that.

Measurement. It seems we measure everything. In fact, there is a belief that if you can’t or don’t measure something, there’s no point in it. There may be a little truth in that, but I believe that too much focus on measurements can be detrimental. Many times, total focus on the result can diminish the … Continue reading Measurement. Does it help or hurt? It depends on how you want to lead.

When asked where his big break came, the comedian Michael Jr. says it was at a club. Now, don’t start thinking this was some place where talent scouts were known to hover and look for the next big star. Rather, it was an unassuming place where the comic had an epiphany of sorts that changed … Continue reading Real business success. Here’s the first step in making it happen.

The promissory tie that binds for kids, the pinky swear. Loyalty. Ask most business owners if they want customer loyalty and the likely answer would be, yes. The thing is, do they know what loyalty means and do they understand their part in it? According to the dictionary, loyalty means a strong feeling of support … Continue reading Businesses all want customer loyalty, yet many do not repay the favor. Don’t be them.

I have been hearing a lot lately about car dealers who have added coffee bars and free manicures to their dealerships. That all sounds nice but is that what customers want? While all those niceties are, well, nice, they are only window dressing unless the overall experience is great. From the marketing to the environment … Continue reading Window dressing is not the answer for improving experiences, but here are four meaningful steps that are.