Yesterday I went to my local King Soopers to buy the last few ingredients for our Cinco de Mayo celebration. As I was awaiting check-out in the express lane, the customer ahead of me questioned the price of a loaf of Sara Lee white bread. I’m not sure what he
“I feel like a number. Feel like a number. Feel like a stranger. A stranger in this land. I feel like a number. I’m not a number.” Even as companies emphasize the importance of personalizing their service in order to create unique and individualized experiences for their customers, these lyrics
In my seminars, I talk a lot about job function and job essence. To me, recognizing the difference between them is central to understanding why customer service delivery is so predictably poor. Awareness is key. People don’t know what they don’t know. The first thing I would do to increase
The notion of unique knowledge was first brought to my attention by a colleague from Boston. John was quite interesting and I learned a lot from him by listening to his insights related to topics ranging from history to customer service. I would characterize John’s knowledge as substantial as opposed
My family and I recently returned from a four-night stay at the Crystal Peak Lodge in Breckenridge, CO. The only feature of the resort that was more impressive than its pristine condition and luxury amenities was its location alongside the ski lifts at the base of Peak 7. Yesterday I
From time to time, seminar participants ask me, “What’s the best way to deal with difficult customers?” My standard answer is: “They’re only difficult if you’ve labeled them that way.” I prefer the adjective “discriminating” in place of “difficult.” Consider the definitions of each: Discriminating: discerning; noting differences or distinctions;
Based on peer conversations I’ve had over the past week, I’ve been considering the potential to script/institutionalize job essence so that it can become a function of one’s job role—and not left to chance. To clarify, the essence of an employee’s job is his overarching purpose—his highest priority. Job essence
Last week, I worked in Freeport on the island of Grand Bahama for a client in the insurance industry. Over lunch she questioned whether or not the essence of an employee’s job could be captured in his job function. My reply was that job essence and job function were separate
Last January I was one of those people who bought a new wall-mounted flat screen television set just in time to watch the Super Bowl on 52 inches of high definition eye candy. I only have about 500 words, so I’ll spare you most of the gory details of my
The Revelation Conversation is Here!
