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We have met the enemy and he is us

In 168 BC the Greek ruler, Antiochus led an attack on Egypt. Before reaching Alexandria, his path was blocked by a Roman envoy, who delivered a message from the Roman Senate directing Antiochus to withdraw his armies from Egypt and Cyprus, or consider themselves in a state of war with

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Entitled thinking is toxic

I once worked for a manager who was fond of saying, “Every two weeks, you and the company are even.” What he meant was that every pay period, after you were compensated for your previous two weeks of work, the company didn’t owe you anything. I agree with him. Too

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Your customer’s problem is your problem

Earlier this year, after my lawn had been aerated and fertilized, I noticed yellow grass forming along the eastern perimeter of my front yard. My initial thought was that my lawn service had inadvertently over-sprayed grass killer while treating the rock landscaping that borders the lawn. So I called and

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Please wait to be served

I’ve read that a typical person in the U.S. spends between 45 and 62 minutes per day waiting (e.g., on hold, in line, for the elevator, for the light to turn green, etc.). Wouldn’t it be great if service providers were intentional about reducing wait times? I had time to

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Go the extra mile—or at least the extra 20 feet

Over Memorial Day weekend, I brought my son to a two-day basketball camp in Lakewood, CO. The first day, we stopped by an independent coffee shop (flanked to the north and south by Starbucks) where I ordered a double espresso in a ceramic cup for dine-in. Cooper and I then

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“But I do everything I’m supposed to do.”

Yesterday I met with Zane, a manager of a fast-casual restaurant. During our conversation, he shared some of the recurring challenges he faces in trying to elevate customer service at his restaurant. One frustration he disclosed was the inability of his staff (with the exception of one or two “superstars”)

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Exceptional customer service is not complicated

I recently read through the American Express 2012 Global Customer Service Barometer research report prepared by Echo Research and found many of its conclusions to be rather predictable: Consumers think businesses are paying less attention to providing good customer service Consumers will spend more with companies that provide excellent service

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You can’t have engagement without inclusion

Last Friday after soccer practice, my 7-year-old daughter’s team went to a frozen yogurt shop for some treats. The first girl to receive her yogurt, Anna, sat by herself at one of the tables while the other girls waited on their yogurt orders. Anna is new to the team while

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Service words

In my reading, I’ve come across three unique words that have expanded my customer service vocabulary and, for me, reinforce various aspects of exceptional customer service: cosset, lagniappe, and bespoke. A word of caution: William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White in their perennial book, Elements of Style, said, “Do not

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