Businesses that employ techniques to “surprise and delight” customers in an attempt to distract them from noticing systemic flaws in value (for price paid) or product or service quality are misguided. To illustrate, there is a large plumbing and HVAC company in my area that has its technicians carry a
Last fall I traveled to Philadelphia to meet up with several colleagues at a downtown hotel. At check-in, I received a room key emblazoned with the image of a specialty cocktail. After pocketing the key, I grabbed my bag, and headed toward the elevators. In the elevator lobby I noticed
Two weeks ago we received a late spring snowstorm that left several inches of snow on our back deck. Because my teenage son was hosting a prom after-party that evening, I approached him at 2:30pm and asked, “Why are you gaming? You have pictures at 5:00 and you’re hosting a
After buying our first home in 2000, my wife and I spent many weekends shopping at The Great Indoors, a home décor chain founded by Sears in 1997. One of our early purchases was a Kenmore canister vacuum cleaner. For more than a decade until the retail chain became defunct
Last week, in preparation for spring break in the mountains, I called my local Ford dealership to ask a couple of questions about my service plan’s coverage of replacement brake pads and to schedule an oil change and tire rotation. Today’s business climate eschews helpful, personalized service in favor of
In recent years, I’ve read a number of articles that attribute the rise in B Corps to organizations’ desire to be seen as interested in both shareholder and stakeholder success. A Benefit Corporation or B Corp is a type of for-profit corporate entity authorized by 33 U.S. states and the
I read an article in the January 15, 2019 issue of the Wall Street Journal that pointed out the limitations of a robot-staffed hotel, the Henn na, or “Strange,” Hotel, in western Japan. As it turns out, over half the hotel’s 243 robots have been culled due to guest complaints
Analysis of the newly released Wall Street Journal Management Top 250 (the Drucker Institute’s second annual ranking of best-managed companies) suggests that the possible secret sauce of seven companies that do everything well is… (drumroll) a customer-centric focus. Those seven companies: Apple Inc., Intel Corp., Accenture PLC, Proctor & Gamble
Over three decades of working in training and development has taught me, among other things, that many managers are skeptical about the return on investment from most training programs. So-called “soft skills” training on topics like customer service and conflict resolution are likely near the top of that list. Some
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