Blog

Fat bill at Fatburger

Have you met anyone who enjoys being nickel-and-dimed? Do you know anyone who embraces unexpected add-on charges? Of course not. That’s because these business practices are irritating. Last week, I brought my family to Fatburger to enjoy a good hamburger (their burgers are delicious). Since this was my first time

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Handle problems with care

Last December I worked with a hotel leadership team in Dayton, OH. One of the discussions lead to identifying the obstacles that stood in the way of creating promoters of its hotel. Consumer research firm Bain and Company defines promoters as those customers who are the least price-sensitive, have the

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Compete FOR customers, not AGAINST them

Have you ever sensed an adversarial, “us vs. them” mentality from employees of service organizations? Perhaps you were on the receiving end of what you would describe as rude or abusive behavior? Or perhaps it was more subtle—like dismissive body language or an exasperated sigh? Maybe it did not even

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Leaving lasting impressions

One drawback to living in a relatively new neighborhood is that the landscaping is not yet fully established. This means small trees with few leaves. I suppose if you can’t stand raking leaves, small trees would be a plus. For me, however, with four young children who love to play

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Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

I recently bought some fresh fish at Whole Foods Market. As is customary, I waited my turn as customers who arrived before me had their orders fulfilled. When it was my turn, an employee behind the counter smiled, made eye contact, and with enthusiasm in his voice asked, “Did you

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Unique knowledge sells stuff

The other day I was waiting in line at Starbucks and noticed a display of coffee mugs that were selling for $8.95. My first thought was that another coffee cup was the last thing I needed. And, if I were going to buy one, I likely wouldn’t pay full price.

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Add value, not fees

According to this article, all major U.S. carriers, aside from Continental and Southwest, have added a $10 surcharge to most of their fares for travel on three busy days around the Thanksgiving and New Year’s holidays: Nov. 29, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, as well as Jan. 2 and 3. Rick

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Function vs. Essence

Several years ago, I was out to dinner in Orlando with a colleague. At the time, she was the director of training at a large resort and convention hotel located near Disney World. Her hotel competed for group business head to head with Disney’s own hotels. If you have experienced

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Missed opportunities

Last week, my family and I traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska to attend a family reunion. While in Lincoln, we stayed at a full service hotel downtown. When we arrived at the hotel, we unloaded several bags from our vehicle onto the sidewalk in front of the hotel. Minutes later, a

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