Blog

Service Elevated!

Over the years, I’ve had conversations with hundreds of frontline employees in the service industry. All of these employees were passionate about something but, more often than not, their passion had little to do with their job roles. Many described their jobs as boring, routine, and monotonous. These conversations have

Read More »

Energy flows where attention goes

Many companies do an effective job of training their employees and holding them accountable to certain job functions. For instance, in the checkout line at my local supermarket I’m routinely asked, “Did you find everything you were looking for?” And, when picking up my order at my favorite take-and-bake pizza

Read More »

Delighted customers will pay more

Why do executives tend to support instituting fees that they know will annoy customers and yet oppose investments in training and other processes that will improve the customer experience? Here’s a guess: Companies can begin assessing fees immediately and then add up the revenue generated at the end of the

Read More »

Coffee. Above all else. (Including customer service.)

I met a colleague at ink! Coffee in Denver last week. I appreciate great coffee as I’ve blogged about before and was really looking forward to trying ink!’s. My first impression was positive as the barista welcomed me and briefly shared ink! Coffee’s philosophy regarding product quality and freshness. After

Read More »

Predictably poor customer service

Is there an organization that comes to mind when I ask you to consider a predictably poor customer service provider? By this I mean a company or entity you dread returning to because you’ve been consistently disappointed with previous customer service experiences. When I pose this question to audiences, I

Read More »

Be nice

A few years ago, I was seated in the boarding area at Dulles International Airport awaiting my fate as a standby passenger on the last nonstop flight to Denver. About ten minutes after the last passenger boarded, my name was called and I was given a seat assignment and permitted

Read More »

Owning a problem is the first step towards resolution

Studies by J.D. Power and Associates and others suggest that customer loyalty may increase when problems experienced by customers are resolved to their satisfaction (or, better yet, their delight). Even so, problems often go unresolved or ignored by employees who are in a position to make things right and win

Read More »

Power to the people

It’s a shame when service-based organizations use safety, liability, and policy as justification for delivering average customer service. “Your safety is our highest priority” is the mantra of most airlines. On the surface, it appears noble. The airlines have done a masterful job of limiting customer service in the name

Read More »

They’re Just Not That Into You

Have you ever noticed the similarities between attracting a prospective customer and wooing a mate? There are lots of similarities when you think about it. For example, before the relationship develops, there may be frequent but informal contact. In business, that may look like a weekly e-newsletter that over time

Read More »
The Revelation Conversation

The Revelation Conversation is Here!