> Are you easy to do business with or are you difficult to do business with?  The processes that organizations create for their customers to buy from them or communicate with them, many times makes the customer experience such a negative, that the customer goes somewhere else next time. For example, when was the last [...]

> This past week while shopping in downtown Chicago, I got to experience once again why Nordstrom’s stays on top of the companies known for their world-class service.  Yes, they have an incredible return policy I hear, but what wowed me this visit was “three little things”. 1.  The floor rep in the women’s department [...]

> Most everyone dreads the long wait in line to receive a product or service.  Some people will just leave when they see a long line and if possible go elsewhere.  Whether its waiting in line for a theme park ride, buying a computer, getting an oil change, eating dinner at a favorite restaurant, most successful [...]

>Where did being courteous to a customer go?  This past weekend attempting to complete some household projects,  I encountered employees in different businesses who really didn’t seem to care one iota about me as a customer and how I felt about them and their company. It started with the computer store.  After spending a nice sum [...]

> Companies that have service standards are not strict and rigid.  Companies that have service standards are not stifling creativity in their service delivery.  Companies that have service standards are not restricting innovation in the customer experience.  Service Standards are empowering and make the job of the employee and the manager so much easier.  Why?  [...]

>A culture of service doesn’t just happen.  It must be planned and managed.  First it starts with the leadership defining the vision of what Service will look like in your organization and then what are the behaviors/standards to deliver that level of service with every customer. Customer workshops for everyone from the senior management to the [...]

> “Tires ain’t pretty” proclaimed the television commercial that played so long in Central Florida.  I had to buy a couple new tires last week.  Not fun, but you got to have them!   Someone recommended Tire Kingdom in Altamonte Springs, Fl. so that’s where I went.  (The power of referrals!) Great experience from start to [...]

> I took my car into a transmission shop for work. Usually the office where you check into for auto work smells oily, is dirty, old magazines, uncared for, etc. This place had fresh flowers in a vase, a small desktop fountain, immaculate floors/counters, and smelled good. I made a comment to the gentleman writing [...]

>According to an article in today’s Orlando Sentinel, Office Depot is reconnecting with their customers. They realize they need customers more than customers need them. With competition from Staples, Office Max, WalMart and Amazon, Office Depot needs to step up their game in the customer experience. My experience is similar to Kevin Peters, the retail [...]

> According to Paul Simon, of Sharper Content, customer service is not rocket science, but common sense.  In his blog, Common Sense Customer Service That Isn’t Always So Common, he shares an experience he had of waiting in line at Target and being virtually ignored while a dozen other employees stood around not making any effort to [...]