Several years ago United Airlines disappointed Dave Carroll, a musician, who watched his prized Taylor guitar being rough handled on the tarmac by the baggage handlers. He approached over 17 different United Airline representatives who kept passing the buck and would not take responsibility or ownership for the damage. Being a musician, he decided to [...]

1. Trying to resolve the problem too quickly. Customers need to vent and work through their emotions before being ready to listen to how to resolve their issue. Let them talk. 2. Not considering their feelings. Customers want to feel that you care. One technique to do this is to first identify with their emotions, [...]

Almost every organization has that period when it must perform at optimum levels in a peak busy timeframe. This is when the moments of truth come out. This is when the organization will be judged by customers as to whether they will become loyal customers or they will start looking for another option. These moments [...]

Someone once asked me why Walt Disney World, Ritz Carlton, and Nordstroms were so lucky in that they always got such great people working for them. My response – it’s not by luck, it’s planned and managed. A culture is made up of the people you hire; therefore, the recruitment of right fit people is [...]

Positive reinforcement is a powerful management tool to create employee loyalty. In fact, positive reinforcement is in the first four questions of the twelve that are used in Gallup surveys measuring workplace strength: 1. Do I know what is expected of me at work? 2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to [...]

I received one of those calls today from an energy company wanting me to have an energy audit on my home. It was obviously scripted because when I interrupted him and said “I have already had this done”, he continued on as if I had not said anything. I interrupted again and said “excuse me, [...]

A name is just a name, unless its your name! Over seventy years ago, Dale Carnegie wrote the best seller “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. It was translated into 28 different languages for countless thousands of readers. One secret he shares is that the average man is more interested in his own name [...]

> Then, you have time to clean.  This was the slogan, founder Ray Kroc, made sure all employees of McDonalds knew by heart.  He had seen and eaten at a lot of “fast food” places and he knew the three essential ingredients for a successful dining experience would be Quality, Service and Cleanliness.  Its interesting too, that most [...]

> 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?  [...]

>Did you know that more people now visit Apple’s 326 stores in a single quarter than the 60 million who visited Walt Disney Company’s four biggest theme parks last year? According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is a pioneer in many aspects of customer service. Sales associates are taught an unusual sales philosophy: not [...]