Not long ago, Debbie (my wife) and I attended the Lady Diana Exhibit at the Mall of America, in Bloomington, MN. (Actually the exhibition is called “Diana a Celebration“.) Contrary to how our CBS affiliate (WCCO) reported on the Diana Exhibit, it did not end with her dresses. The final, and in my opinion most important, part focused on Lady Diana’s charity and service work over the years. She brought attention to the victims of AIDS, landmines, leprosy and other issues that caused suffering. Something I read in the exhibit referred to her impact and her willingness to do what other [...]
caring
Last week AT&T showed why you should hire people who care. Their customer service employee literally saved her customer’s life. Now Winn-Dixie is schooling us in the fine art of going the extra mile for your customers. Recently, employees in their Stuart, FL store helped two of their customers avoid losing almost $3000 as victim of a con artist. As the couple was about to send $2796 to supposedly get their grandson out of jail, the Winn-Dixie employees got involved. “Clerks at the store heard the story and persuaded her to delay sending the money until the story could be [...]
I while ago, my wife and I traveled to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). It was a wonderful trip where we mixed business, fun, the thrill of seeing new places and the warmth of making new friends. But, as we stood in line to re-enter the USA I reflected on how tired I was (tired of flying) and how good it felt to be home. One of the reasons it felt so good was highlighted by the U.S. Customs agent who welcomed us home. Just ahead of us in line was a young man traveling alone. The customs agent noticed he was [...]
Do it because you care And here are some additional thoughts on this topic… We all have the ability to deliver Amazing customer service to every customer every time. More than that, we have the obligation. Yet, as we all know, this is more an ideal than a reality.
“If you care at all, you’ll get some results. If you care enough, you’ll get incredible results.” -Jim Rohn Author of: Lessons on Life: How to Live a Successful Life
Yesterday my dad had his second (or third or fourth, I can’t remember) retirement party. He’s not really retiring. He is moving on to the next phase of his career and his life though. So his colleagues and clients threw him a party. It would have been more fitting to call it an Appreciation Party. It was endearing listening to all the stories people told about dad. Some I had heard before. Others were new. One that struck me as particularly relevant in a business context was the “marketing advice” he gave a colleague years ago. He said “If you [...]
Yesterday a massive fire engulfed a large apartment complex in my city. While fire fighters from 6 communities fought the blaze, residents shivered in sub-zero temperatures. It was three days before Christmas and everything they owned was going up in smoke. It was a miracle nobody was injured. But the tragedy is still monumental for the people who lost their homes. And, for a business, it’s hard to imagine a more difficult situation to be in.
This video does a good job showing the Starbucks experience. How does your company compare?
My wife and I are pet people. Our pets are our companions. So two years ago, when one of our two dogs died, we struggled with the question of getting another one. Our vet reminded us that our remaining dog, Maggie, would likely fare better with another dog in the house. It was what she was accustomed to. And dogs are pack animals. They often prefer the company of people and other dogs to being alone. But, we also knew another dog would take more time and cost money. We felt that, with the economy being as it is, maybe [...]
