General

McMobile – Will McDonald’s Mobile Strategy Kill the Drive-thru?

Having consulted with and written two books about Starbucks (The Starbucks Experience and Leading the Starbucks Way), I seldom compare Starbucks with McDonald’s. Typically, I see these two iconic brands in two very different categories. From my vantage point, McDonald’s is an excellent example of a service brand which focuses on price, speed of delivery,…

View Post about McMobile – Will McDonald’s Mobile Strategy Kill the Drive-thru?

When The Customer Is Wrong – Should The Business Be Right?

In 1909 Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridge’s department store, is credited with saying, “The customer is always right”. Through the years, a number of my colleagues and I have emphasized that the customer is not always right but they are always the customer. I’ve come to believe that in order to be truly…

View Post about When The Customer Is Wrong – Should The Business Be Right?

The ABCs of PCT and Its Critical Role in Outstanding Customer Experiences

Long ago I received my Ph.D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis in dynamic, interactive human systems like married couples, families, and businesses. Along that educational journey, I was exposed to many theorists and various models of human motivation and perception (operant and classical conditioning, needs hierarchies, etc.). One organizing concept has proven to have…

View Post about The ABCs of PCT and Its Critical Role in Outstanding Customer Experiences

All Business is Personal – Consistency with a Twist

Dating back to my early work with Starbucks, (reflected in my first book about the global coffee leader titled – The Starbucks Experience), I have been asserting that ALL BUSINESS IS PERSONAL. I often note that the next customer might be your 50th routine interaction of the day but for them, the contact will likely…

View Post about All Business is Personal – Consistency with a Twist

How to Benefit from the Voice of Your Employees {Guest Post}

Take a moment to think about your business. Think about the day-to-day tasks and the work that gets done. Consider who it is that is doing most of this work, investing their time and energy into bettering your company. In nearly every case, the answer will be your employees. An employee is an invaluable resource…

View Post about How to Benefit from the Voice of Your Employees {Guest Post}

FREE RESOURCES

The Starbucks Experience: Leadership Tips eBook
Elevating Care in Healthcare: Lessons from the UCLA Health System eBook
How to Win Every Customer, Every Time, No Excuses! Article