You’ve been Faced at the Bathroom Blogfest 2011
How fun is this? Another year participating in the Bathroom Blogfest! For more on this week of blogging on bathroom and customer experience related themes check out https://www.bathroomblogfest.com/ Now, faster than you can hit the “flush lever” let me “plunge” into my content… I was standing at a urinal in Zappos Headquarters (probably more information than you needed) reading a…
Starbucks blocks electrical outlets in its cafes – What?
As you may have heard from the media, some Starbucks stores are blocking electrical outlets. Since I have been involved with the company and written The Starbucks Experience, I am often asked about decisions that affect Starbucks customers. For today’s blog, I thought I would share my response to a recent inquiry concerning the “outlet…
Business partners and a FREE Zappos Gift
T0day, I was fortunate enough to get to speak to an audience regarding co-branding and business partnerships! To draw out core concepts, I asked the group the following questions and thought they might help you consider your essentials of partnering: In your personal life or in business, where have you accomplished more because you partnered…
Give Them the Water
I was satisfied by my old dry cleaner but circumstances prompted a change, so I was in the market for a new one. I stopped at several local businesses but most did not accept my preferred form of payment. Finally, a dry cleaner that accepts American Express — but how will the rest of the…
Experience in an Environment of Fear
Since 2001, I have travelled many times on September 11th. This weekend, however, my travel felt different. From my origin location Denver International Airport through my connections and ultimate destination, travelers appeared anxious and/or apprehensive. In fact, each time we touched down the passenger cabin’s erupted into applause. It seemed as though people had a…
Caring for or about your customer?
It is a subtle but powerful distinction – do you care for or about your customers? I’m not suggesting that you can’t do both but I am asserting that most businesses struggle to do the former let alone the latter. The “caring for” dimension emphasizes service competence while the “caring about” aspect focuses on the…
Tell me a Story – Amplify and Humanize
I will make a bold assertion. To be an effective leader YOU MUST be a consummate story teller. The art of inspiring people to engage in consistently extraordinary service behaviors begins and ends with stories. While I can teach many transactional skills, amazing service is not a paint by numbers enterprise. It takes impassioned, other-focused…
Why your staff won’t think or act!
Ok, I know the blog title is harsh but today I observed a defining moment in staff disempowerment. I was in an airport (which shall remain nameless) watching a staff member at a food cart take complaint after complaint about a non-functional coffee vending machine by their cart. Each time the employee told the customers…
Back from Sabbatical:Product OR Experience?
It is terrific to be back from my “blogging sabbatical!” During my absence, I have been blessed with the opportunity to complete two customer experience book projects. Both books will be published this year by McGraw-Hill (one about UCLA and one about Zappos). In fact, the first Prescription for Excellence will be released on May…
FREE RESOURCES
The Starbucks Experience: Leadership Tips eBook
Elevating Care in Healthcare: Lessons from the UCLA Health System eBook
