Chris Zane goes to work every day with a smile on his face, buoyed by his philosophy that "most of the population are good and sound and trustworthy people." Sound naïve? Perhaps. But Zane apparently knows what he’s talking about. His bicycle store, Zane’s Cycles, grossed $10 million in 2006, and has enjoyed an average annual growth rate of 23 percent since opening in 1980. Speaking to several hundred customer-service managers gathered for the 18^th Annual Compete Through Service Symposium, Zane credited his success to giving "extraordinary customer service with the help of an empowered team of employees." The symposium is sponsored by the Center for Services Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business.

The home-equity loan industry is crowded with competitors, making it tough for mortgage companies to hang onto market share — much less grow revenue, according to Brad Connor, president of Chase Home Equity, who recently spoke at the 18th Annual Compete Through Service Symposium, sponsored by the Center for Services Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business. But helmed by Connor, Chase Home Equity has managed to grow market share and profits this year. How did he do it? With a creative strategy focusing on new services and products, an emphasis on employee-generated innovation, clever marketing and a whole-hearted plunge into high tech.

Xerox still makes copy machines, sells toner and fixes broken office equipment. But its fastest growing segment does not market a physical product. Xerox Global Services (XGS) takes over printing, tracking and storing documents for clients, using proprietary software, digital repositories and re-engineered workflows. Tom Dolan, president of XGS’ global account operations, gave executives attending the 18^th Annual Compete Through Service Symposium an overview of how to save money by modernizing their document functions. The symposium is sponsored by the Center for Services Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business.