By Terry Cain EVERY EMPLOYEE, EVERY MINUTE, EVERY DAY…Making memorable moments for our customers…yeah, right!!! This idea of ‘culture eating strategy for breakfast’ applies to having a consistent customer experience via a consistency in the culture. Our cultures have cycles of virtue and cycles of vicious. Which cycle are you in? The Virtuous Cycle of …
By Randy Wootton The Challenge Today, more and more companies depend on software as a service (SaaS) to operate essential parts of their business, such as managing their relationships with customers, driving sales performance, and maintaining employee communication. As the industry and surrounding ecosystem that delivers these services matures, it faces a growing demand for accountability and results. …
Interviewed by Donna Stone Ray Barton is the Chairman and former CEO of Great Clips. I had the opportunity to talk to him about how he built Great Clips into the world’s largest salon brand. Here are some of the key takeaways from our conversation. You can hear more of Ray’s insights at the Compete …
By Phil Klaus The employee, the forgotten asset? Forgotten is a day and age when the consumer calls the shots and consumer to consumer (C2C) interactions seemingly rule the business world (Klaus 2013a; 2013b)? Or, has the tide turned again, and managers do recognize that employee retention is crucial from both a primary (think cost of …
By M. Bridget Duffy, MD In an era that challenges healthcare organizations to do more with fewer resources, patient experience is often considered an add-on. However, in an increasingly competitive environment, organizations can no longer solely focus on stripping out waste and reducing costs. A growing body of evidence points to the human experience as …
By Darima Fotheringham New research by Darren Dahl, University of British Columbia, and Morgan Ward, Southern Methodist University, “Should the Devil Sell Prada? Retail Rejection Increases Aspiring Consumers’ Desire for the Brand” received a lot of attention in the press lately. The research shows that condescending attitude of sales representatives at higher end stores can …
By Bobbi Dangerfield @BobbiAtDell Michael Dell, said it best: “We’re a company with big ears” – a good thing considering there are more than 25,000 online conversations about Dell each day in English. While that number can be overwhelming, it underscores the wonderful opportunity social media offers for companies to listen, engage, and ultimately understand …
By Bob Giacometti Traditionally, the role of Personnel, as Human Resources (HR) was once known, centered more on administrative and support activities such as hiring and transferring, maintaining employee records, and administering appraisal, compensation, benefits, equal opportunity, and other employee relations programs. While important, many HR teams still operate outside of the strategic planning process …
By Andrew S. Gallan Sally, a married 54-year-old mother of two teenage girls, had just returned from her mammogram follow-up appointment with a troubled look on her face. “What’s the matter?” asked her husband of 25 years. “Again, something showed up, so I have to go for another mammogram and some additional tests,” she responded. …
By Stephen Mostrom Unless you spend a lot of time in Louisiana, you likely haven’t heard the term “lagniappe.” But this Creole aphorism has the power to transform your business. Defined as “the gift” or “to give more,” lagniappe represents the potential to turn customers into your largest sales force by exceeding expectations. As Stan …
