This week one of my business heroes passed away, Dr. Stanley Pearle. Dr. Pearle was the founder and original owner and lifetime inspiration for the optical retail chain: Pearle Vision. I started to work for Pearle Vision in 1987 when the only optical discount was in August for ”Family Eyecare Month.” We didn’t have computers in [...]

Hangers Cleaners in Kansas City was featured on Cool Runnings for taking a different approach to a pretty boring business segment – dry cleaners. Joe Runyon, the owner of Hangers Cleaners shares his thoughts on making a business successful. And in his case – being successful in an industry that is declining.  Watch the video, [...]

In my search for customer relationship tips to help businesses go from great to exceptional, I found this video that tells the story of Johnny the bagger at a grocery store.   The message is simple – think of a little something different you can do to make a difference in the lives of those you encounter [...]

Are you watching the news? Of course you are – how could you not? It is at times like this when we witness the devastation through no fault of anyone and the subsequent death, injury and homelessness that we should stop and count our blessings. We have a chance to make a difference – you [...]

Hard to believe it but on February 14, 2011, I celebrated six years of business.  They say that most small businesses fail within the first five years. Kind of like marriages hit that rocky point around seven. Well, as a business owner I have passed that hurdle. I thought I would take a moment and [...]

Had a business lunch at the Crooked River Grill on Thursday. Melody was our waitress and she greeted us with warmth and enthusiasm. She engaged us in conversation and her interpretation of the menu was nothing short of epic! I had to stop her half way through her explanation of the menu that she’d interpretated as [...]

This past week I did my civic duty by serving on a jury trial in Judge Cosgrove’s courtroom. I’m not here to talk about the case - but rather want to talk about the culture Judge Cosgrove has developed in her courtroom. As part of the case (a wrongful death suit in which a medical practice [...]

Today the mirror was held up to my business and the reflection wasn’t pretty. It has nothing to do with the oral surgery from yesterday and my swollen chipmunk cheek or the red nose from a wicked bad cold….nope, a potential customer showed me that I wasn’t that easy to do business with. In this [...]

Have you ever experienced such extraordinary customer service from an associate that you wonder about the training they’ve had? Are some people just born with the skills necessary to build customer relationships or can it be learned? Here is a story recently shared about just such an experience: Last week I had the best customer [...]

The monthly report from E-zine Articles just arrived in my email.  Once again – the number one article for the month is one I wrote a few years ago entitled How Do You Define Customer Service. I wrote the article before the economy took a turn for the interesting, when companies were still staffed and [...]