I recently participated in the question of the week at Dr. Shannon Reece’s site Strategies and Tactics for Women (however, they work for men too). The question – how do you go about making your customers a fan of your business? Thirty seven people responded with their take on the situation – I am tip [...]

I’m reading the book “Two Weeks to a Breakthrough” by Lisa Haneberg. An interesting book about being focused on a goal and working each day towards bringing it to life. In the Day Two exercise she has a great analogy and it made me think of companies trying to bring customer service to life. Think [...]

How do you build a relationship with someone? You often have to put their needs ahead of yours. That is true in a relationship with your significant other, a best friend, your parents, and your kids. It is also true with our customers. If we put them first in all we do – the customer [...]

Many years ago while attending a manager training for Pearle Vision our teacher, Dorthea, told a story that has stuck vividly with me ever since. A store manager told of the day when no one would come into her store. Her Pearle Vision location was a free standing store and the employees parked their car in [...]

Have you ever lost a customer and didn’t know why?  I was talking with Business Coach and Professional Speaker Leslie Ungar of Electric Impulse Communications about customers.  She shared a story with me that really helped put things in perspective. As the economy takes its good old time recovering, the trickle down effect of lower revenues [...]

I’m facing a conundrum.   The other day I put out a question asking how we put customers first in our business and asked these questions: How important is customer loyalty? Do you measure the percent of returning customers? Do you have training programs in place that reinforce a “Put Customers First” culture?  I have received some [...]

Rita Shisler owns Shisler Cheese in Orrville, Ohio and not long ago she was the focus of a million dollar business owner column in the Plain Dealer. I have the pleasure of knowing Rita, both from a shared acquaintance of business coach Norma J. Rist and our membership in the NEOhio based Women’s Network. The [...]

Ellen, our guide, recommended two restaurants near the Grand Hotel where we were staying.  We selected the Golden View Open Bar located on the River Arno, near the Ponte Vecchio bridge.  We were seated at a window table and pulled out our cameras to take pictures of each other and the view.  Sasha, our waiter, came [...]

I wanted to get my hair cut yesterday.  Something different.  Short.  Easy to care for.  I tried a salon I’d not previously visited.  By the end of the experience I was unhappy with my look.  Whether it was the stylist or my poor communication – it doesn’t matter.  The result was – I was not [...]

My first web cast. Any comments? Any advice for next time?