CMS Wire had this straightforward article in response to The New York Times trumpeting that businesses were cutting customer service-oriented programs due to fears of inflation. I’m not that old, but I’ve already seen it happen maybe five times: Bubbles burst, and some companies get scared and cut. Other companies take advantage of the market and take care of customers. …
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: Se A vida é (That’s the way life is)
You can trace all of post-disco dance music through the music of Pet Shop Boys. Bilingual is the group’s phenomenal 1990s album combining dance music with its old friend, Latin music. There is a sample, for instance, of the classic Getz/Gilberto album in there. They’ve covered this ground in the 1980s, with “Domino Dancing,” for instance. But they’ve never done …
Our presence can be our presents
Enjoying the Moment It’s neat and tidy in my household: Autumn birthdays and Halloween all wrap up by the end of Oct. 31. All that’s left is the candy. The kids have been waking up early every morning to lay out their treasures … and trade them. It’s like they have forgotten that they can eat the treats. We ration …
Podcast 81: Don’t believe it until you see it: The power of observation
It’s a skill so basic it’s often forgotten. Observation has a number of benefits–if you do it the right way. Mike and Mark share what they’ve learned over the decades that can help you maximize performance with your team. We would love your questions and comments for future episodes: Email Mike and Mark. Listen here … subscribe on Spotify, Amazon …
Excerpt: “The Lost Tools of Business”
Following is an excerpt from my upcoming book, “The Lost Tools of Business.” We are in the process of getting it ready for publication, and I’d love your thoughts in the comments below. The events that led to this book began with a call from my wife that stopped my heart: “Well, I’m uncomfortable.” “Uncomfortable” meant “almost done with labor.” …
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: Spy
You may have noticed I play a lot of They Might Be Giants here. This is my kids’ most requested song.
When marketing matches culture
If you know what your culture is about, it’s much easier to know who you need to reach. Take Red Wing Shoes. The boot maker has a Wall of Honor where recipients’ boots are “enshrined” on a literal wall, their stories shared for the future. (Red Wing says the wall is “part monument, part museum, all respect.”) This particular honoree …
Your call center: customer experience ground zero
Call centers. In our day and age, they are objects of scorn. Customers needing help find that a soulless corporation hides behind the automatons answering the phones. Customers not wanting to be bothered get unwanted sales pitches at unwanted times. Who needs call centers! That’s the narrative, right? So yesterday I got a pleasant surprise at one of my clients. …
Podcast 80: Why tripping over the truth is the key to change
If you and your team need to change, you’ll require a “significant emotional event.” Have you put yourselves in a position to “trip over the truth?” Resources mentioned in this episode: Andy Stanley’s interview with Horst Schulze (Ritz-Carlton) Why are your people here? (“building a cathedral”) We would love your questions and comments for future episodes: Email Mike and …
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: Dead Man’s Party
Dr. John last week was sufficiently spooky–maybe not quite as much as his early Night Tripper phase. But what the heck, it’s Halloween season: Here’s Danny Elfman and company before he was scoring the Simpsons and tons of films. (Although: I think he must have been scoring the first Pee-wee Herman film during this album’s release.)