August 4, 2015 I dropped my phone last week which I've done many times before; however, this time it shattered. Thus, I had to use my insurance to get a replacement phone. I received my replacement phone and got everything working, and then I realized it wouldn't charge on [...]
Must you compromise quality for speed? Reducing lead time will increase customer satisfaction and avoid the Amazon Effect. My recent research report on the Amazon effect says that 67% of manufacturers and distributors feel customer service gaps when compared to Amazon-like offerings. One of those key areas is lead [...]
July 10, 2015 I've seen a few examples of the power of customer service this week, and it propelled me to write on what a huge impact it can have. For example, I participated in 3 full days of ERP demonstrations in order to provide expertise on which sofware [...]
Certainly, Sales is at the heart of any organization. Without growth, a company will eventually decline and wither away. Thus, having top notch sales people is cornerstone to success. Of course I advocate thinking of all your employees like salespeople as they represent the company and can make a [...]
If you’re riding a wave of growing demand put systems in place that can support the increased workload and not wipe out your goals. Lately I've been talking with many clients and potential clients who are interested in growth. Although rapid growth is exciting, it can also be one [...]
I've been thinking about the power of Amazon since I facilitated an APICS tour of their San Bernardino 1.2 million square feet facility on Friday. It was quite impressive from several viewpoints: 1) warehouse automation. 2) simplicity 3) how they treat their people. 4) the power of continuous improvement. [...]
Creating an innovative business environment means opening your company up for some disruptive changes – in a great way – but none the easier. Creating an innovative culture is cornerstone to success! In today’s new normal business environment, customers expect “stand above the crowd” service with high-value products and [...]
Differentiate your company with first class customer service. Have you ever seen a company that provides consistent, exceptional service for its customers that has unhappy employees? I never have! From my view, it is not possible for longer than a short-term time frame. On the other hand, if you [...]
With every business looking for a customer service edge your CRM system should set you apart from your competitors to create customer loyalty. Keeping with the customer theme, I thought a brief discussion on CRM would be in order. In the last 5 years, I've seen the importance of [...]
Believing you understand your customers’ needs can differ vastly from what they actually want. In the end though, the customer gets what the customer wants, whether from you or your competition. As I thought about an appropriate topic, I was reminded of the importance of starting with your customer. [...]
