Business Turnaround

The Bigger They Are...

Mike Dandridge — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:17:03 -0500

It shouldn’t have been a surprise, really. The local Blockbuster shut down last week. Online rental, video streaming, and movie on demand dominate the brick and mortar video industry. And, although I’m sure all of these in-home options played a...

Dig This Customer Experience

Mike Dandridge — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:56:00 -0500

“The only difference between men and boys is the size of their... toys.” Or, at least that might be Ed Mumm’s philosophy. Ed found a way to profit from that bit of pop wisdom by bringing adult-size Tonka® toys to...

How NOT to embarrass your customer

Mike Dandridge — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:29:00 -0500

Providing a good customer experience isn't always about what you add to your business. Sometimes it's about what you take away - like the potential for a customer's embarrassment. Meet "Abby" in the photo to the left. While shopping ......

Making Your Name Stick

Mike Dandridge — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:11:19 -0500

Give it away, give it away, give it way, now! – Anthony Kiedis In the break room, I’d often find leftover peppermints with the Sonic drive-in logo imprinted on them. Even though no one wanted to eat the mints, no...

No Stone Unturned in Search for Customer Service

Mike Dandridge — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:10:43 -0500

Why are rocks in the bottom of this lavatory? Do they serve a purpose? Or, do they just look “kind a’ cool”? And what do they have to do with customer service? Our daughter got married last Saturday at Fellowship...

Sacrifice

Mike Dandridge — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:10:14 -0600

“We don’t take that card.” Digging in my wallet for cash, I said “No problem,” but mentally I deducted 10 points off of the service scale for what the business books call a “customer sacrifice.” Sacrifices refer to the gaps...

If this room's a rockin'...

Mike Dandridge — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 22:37:00 -0500

Embassy Suites adds another layer to its Personal Experience Factor by inviting guests to participate in a competition to design the hotel chain’s next series of Do Not Disturb signs. The current DND door hanger – “There’s a good reason...

Service that Delights

Mike Dandridge — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 06:17:46 -0500

“It’s a great day at Jack in the Box!” Hard to imagine someone saying that, isn’t it? Especially, at 6:00 in the A.M. But, my wife, Frances, calling from her cell phone, assured me those were the words that came...

Why? Because we like you

Mike Dandridge — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 19:33:26 -0500

Seriously. I do make it a point to avoid writing about the companies you read about all the time anyway, like Starbucks and Nike and Apple. Mainly, because, even though the spirit of the stories is intended to inspire, I...

Refresh the Experience

Mike Dandridge — Tue, 22 May 2007 22:57:38 -0500

It was one-of-a-kind, at least in our little central Texas town. There was a playground for the kids. Fresh baked cookies inside. Two of those pump-it-yourself thermal canisters filled with flavored coffees and another with decaf, a flat screen TV...