Maybe it’s time to re-think your goal of customer satisfaction. My family and I spent the entire day driving through a torrential downpour to get to an important event three states away. Both of our kids were cranky and miserable which meant my wife and I were cranky and miserable. We all were ready to […]
If you haven’t seen It’s a Wonderful Life, stop what you’re doing right now and go watch it. Then call your parents and ask them why they omitted this crucial piece of awesomeness from your upbringing. I watch it every year and, if the other members of my family are to be believed, I always […]
Allow me to introduce myself. I am a customer. I am the person that makes the economic engine turn. I am the reason you take home a paycheck. I am the reason you are able to feed your family, pay your mortgage, go on vacation, buy a car, and contribute to your church or synagogue. […]
One summer day when I was 10 or 11, my dad pulled our family car up our driveway and parked in the carport. While he had been out running errands, some neighbors had stopped by and were visiting with mom. I was playing in the front yard with some other kids and saw my dad […]
I once heard Jerry Seinfeld say that the audience decides whether or not a joke is funny. The comedian can love the joke. He can believe in it and deliver it flawlessly, but if the audience doesn’t laugh, then guess what? It’s not funny and has to be cut from the routine. That seems like […]
Sooner or later you’re going to mess up. Everyone does. But what you do about your mistake is the thing that defines you both personally and professionally. I had just walked off the stage and was talking to the association president about the event. He raved about how his group had loved my presentation and […]
A few years ago, I heard the story of Ronnie who owned his own construction business. Ronnie had accepted a down payment from a client to do some remodeling but had dragged his feet in getting the job completed. The customer had complained several times, but Ronnie always had an excuse as to why the […]
When I was seven years old, my parents entertained some friends who had just gotten back from vacationing in Hawaii. Back in those days, it was much more uncommon for people to travel to far away exotic locations, so my parents’ friends were showing off their pictures and souvenirs while my parents ooh-ed and aah-ed. […]
I answered the phone just after midnight and heard the panicked voice of my business partner on the other end of the line. “If you want anything from the restaurant, you’d better come get it now,” Frank said. “They’re kicking us out of the building tomorrow morning.” “What?!” I practically yelled into the phone. “We’re […]
Jeff Dunham had a problem. He hit a plateau in his career and was unable to go any further. He had certainly done everything right thus far. Against all odds, he established himself as an in-demand comedian on the comedy club circuit. He built a loyal following of his off-center, politically-incorrect humor by concentrating on […]
