service: How much does it cost to make someone feel special? - 01/26/10 02:41 PM
My husband and I cruised through Alaska as part of our honeymoon. On this trip a fellow traveler told me that Alaska is the “cruise you take before you die” (the comment was more to do with the average age of the cruisers, not the danger level involved in trying to run on a treadmill while the ship dodged icebergs!)
We LOVED Alaska and this cruise despite the fact that we may have been the youngest people ever to set foot on the shuffleboard deck.
One of the reasons we loved it so much was because of our housekeeper Merawai. There’s … (3 comments)
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service: Put The Magic In - 09/27/09 05:18 PM
The highlight of every weekend I spend in Melbourne is a trip to the magic shop in Southbank. Yes, I’ll happily confess I’m crazy for the magic. I’ve always loved it. But I don’t go into this shop just to buy magic tricks.
Every time I go into this shop it’s an experience. The staff are all dressed in bow ties and when asked, or even sometimes when you don’t ask, they’ll start demonstrating their wares by performing fantastic magic tricks. I adore watching their demonstrations (they’re flawless and funny) and it’s great for business. I want to do EVERY trick … (3 comments)
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service: Is it an asset or just making you an ass? - 08/28/08 12:58 AM
What’s not an asset in your business?
1. Your systems (if they’re only in your head)
2. Your written systems (if they’re rigid, inflexible, un-personalised and can’t be changed with influence from your team and customers)
3. Your number one customer (if your business is too dependant upon having their custom)
4. The customer you’re dealing with right now (if you don’t have a service plan in place to nurture the relationship into the future)
5. Your best salesperson / employee (if they believe that they’re indispensable, worst still if you believe they are)
6. Your longest standing employee (if … (1 comments)
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service: When is the right time to bad mouth your competitors? - 08/18/08 11:31 PM
Earlier this week I went to see a health practitioner, let’s call him Dr. Chris. When I mentioned that I’d previously seen a different health practitioner, let’s call him Dr. Joe, to treat my ailment Dr. Chris then proceeded to tell me that Dr. Joe was every sort of evil under the sun and had probably ruined me for life with his service.
I left with a pretty uneasy feeling about Dr. Chris – I found the talk unprofessional, unnecessary and I left feeling no less confident about Dr. Joe! All Dr. Chris did was make me feel less confident in … (2 comments)
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service: What happens in Mexico… - 08/11/08 11:43 PM
Friends and I were chatting recently about our favourite places in the world to shop. Paris, Berlin, London, Thailand all got a mention along with one of my favourites Mexico.
I’ve only spent half a day in Mexico (so far!) – but it was one of the most enjoyable shopping experiences of my life.
Why?
Firstly, I love to bargain – and so did the shop owners I met in Mexico.
Secondly, the entertainment value was immense. To prove to me that it was real gemstones, leather or silver I was being sold, every merchant we met in Mexico whipped out … (1 comments)
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service: Is your culture infectious? - 06/05/08 08:11 PM
At a conference in gorgeous Hamilton Island this morning I asked a packed room of around 400 people a question of opinion. I told them that the morning before I’d take two flights - one with Jetstar and one with Virgin Blue (both Australian domestic airlines). My question to them was which flight did they think I’d had more fun on? Their answer overwhelmingly that they thought I’d had more fun on the Virgin flight.
And they were of course right. When I hopped on the Virgin Blue flight I was called by my first name – off to a good … (3 comments)
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service: Why send a handwritten card? - 05/22/08 08:43 PM
1. People keep them - I’ve seen plenty of handwritten cards lovingly saved on the fridge, desk or a mantle. I’m yet to see too many emails, faxes or text messages souvenired like this.
2. Hand written envelopes are more likely to be opened – because people then know it’s not going to be a bill, some lame business letter or a speeding ticket.
3. It’s different - in this day of email, texting, IMing, facebooking and myspacing – a handwritten card harks back to an gentler era where people cared more – ok, I agree that’s a bit lame, but … (7 comments)
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service: True or False: Companies Lie To Their Customers - 05/20/08 06:45 PM
Take a major international credit card company I’ve recently reluctantly been communicating with.
They launched a new card in America – I thought it was cool, I went to their website to submit an enquiry to ask when / if it would be released in Australia. I wanted this card and I wanted to give them more business.
To follow was their response (which to read I had to click on a link in an email, log into a website and click twice more to read):
Dear :
Thank you for taking your valuable time to e-mail us. Your association with … (0 comments)
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service: The Eyes Have It - 05/16/08 12:29 AM
In the TV show Friends, massage therapist Phoebe is accused of flirting with one of her clients because she got a pedicure, new toenail polish and a toe ring. Obviously – as a massage client, looking down through the hole in the table, Phoebe’s feet are the only part of her he can see.
My husband would be relieved to know that my masseur yesterday was definitely not foot-flirting with me! As I peered down through the hole in the table all I saw were some scuffed shoes and a very plain boring floor. As someone who has the attention span … (0 comments)
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service: Megaphone or Muffler? - 04/08/08 04:28 PM
After getting back from an amazing trip to South East Asia I took some artwork from Cambodia and Vietnam in to be framed at a local store.
I had been recommended to this particular store by not one but two of my friends and after seeing the work they performed I know why, it was total quality and very impressive.
What surprised me though was that as I was discussing my order with them – I mentioned these two friends who had so glowingly referred me to this business. The reply I got basically amounted to “that’s nice”.
… (1 comments)
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