Customers Shape Your Success

In a Wall Street Journal blog post, What Your CEO Is Reading: Pepsi Embraces Design Thinking, Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi offers:

“In the past, user experience wasn’t part of our lexicon. Focusing on crunch, taste, and everything else now pushes up to rethink shape, packaging, form, and function,” she says. “We’re forcing the design thinking way back into the supply chain.”

Why isn’t every company–regardless of size–actively seeking feedback about customer experience?

Photo Credit: Efexio

Thought for the week:

 “You are not a team because you work together. You are a team because you trust, respect and care for each other.” @ValaAfshar on Twitter

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2015 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive! To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Lessons From Billy’s Boston Chowder House

My wife and I only recently learned of a restaurant in Los Gatos when a restaurant closed and our usual waitress told us she was going to work there. Last night, we tried it: Billy’s Boston Chowder House in Los Gatos, California. It’s only 3,283 miles from Boston (as they proudly proclaim)!

We really didn’t know what to expect. It appeared the owner may have come from Boston due to memorabilia on the walls. Frankly, that had me a tad bit concerned as a lot of restaurants in Massachusetts are pretty mediocre: too heavy and so so taste. That can’t be said of Billy’s!

My wife had sand dabs. I had a cup of New England clam chowder and fish and chips–a true test. We were wowed by the food, the service and the owner, Bill Reynolds. This former tech executive opened his restaurant 4 years ago. And, he’s nailed it with incredible attention to detail and superior execution.

Bill is following his new passion with great abandon. He’s got a great team that works seamlessly. You could see his cooks smiling and laughing in a hot kitchen as they carefully prepared their guests meals.

We can’t wait to go back. Billy’s Boston Chowder House is a great testament to the Pine & Gillmore book, The Experience Economy. Great food, great service in an inviting environment.

Your test is to provide great products and services as well as great customer service to make your customers want to come back again and again. How do your customers rate your business?

Thought for the week:

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ‘WHO HOO, what a ride!’” – Sign in store in Pacific Grove, California

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2015 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive! To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

What I.T. Support Should Be

 

I’m working with a client and occasionally need I.T. support.

The I.T. person who supports me and the entire division is a model for who an I.T. support person should be:

• He’s very responsive–usually within minutes
• He responds to requests for assistance from anyone including me
• There are no hoops to jump through to get his help
• He gets whatever needs to be done completed quickly and professionally
• He does everything with a smile

Duane is a standout. I look forward to working with him on any issue that might arise.

It doesn’t matter if someone is supporting internal or external customers–great customer service is something to rejoice about.

Photo Credit: CWCS Managed Hosting, Flickr

Thought for the week:

“People wish because they are afraid to take action.”  Alan Weiss, Thrive–Stop Wishing Your Life Away

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2015 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive! To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

How The Customer Experience Is Improved

 

When I think about “making the complex simple,” I’m driven to help my clients improve the customer experience.

Companies invest large sums in process improvement initiatives (most of which have a significant information technology component) that have little bearing on customers. There needs to be a favorable return on investment for these initiatives. But, just as importantly, how many improve the customer experience?.

• Via these initiatives, are you making the complex simple?
• Are the people who interact with customers delivering the kind of experience that excites and delights the customer?
• Are systems and processes enabling a better customer experience?
• Is your company and its customer-facing processes a standout in your industry or mediocre at best?
• Are your employees empowered to help customers on the spot or are customers who experience problems subjected to a hellish gantlet to resolve a problem that should have been very easy and quick to resolve?
• Are you treating customers like you would like to be treated?
• Are service levels improved to the extent a customer would even notice?

Systems and processes alone are insufficient to provide a great customer experience.

The human component is one of the highest return investments yet it is usually the most neglected area. Companies need to set high standards and insist that employees rise to meet those standards. Employees who can’t deliver a wonderful customer experience need to go.

Photo courtesy of Wonderlane on Flickr

Thought for the week:

“The secret of success is constancy to purpose.” – Benjamin Disraeli

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2015 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive! To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Microsoft Office 365 Support Earns an “A+” From Me

I want to share an absolutely stellar report about the support I recently received from Microsoft for their Office 365 product line.

I had tried a couple of different versions of Office 365 this past summer and finally decided it was time to make a commitment to Office 365.

I was having difficulties getting the applications to work under my new license. I searched the knowledge base and could find nothing that seemed appropriate for my situation. I suspected earlier trials may be conspiring against me. After struggling for perhaps an hour, I found a phone number for support.

I didn’t want to call the phone number. I had heard horror stories over the years about people unable to get the support they needed from Microsoft. Yet, I had this deep feeling that if I didn’t call, I’d have no chance of resolving my issues.

Reluctantly, I called the number. A polite woman I suspect was the Philippines took my information and transferred me to a technical support agent in what I later learned was Mumbai, India. We Americans have all heard about challenges dealing with India tech support—I was concerned but proceeded.

I had a great customer experience. The Mumbai agent committed to getting me through my issue and, I want to tell you, she did just that. The call took probably 90 minutes but she wanted to stay with me to make sure we truly had the technical issues resolved.

I shared my excitement for my support experience with a colleague and, being a techy like me, he, too, seemed surprised at my experience.

If I have a future issue, I have a person to work with as I have her contact details. I’m to email her and she will get back to me. There’s no time limit on this.

This is the kind of support that every company should strive to deliver. Great job, Microsoft!

Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2014 Dave Gardner

Don’t Be Complacent About Customer Experience

Dell recently invited me to participate in a discussion with customers and executives to learn about areas where Dell needs to improve the customer order experience. This is a continuation of my participation on Dell’s Customer Advisory Panel.

Dell is now over 30 years old. While it would be easy to believe that a 30-year old company would have everything worked out to perfection, Dell continually seeks input to improve customer experience. During the conversation, Dell heard about areas that have improved and areas where improvement is still needed.

It takes courage to ask customers questions and to listen to their answers. The real challenge goes beyond listening. What action will be be taken to address issues identified? Understanding and, then, responding effectively to customer input, will accelerate growth.

Photo Courtesy of Celestine Chua on Flickr

 

Thought for the week:

“It’s possible to have big impact without big size. What matters is the size of the idea.” – Rosabeth Kanter

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2014 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive! To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Knee Defender And Irate Airline Passengers

As airlines put more and more passenger seats into their aircraft, it’s clear they are thinking we are simply freight and will endure no end of pain and suffering to get from one destination to another. We are forced to fit into an envelope of space that, for some aircraft configurations, must violate the Geneva Convention torture regulations.

As I write this, there have been two instances of air rage in the past week over a product called the Knee Defender. And, no wonder! Here’s what happens.

When the person in front of you reclines their seat, it’s only natural to not want to have your face even fewer inches from the seatback in front of you so you naturally recline your seat a bit just to preserve what little personal space you’ve been allocated. Having the person behind you disable your seat recline function with the Knee Defender is tantamount to a declaration of war.

What to do? Ban the Knee Defender from all flights within the U.S. and to/from international destinations involving the U.S.. The airline and the marketplace can decide when seats recline, not some bozo in 12C who’s decided he’s going ruin the person’s trip in 11C. Capiche? Great

Photo Courtesy of  on Flickr

 

Thought for the week:

“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond.” -Bruce Lee

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2014 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive! To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

When An Owner Doesn’t Care About Customer Experience

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: customer experience

My wife needed quilting supplies and decided to support a non-chain, small business here in San Jose. They were out of a product and promised to call when the supplies arrived.

They called on a Thursday stating the item was in. My wife told them she’d stop by on Friday. The next day she drove 25 minutes (16 miles in city traffic) and was surprised they had closed at 2:00 p.m. for Good Friday. There was no mention of the early closing during the call the day before.

She called the following Monday and a store clerk agreed to ship the item and waive the shipping fee for her time and trouble the prior week. That was the right thing to do!

When the item arrived a few days later, my wife had been charged for shipping. She called the store and the same clerk refused to acknowledge the commitment for free shipping–her boss was standing next to her and eventually jumped on the call.

After a tedious conversation, the store owner agreed to refund the shipping but only after my wife committed to never do business with them again.

• Who would want to do business with an outfit that doesn’t do what it says it will do?
• Why would the owner expect my wife to be willing to overlook how she is being treated in this transaction?
• What is the potential lost lifetime value of my wife’s business for $5.00?
• Doesn’t the business owner realize there are many alternatives to doing business with his store?

Yelp confirms a number of missteps like the one she encountered. Negative customer experiences combined with the ability to easily discover customer experience information about a business via Yelp and other services mean business owners can’t hide their missteps. It’s 2014, not 1980.

The question for my readers this week is what missteps are you subjecting your customers to? You can’t accelerate growth if missteps are impacting your customer’s experiences.

Photo Credit: Flickr.com, Melissa O’Donohue

 

Thought for the week:

“The very purpose of our life is happiness, which is sustained by hope. We have no guarantee about the future, but we exist in the hope of something better. Hope means keeping going, thinking, ‘I can do this.’ It brings inner strength, self-confidence, the ability to do what you do honestly, truthfully and transparently.” – His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2014 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Innovation In Surgical Procedures

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: innovation

Aortic heart valve replacement surgery is a big deal. But, today, it isn’t the ordeal it was several years ago.

Today, a surgeon makes a 2-inch incision, carves a small groove in the rib cage, and, with the use of surgical robotics, replaces the aortic valve in a 90-minute procedure. It wasn’t very many years ago that the patient would undergo a much more invasive procedure 2-3 times as long to deliver the same result. The patient would need to opened from neck to navel, have their ribs cracked open, etc.

What is the outcome of these innovations?

• Shorter recovery time,
• Less cost,
• Less time in the hospital,
• Less time under anesthesia,
• Less time on a heart bypass machine, etc.

John Fox, the coach of the Denver Broncos, was home within 5 days after having had this surgery.

I would offer that, for major procedures like this, 10 years is about the time required to evolve a quantum improvement in a procedure. This is really great news for people whose need comes a few years after someone else.

Does this give any of you non-medical innovators any ideas? How can you evolve your products and services in a manner comparable to the medical innovators?

Thought for the week:

“When you strip down your brilliance to the foundation, you can find new places to play. The key: build a bridge between what you know and how that knowledge can be used. Go past the common uses — too many bridges there. Go into uncharted territory and see where you land.”  – Vickie Sullivan, vickiesullivan.com

A Recent Blog Post That May Interest You

My Story: The JFK Assassination

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Being In The Moment Accelerates Growth

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus:  being in the moment

As I watched an American League Champion Series (ALCS) game to determine whether the Boston Red Sox or the Detroit Tigers would go on to compete in the World Series, I was struck by 2 things:

• The Red Sox pitcher gave up 5 runs before he was pulled from the game. This seemed to me to be at least 2 more runs than needed to be given up before the Red Sox manager pulled the pitcher. Why, during this critical game, did the manager allow a guy who was ineffective to continue? Why was the bullpen not ready for a change? What was the manager thinking?

• Later in the same game, the Detroit Tigers were up 5-1. Their pitcher loaded the bases. David Ortiz (Big Papi) was at bat and, rather than walk him and allow 1 run to score, they decided to pitch to him and, not entirely unexpectedly, Ortiz hit a grand slam home run tying the game. What was the manager thinking?

Over the course of 162 games, it seems it is easy to become complacent by about the 170th game of the season. But, when the stakes are so high, why didn’t the team managers behave differently? Were they running on autopilot? Why weren’t they in the moment doing something different to respond immediately to the threat?

When business conditions change, a stock response may not do the trick. The Red Sox ultimately prevailed in the game though they made it much tougher on themselves than they had to. While I’m grateful to see Big Papi hit a grand slam home run, I think it was managerial malpractice to pitch to Ortiz at such a critical moment.

What’s important is recognizing that each moment is different and a robotic response may not be appropriate. That is how you thrive.

Thought for the week:

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”  – Teddy Roosevelt

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Uncertainty Is A Huge Detractor

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: uncertainty

People and financial markets eschew uncertainty. For those of us in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’ve been dealing with:

• Uncertainties around the government shutdown and its reopening
• Uncertainties around whether the U.S. would default on our debt and what might ensue from that
• The uncertainty of a BART strike–the transit system that moves nearly 400,000 people a day to/from work
• An AC Transit strike that might coincide with the BART strike further crippling another mission-critical transit system

With respect to the government shutdown and debt ceiling, we dodged a bullet but for only a short time. We’ll be back here again after the holidays. The BART strike will come to an end after much pain is inflicted on all commuters (BART riders, drivers, etc.) simply trying to get to work.

The drama and trauma of all this isn’t good yet it’s in our faces every day. The best we can do is not get too caught up in the news and remind ourselves that these storm clouds will pass.

What swords of Damocles are omnipresent in your business, taking a toll on your team, your employees and/or your customers? What are you doing to rid yourself of issues that foster uncertainty? Certainly these issues can’t accelerate growth!

Thought for the week:

My father, Robert Gardner, is getting special recognition at his alma mater–Stanford University–for having earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering 65 years ago.

All Stanford undergraduate alumni who graduated more than 65 years ago are members of the Cardinal Society, a distinguished group honoring Stanford’s earliest classes. His sister, also a Stanford graduate, joined the Cardinal Society 4 years earlier and is joining him in this multi-day celebration.

Congratulations, Dad!

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Properly Setting Customer Expectations

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: customer experience

There is nothing more maddening than inappropriately setting customer expectations.

• A year ago, I learned I actually needed double the miles I had been quoted and needed to pay nearly $700 (not mentioned during my inquiry call) to book an upgrade on an international flight. I found this out days after calling to confirm what I needed in preparation for booking a flight.
• You ask about a policy and get different responses as you move through the process. And, while the responses may have significant material impact, the best you get for prior responses is, “I’m sorry.” As I’ve written before, “I’m sorry” doesn’t cut it.
• Yesterday, I called a financial services company for a fourth time and learned the first and second agents I spoke with had advised me correctly while the third agent was flat out wrong. The fourth person’s response aligned with the responses of the first two agents and I am now proceeding as previously discussed. The third agent’s response was both a deal and relationship killer had I not made the fourth call.

Are agents who respond incorrectly held accountable for their misinformation? I’d be willing to wager they aren’t.

Make no mistake: agents who get it wrong undermine relationships with customers and negatively impact the lifetime value of the customer relationship.

What are you doing to ensure your employees are properly setting customer expectations? Is there friction being created in the relationships with your customers, dealers and channel partners? If so, that’s no way to accelerate growth.

Thought for the week:

“Your outer life is the mirror of your inner life.” – Robin Sharma

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Preventing businesses from stalling and crashing

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: preventing businesses from stalling and crashing

Like Kodak, Polaroid, Blockbuster, Sears, Pan Am and many others, Blackberry has finally made the list of corporations that consumers will be able to live without. This PC World headline says it all: New 5-inch Blackberry Z30 Carries Same Old Stench of Death

What does failure look like? At first, it happens slowly and then gains greater and greater speed. Watching these legacy companies fail is like watching a car crash in slow-motion. Quarterly reports reveal the struggle.

For the aforementioned companies, their demise was forseeable. What are the ingredients of their demise?

• Executives and their boards are in denial and non-responsive to the obvious realities their companies face
• The leadership teams believe“we’re too big to fail”
• Being too wedded to the status quo
• Missing or sitting out market transitions
• Too much incrementalism in products and services
• An internal focus rather than a customer focus
• Blind spots with respect to what the competition is doing
• Defending markets rather than driving innovation to stay fresh and vibrant in ways that truly matter to customers
• Taking customers for granted
• Delivering half-baked new products and services in spite of the fact competitors have already set a much higher bar
• Assuming customers don’t mind paying premiums for their products and services in spite of the fact there is no obvious difference in value

There are companies we see everyday who face an uncertain future: HP, Dell and Yahoo are top of mind. Marissa Mayer seems to be leading a healthy charge at Yahoo. I have great confidence in Michael Dell and the reinvention he is leading. HP has yet to find a solid footing.

Has your company lost its luster? What actions are you taking today to ensure you thrive?

Thought for the week:

“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you couldn’t.” – Rikki Rogers

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Book and pay by October 4th for a program delivered this year and save $500 off my normal fee. Your investment is only $995 for this program delivered as a teleseminar or in person for $1995 (plus travel if outside the San Francisco Bay Area). Call me at 775-722-8230 to book your session.

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Being Sought After Accelerates Growth

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: being sought after

One of the desired states I have for my clients with respect to “why” I’m in business is:

• My clients become sought after by prospects, customers, potential employees and investors

Is your company sought after by these critical constituencies? What does “sought after” really mean? It means being in demand or to be desirable. It also means:

• your company is top of mind with prospects and loyal, committed customers
• potential channel partners are reaching out to you–they want in!
• potential employees are lined up not just because they are looking for work but because they want to be part of what you are doing
• investors see tremendous upside in what you are bringing the marketplace and want to help you realize that success in a win-win partnership with you
• less resistance and friction in achieving your business objectives
• less price resistance
• you are creating excitement about what you are doing

Are you sought after? Are prospects, customers, channel partners, potential employees and investors chasing you? Or, are you chasing them?

Are doing all the right things to establish and ensure that you continue to be sought after? Or are you just going through the motions? If you aren’t sought after, it’s a lot harder to thrive.

Thought for the week:

“I am in awe every day of the power of words. The ones we say, the ones we omit, the ability of elegantly assembled ones to move us.” – Amber Naslund via Twitter

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Seamlessness Accelerates Growth

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: seamlessness

One of the desired states I have for my clients in my “why” I’m in business is:

People, processes and systems seamlessly and tightly connect my clients and their teams to their customers and partners

Does this statement reflect the state of your business? For the vast majority of businesses, the answer is “no.”

What does “seamless” really mean? Seams are always noticeable and usually undesirable. They are supposed to close gaps and are points of coming together. Seams can often be points of friction and/or rubbing. Seams may inhibit flow. That’s why you must strive for seamlessness between people, processes and systems.

The idea of tightly connecting speaks to transparency and information availability–being system and process dependent, not people dependent, to service and accommodate the needs of those who rely on you for support.

Customer and partners operate outside the firewall of an organization. They can’t walk down the hall to quickly get answers to questions. Customer and partner success is central to your success.

You need to ask yourself “Do our people, processes and systems seamlessly and tightly connect our teams, customers and partners?” I suspect is there is room for improvement. Call me–I can help you.

Thought for the week:

Secret to productivity is not finding more time to do more stuff, but finding the strength to do less of the stuff that doesn’t need doing. – David Heinemeier Hansson

Recent Blog Posts That May Interest You:

Fast Company: What Is The Value of Happiness?

Are You Boxed In?

That Awkward Moment When You Learn #3

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadscanners/

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Make It Easy And Simple

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: make it easy and simple

One of the lines in my “why” I’m in business statement is:

ease and simplicity replace frustration and complexity

If something in your business is frustrating and has far more complexity than it should, the one question you have to ask yourself is when are you going to tackle that issue so you can create ease and simplicity for everyone impacted?

I helped a client with a front-end sales process for a highly-configurable product. It would take 1-3 hours on the phone to configure, price and quote a customized product. The CEO said they’d been living with this issue for 20 years. The pain wasn’t just on the customer side. It would take months to train new sales people to handle those calls.

Which areas should you consider for making it simple? Any customer facing area that has either more frustration or complexity than it should. Where are customers experiencing pain dealing with your company?

• Getting quotations
• Booking orders
• Executing orders correctly and on time
• Post-sales customer service and support
• Ensuring that any and all customer expectations are properly set and met

If you take action to eliminate important areas of frustration and complexity with ease and simplicity, this will accelerate your company’s growth.

Thought for the week:

“The project that most scares you is the project you should do first.”  – Robin Sharma

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

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Great Customer Focus Accelerates Sales

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: customer focus

One of my consulting colleagues, Ed Poll, is an avid bicycle enthusiast and a serious bike rider. He’s on vacation in Oregon with his wife, dog and his renovated Airstream trailer.

I encouraged him to stop and meet Alan and Hanna Scholz at Bike Friday in Eugene, Oregon. Bike Friday is a manufacturer of custom-fitted, high-performance bicycles that also fold for travel. I wanted Ed to see first-hand how these bikes are made and learn about the thought and quality that incorporated in the designs. And, of course, I had hoped he might become interested enough to buy one or more bikes for himself.

Thanks to the time, attention and understanding Ed received, Ed told me that multiple bike sales are in the works. That’s exciting! This illustrates that when you closely align your products and services with your prospect’s needs, sales can happen with amazing speed.

So, to a great manufacturer and client in Eugene, Oregon–Bike Friday–thanks for taking care of Ed and his fellow travelers so well. I knew you would. And, that’s why your business will continue to thrive.

Thought for the week:

“Life is like riding a bicycle.To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

Recent Blog Post That May Interest You:

That Awkward Moment When You Learn…

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

How Does The Customer Benefit?

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: customers

Michelle sent me a note recently that really brightened my day:

“I talk about you all the time, citing your comment to me about how I need to always ask myself if the work I do is something you/a customer would notice. Still hits me right between the eyes.”

Thank you, Michelle!  I share it today hoping it will impact my readers.

At the time, I observed that the company Michelle was with was doing a lot of things in customer-facing groups but I wondered aloud whether or if a customer would ever notice.

I am not suggesting that process improvements in non-customer-facing areas are a waste of time. Everyone in business ultimately has a customer or a stakeholder who relies on them for the work they do. But, there are too many projects that yield little or no benefit for the customer.

If the work you are doing doesn’t impact your customers or stakeholders in a way that makes a difference in their lives, it is time to reassess. This one little idea can help you thrive.

Thought for the week:

“A goal should scare you a little, and excite you a lot.”  – Joe Vitale

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What do you think? I welcome your comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

It’s All About The Customer

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: the customer

Great companies focus on what customers need and want, creating strong desire for their products and/or services along the way.

Distressed companies focus on “how to fix the business,” not necessarily how to connect with, inspire and connect with their customers. For distressed companies, it’s almost as if the customer isn’t there. You’ll hear a lot of “we need to do this, we need to do that,” etc.

Is your company:

• Focused internally or on the customer almost to a fault?
• Continually looking for ways to enhance the relationship with your customers in meaningful and impactful ways?
• Driving innovation in a way that makes customers sit up and pay close attention?
• Creating excitement for your customers?

It’s all about the customer. Without the customer, you have no opportunity to thrive.

Thought for the week:

“The big win is when you refuse to settle for average or mediocre.”  – Seth Godin

What do you think? I welcome your blog comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.

Manufactured Crises

Note: This posting is based on my weekly “Thank God It’s Monday” that helps you and your company thrive!

This week’s focus: manufactured crises

When the Sequester occurred on Friday, we heard the media share all the things that would be negatively impacted in our lives. Barack Obama and his cabinet heads were particularly vocal about the “major impacts” ahead.

For example, tax returns may be processed slower, there will be fewer TSA folks at the airport, air traffic controllers will be laid off at airports without commercial flights, defense contractors will be impacted, the Blue Angels won’t be able to fly, an aircraft carrier may need to stay in port, etc. Golly.

The Sequester’s impact on Federal spending is an across the board 2% reduction totaling $85 billion. Corporations know a 2% cut will cause inconvenience but not major disruptions or dislocation of services or support. We’ve heard little from any of the industries impacted. Why? Because there isn’t a crisis ahead. This is a speed bump and a not a very big one at that. This was a manufactured crisis.

Companies face bigger crises everyday via margin leaks that erode 2% or more of their profits. These crises are the result of business execution inefficiencies that haven’t been addressed appropriately, new initiatives with unclear outcomes, customer experiences that leave customers treated with indifference, and leadership continually distracted addressing failure work instead of strategic issues to support growth.

We have to be careful about which “crises” we pay attention to so as to not be distracted from those things that are really important in our businesses. This is the key to thriving.

Thought for the week:

3 Simple Rules

• If you do not GO after what you want, you’ll never have it.
• If you do not ASK, the answer will always be NO.
• If you don’t step FORWARD, you’ll always be in the same place.

– Dave’s Words of Wisdom, UK

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What do you think? I welcome your blog comments!

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Dave Gardner, Gardner & Associates Consulting

http://www.gardnerandassoc.com

© 2013 Gardner & Associates Consulting  All Rights Reserved

Note:  To receive an email version of “Thank God It’s Monday” to start your week, please subscribe here.  I would very much appreciate your suggesting to others that they subscribe.

Privacy Statement:  Our subscriber lists are never rented, sold, or loaned to any other parties for any reason.