Despite my quest to look for innovation in all aspects of everyday life, I often amaze myself at the number of instances I remain oblivious to it, even when it is staring me right in the face and working in my favor. For instance, there was the time I rented a beautiful new car from […]
Category Archives: Customer Service
It Was Bound to Happen – My 1st Surly Southwest Flight Attendant
I fly a lot. So I encounter many of the good folks who keep our airplanes and airports remarkably efficient, given the number of flights, people, and bags that run through a major airport on any given day. Since I’ve moved to Sugar Land, Texas, I now wind up on more Southwest Airlines flights in […]
Enabling Someone to Do the Right Thing
If you travel as much as I do, you’re bound to be a frequent customer at the dry cleaners. Since my move to Sugar Land, I found a cleaning business conveniently located on my way to work; they are very efficient and have been a delight.However, upon closer inspection, a shirt of mine was damaged […]
It Was My Fault and I Quit AVIS Anyway
As a frequent traveler, I get the opportunity to accumulate travel award points. This summer, while in Colorado to teach at the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado, I rented a car so I could travel up to the mountains to fish and visit with friends. Since I had many American […]
What True Leadership Looks Like
On a hot and humid Saturday in Houston, Texas, I was honored to facilitate offsite strategic planning for Cy Fair Federal Credit Union. Cy Fair is a former education-based credit union, transformed into a community CU charter, but the board substantively consists of current and former educators and administrators. The CEO is Cameron Dickey, and […]
Innovation… in the Restroom Stall?
Recently I was facilitating a small group of bankers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago- an iconic old building with magnificent architecture, soaring columns and lots of marble. But of course, the inside is modern; our meeting room had every electronic audio and visual convenience- the best of everything. During a break, I went […]
How Hard is it to Just Say “I’m Sorry …”
Mistakes happen. I know that I make my fair share. And it happens from time to time as we interact with physical and online merchants. I am very tolerant of mistakes but I also do take note of how companies remediate these issues. Two recent examples come to mind. I had a reservation at a […]
AVIS Trying Harder to Not Try Hard
I was in Boston for a business trip and flew in two days early to meet my wife for a couple of summer days in the city. The first day was idyllic–my wife Samantha had planned it in advance, starting with a city bike tour, followed by a quick lunch at Legal Seafood, an afternoon […]
What Value is a Solution if You Keep it a Secret?
I was particularly interested in a recent article from The Financial Brand that focused on how small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) receive banking services. The story highlighted how while these businesses have unique needs and represent an important customer segment, there is still a disconnect between the services SMBs desire and the services they believe […]
The Intersection of Security and Innovative Problem Solving
I have new insurance. It’s not always fun changing insurance companies, but when you take a new job, it’s often part of the drill. One of the manual issues involved with changing your insurance is dealing with prescriptions. You may have two refills left with your current insurer, but the new insurance company wants their […]