What would your employees do when faced with a frustrated, exasperated customer? I had an experience last Saturday that blew my socks off. I needed a black toner cartridge for my laser printer. My favorite store for this item is Cartridge World in Cambridge. I know the owners Steve and Renee Horbul and they’ve always given great service at a
“They beat me up… But I kind of liked it.”
One of the things that I enjoy most about my work is that I get to meet all kinds of people in many different types of businesses. Each individual brings his/her own unique personality, skill set and strengths to the table.
Shrink-wrapped cars & other amusing things
I was on my way to my father’s home in Boyceville, WI last week and stopped in Amery to pick up a few groceries. As I pulled into the parking lot I saw something I have never seen before – an SUV wrapped in shrink wrap. Someone clearly was playing a joke.
Better technology isn’t the answer
This is a true story. Imagine you’re 93 years old and living in a nursing home. Your days run one into another with little diversion. As you sit in your chair, stories of your life play through your mind: your favorite song, your first kiss, your wedding day, your bowling team, the tragic death of your daughter and on and
You just don’t know about people
I’ve been in meetings this week with people I don’t know – even though we’ve been meeting 5 or 6 times a year for the past four years. Our meetings have always focused on business, not each other.
Sometimes it Pays to Pester
In the early years of our business, my husband did the sales. He was pretty good at selling but he absolutely hated it. He was tremendously relieved when I came on-board at Raven Machine & Tool and took over the sales and marketing.
Can you also walk on water?
In a previous life I was a headhunter. I scoured the region looking for just the right people to fill jobs. Applicants were screened and tested and interviewed. Only the best two or three got “live” interviews. The role I played was mostly detective; the higher the position, the deeper I dug. It was pretty easy to ferret out the
“Maybe I’ll sell T-shirts….”
Kevin loved working on cars and had a knack for making even the roughest running rust bucket purr like a kitten. But even more than fixing cars, he loved building cars – race cars. He enjoyed welding roll cages, reinforcing fenders, upgrading chassis and narrowing rear ends. It was his passion.
Mistakes were made Lessons were learned
I had lunch recently with Sam (not his real name) who owns a property development business. He company purchases land all over the country, usually close to college campuses. Their specialty is building apartments for student housing. They would own and manage the properties for a few years and then sell them. Life was good for a long time —
For goodness sake, pay attention!
For goodness sake, pay attention! A friend of mine recently went to Mexico; the airports coming and going were packed. Long lines snaked through the terminal as people waited to go through security. As they waited, some texted, and texted and texted – one after another – totally oblivious of their surroundings until the moment the agent asked for their