In a recent post on The HBR BLOG NETWORK / THE DAILY STAT, Andrew O’Connell referenced a study that looked at the benefits of interacting with cashiers. The post read, “If you buy your coffee quickly at Starbucks without saying much of anything, you’ll probably arrive at the office sooner, but if you stop to…
I recently took a cab from the Conference Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin to the Austin airport. The cab driver turned out to be from Morocco and was very pleasant and chatty. When we arrived at the airport he asked me if I wanted a blank receipt for the…
A recent article in USA Today by Charisse Jones referenced a new index that ranked Southwest Airlines as the easiest travel company to do business with. “The perception that Southwest offers fair prices that don’t dramatically spike because of a host of extra fees being tacked on is key to customers feeling the airline is…
Clay Thompson, a columnist for The Arizona Republic was recently on leave from his job because of a health problem. When he returned, he mentioned in his column how well he had been cared for by nurses and nurse assistants. According to Mr. Thompson, “They were unfailingly cheerful and helpful and no matter how much…
A recent issue of USA Today, contained an article about Jay Stein, the CEO of retail chain Stein Mart. According to the article, Mr. Stein is extremely well liked by customers and employees. The reasons are that he’s nice, he listens, he cares and he says “thank you” a lot. A comment posted on Glassdoor.com,…
I have been reading a lot of articles about Steve Ballmer, the outgoing CEO of Microsoft. None of these articles have cast Mr. Ballmer in a positive light. Rather they paint him as being a bully who managed Microsoft with fear. According to an article in USA Today, Mr. Ballmer was known for throwing chairs…
If you want to make 2014 the happiest year of your life, all you need to do is to follow the advice of Og Mandino: “Remember that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time looking for peace, contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember there is no happiness in having or getting, but…
This week’s Reminder is prompted by an incident I learned of where a mother was pushing her child on a swing with one hand while texting on his cell phone with the other. I know that texting and talking on a cell phone can be addictive, but when it comes to family and friends, I…
With all the good will that gets passed around during the holiday season, it’s the perfect time to repair any strained relationships you might have in your life. People are generally in a great mood, which makes them far more open to forgiving and accepting forgiveness. So, if you have any strained relationships, now is…
As the holiday shopping season ramps up, malls and stores become more and more crowded which greatly increases the stress levels of many shoppers. Some of these up tight shoppers vent their increased stress at retail clerks by being rude, mean and nasty toward them. This, in turn, makes their job incredibly difficult and thankless…