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Greetings!
Welcome to the November edition of The
Knowledgentsia, the newsletter for the
customer-obsessed.
In this issue, we highlight some recent entries in our
blog, The Customer View.
Lisa Dennis discusses two separate incidents - one
where a manager and his team pull off a great service
recovery, and another where one employee
singlehandedly tarnishes his company's reputation.
And Chuck Dennis ponders why, in the
multi-million dollar acquisition of one of the world's
most famous hotel properties, the new owners
decided to forsake the hotel's legendary name in
favor of its own name, which happens to be similar to
an existing casino name.
And over this season of Thanksgiving, we want to take
the opportunity to express our thanks to all of our
clients, colleagues, teachers, and friends. We hope
you all found peace and contentment on this holiday.
Warmest regards,
Lisa & Chuck Dennis
| A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME? I WONDER... |
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When a business builds a great reputation, its name
becomes a very valuable asset. That's why it
surprised Chuck Dennis to see that, following the sale
of Boston's Ritz-Carlton Hotel, the new owners will be
changing the name.
Typically, when a name has come to represent the
worldwide standard for customer care, it is a
significant part of the value of the acquisition. But in
this case, the new owners, while keeping the Ritz's
employees, will be forsaking the hotel's famous
name for that of its Asian property. While their name
is well-established in Asia, it does not carry the same
panache in the US market as the Ritz-Carlton.
Furthermore, the new owner's name is very similar to
that of a gaudy Atlantic City casino. Have the new
owners underestimated the conscious and
sub-conscious impact that a name carries?
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| "SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE" |
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That's the tag-line for The Cheesecake Factory in
Burlington, MA where Lisa Dennis had dinner with a
business colleague last week. In her ongoing quest
for the points where marketing, sales and service
connect, she had a really interesting experience that
she'd like to share.
This article shows how a heads-up staff and their
manager can quickly make up for a minor service
irritation, and turn the experience from one that could
have been typically unexceptional into one that was
uniquely unforgettable.
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| THE POWER OF VISUALS |
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We've all heard the expression that a picture is worth a
thousand words. Well, what about a gesture? How
many words is that worth? It depends on how serious
you are about the image that your company is trying to
convey out in the world.
Lisa Dennis recently got the message loud and clear
from the representative of one local business.
Unfortunately, it was probably not the message that
this man's employer hoped to convey.
This man's company vehicle was illegally parked, and
blocking Lisa's way. When she tooted her horn to get
him to move, she was greeted with a one-finger
salute. This man's clever response was framed by
his employer's name, logo, and telephone number on
the side of his truck. He all but dared her to call...
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| VOICES OF THE KNOWLEDGENTSIA |
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"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."
- - Jimi Hendrix, musician 1942 - 1970
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Speaking Engagements
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