cultural shift

Delivering outstanding customer experience, "Wowing!" customers through service was initially a business objective at Zappos. Now, thanks to Zappos, it has become a worldwide movement with a dedicated web site.

1. Be Humble
2. Be Passionate And Determined
3. Do More With Less
4. Build A Positive Team And Family Spirit
5. Build Honest And Open Relationships With Communication
6. Pursue Growth And Learning
7. Be Adventurous Creative And Open Minded
8. Create Fun And A Little Wierdness
9. Embrace And Drive Change
10. Deliver Wow Through Service

A true story with “double happy ending”

Here is how it went. To complete and to enrich my presentations I am used to work with JingPro a very easy to use screen capture software from TechSmith. It allows to capture videos in “.mp4” format up to 5 minutes which perfectly fulfil my presentation needs. I love working with Jing and I had already my JingPro licence (€14.50), but for some reason the software wasn’t able to switch my account from Jing “base” that saves only “.swf” files, to JingPro. That was a big problem because embedding “.mp4” files into my Keynote presentations is so essential for me.

I was in a hurry and didn’t have the time to go through the articles of the endless knowledge base to search the answer to the one problem: I want to switch to JingPro, to use my licence to capture my screen casts. Period.
After a couple of days trying to get in contact with someone in the company I eventually find out a feedback page: I immediately left a comment to share my concerns for not being able to complete my job and my frustration for feeling unheard.

In less than one hour the PR Global Head answered my (negative) comment clearly showing empathy and genuine care about the issue. In less than 24 hours (included the day/night change between US where TechSmith is based and Europe where I live) the problem was fixed. I could finally complete my presentation!

This could have been well enough for me to feel happy and satisfied, to go again to the feedback page and sincerely thank the PR Head and her team. But for them it was not enough and they decided to acknowledge the frustrations and the waste of time I went through by giving me a free licence of Snagit, their screen capture software that does unlimited screencast recording, provides “.mp4” files, allows video editing and costs €47,95.

Wow! That’s been my reaction. They really wowed me! In three steps they converted me from a very unsatisfied customer to a very happy customer. This is how they did it.

1. They acknowledged the problem with empathy.
2. They reacted immediately and fix the problem.
3. They exeeded my expectations.

I think this is an excellent example of how taking genuine care for the customer experience is a crucial and strategic issue for the business.

Have you got a recent customer experience you would like to share? With or without "happy ending".

My heartily wishes to see the end in 2012 of this kind of fake prosperity sustained by the “business as usual” paradigm.

This year I wish a new awareness will spread and grow in every country: the mere pursuit of profits has created only devastating effects for individuals, societies, businesses, global and local environments.

In 2012 I wish more and more businesses around the world will embrace this secular cultural change, this phenomenal paradigm shift and will start to build a complete different kind of prosperity. I mean a prosperity where individual fulfillment, trust, empathy, human relations are the priorities over economic returns, incomes, shareholders value, stock exchange rules.

In 2012 I wish more and more people around the world will be starting to ask the question: if this model of prosperity as we know it can’t provide food to 20% of the world's population (1.5 billion), if 5 million children are dying each year from malnutrition, if 11 million of children are dying every year from preventable diseases, if over a billion people have no safe water to drink, what kind of good can we possibly expect for the future?

How to change and how to start writing a new page in our history?
My humble suggestion is that our heart is the perfect starting place.
We have to help each other to become more aware of the immense power each one of us has in rethinking the world starting from the smallest things and decisions in our daily life.

When this will begin to happen, it will really be a good year to remember. This is my best wish in 2012.

BETTERNESS: Economics for Humans

The latest book by Umair Haque AVAILABLE HERE for download on PDF - Kindle - iBooks

"Betterness: Economics for Humans" is the latest book of my favorite author Umair Haque. Business as we know it has reached a state of diminishing returns: though we work harder and harder, we never seem to get anywhere.
I'd like to share a quick overview of the content which you find on the link above:
1. Introduction: The Not-So-Dismal Science?
2. The Capitalist’s Paradox
3. Eudaimonia: A Better Path to Prosperity
4. Poiesis: A Better Source of Advantage
5. Arête: A Better Organization
6. Kairos: Toward a Better Paradigm

Lets enjoy the reading and ACT together starting to change our own life to make the world a better place.

Today is not just another day in your life, it's the ONE day it's been given to you it's a gift, the only gift you have and the appropriate response to it is gratefulness.

Cultivate that great response as it was the first day in your life and the very last day. Then you'll have spent this day very well.