Benchmark | World Class Benchmarking

Nordstrom: The Shoe Fits When It Comes To Great Service

Participants meeting before Nordstrom opens with store management.

Many people know Nordstrom as being one of the best customer-savvy deliverers in the country. And many of those same people have become loyal customers themselves. But because of their very modest corporate culture, few really know what has made this small shoe store become such [...]

I’m Loving It! Behind the Scenes at McDonald’s Hamburger University

Ray Kroc's office is showcased for guests visiting McDonald's Hamburger University.

Last year McDonald’s Hamburger University celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 1961 the first Hamburger University met in a basement of a McDonald’s restaurant. Its first class of 15 students would graduate from this training center. Today, on a beautiful park-like setting in Oak Brook, [...]

Disney’s Four Keys: Improving the Guest Experience

America's oldest corporate university, Disney University here in Walt Disney World is the home to "Traditions" where new Cast Members are introduced to Disney's Four Keys.

Since the mid 1960′s Disney has had Four Keys for delivering great service:

Safety Courtesy Show Efficiency

They are a compass for everything Disney does–both strategically and tactically. [...]

It’s the Real Thing

That was the slogan for Coca-Cola back in 1969. And it appears to still be the motto today. Take a look at this interview of Coca-Cola CEO and Chairman Muhtar Kent. He’s interviewed by Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-A. Included are the following messages:

Walk in the shoes of your customer–Muhtar spends [...]

Fatal Benchmarking Mistakes

Much has been said of benchmarking – the act of looking to best-in-class companies and measuring yourself against their methods. Of course, the expectation is to gauge how you compare with industry leaders, identify where you can improve, and adjust your methods to achieve those same best-in-class results. Most fail because they are going about [...]

When The Dust Settles, Delta Airlines Emerges

Press event being held in La Guardia while we were waiting for our next plane.

It’s a natural inclination with any organization to “hunker down” as the winds of a major economic turndown overwhelms everyone throughout the country. But World Class organizations manage to forge on in such a way that when the dust [...]

“This Is Not A Solo Act”

Cirque du Soleil at Downtown Disney, Walt Disney World

I have to admit, I wasn’t too much of a fan of Cirque du Soleil until I read The Spark: Igniting the Creative Fire That Lives Within Us All, created by Lyn Heward and written by John U. Bacon. The book, short and readable [...]

Keeping a Sense of Humor with Compliance

State regulations require shoes and shirt when you enter a public environment such as a restaurant. To that end a sign is usually found toward the front of the store, insisting on such compliance. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches chooses to use humor to get people to do what is required. It aligns well with [...]

Finally Inside an In-and-Out Burger

Mark Jones has worked with this great organization. I personally had visited In-and-Out Burger several times over the years–especially on trips to California. But I had always gone through the drive-in. Therefore, there was not much to judge of the experience other than product and price–which was always great.

This last summer I was [...]

A Trucking Company With Values?

Example of a Con-way Star Award for employees demonstrating their values.

It’s hardly imaginable that a large trucking company like Con-way would really bother with promoting values. You would think that it was all about efficiency and the bottom line. But they have gone to great lengths over the years to establish a culture [...]

Read Our New Book!

Lead With Your Customer

Recent Posts