The Egalitarian Delight-Maker

The Egalitarian Delight-Maker

When famed anthropologist Margaret Mead first visited Samoa in the South Pacific, it led her to write in the preface of her book Coming of Age in Samoa, “Courtesy, modesty, good manners, conformity to definite ethical standards are universal… It is instructive...
Turning Mundane into Magic

Turning Mundane into Magic

The Magic Castle in Beverly Hills, CA is a haven for magicians. You can get in the castle only by invitation from a member, typically a magician. You arrive and enter a door into the library after you have uttered the secret password. There is dinner followed by magic...
Value-Unique Trumps Value-Added

Value-Unique Trumps Value-Added

Value-added literally means taking what the customer expects and adding more.  As new value is added, up also go the customer expectations setting up a path to a dead-end street.  At some point, the additions exceed what is cost-effective.  The solution: innovative...
If Cracker Jack’s Ran Your Customer Service

If Cracker Jack’s Ran Your Customer Service

A large brokerage company added a twist to their toll-free telephone cue—“…punch 6 if you’d like to hear a duck quack!” Word of the playful feature spread and soon millions of people were weekly calling to hear the duck. The company had to remove the unique...