Article: Money - Six innovation tips

Here's an interesting article on innovation. The author says the six steps to innovation are:

Listening
Problem solving
Moving fast
Failing
Following the money and
Brainstorming

It really very basic, simple stuff, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded once in a while.

Good Advice

From Kitchen and Bath Design News comes not one, but two items of interest. In "Raising the Bar" writer Joe Valente, an executive with a major kitchen and bath distributor, strikes a familiar chord; small businesses should follow the example of their larger conterparts in introducing quality into their operations. Why? "Because they can lead to vast improvements that are not only measurable, but can substantially contribute to a dealership’s bottom line, transforming marginally profitable companies into significant money-making operations."

Eliot Sefrin is Editorial Director and Publisher of Kitchen & Bath Design News. He writes in the same issue, "it’s also as good a time as any for dealers to set in motion a long-term process aimed at streamlining business processes, creating efficiencies, monitoring costs and improving the bottom line."

Kitchen and Bath distributors face a lot of challenges in their business. The big box guys are constantly undercutting their prices. Too many people want to cut corners. It's tough. Like all of us, improved processes, reduced costs, and better customer service are vital.

Delivering Great Customer Service - 10 Tips

From DailyIndia.com comes an article on customer service. It's always interesting to see how other countries are handling the same problems that we face every day. Following are their tips, plus an additional one that I have added.


1) Treat me like a somebody.
2) Be polite!
3) Thank your customers – like you mean it.
4) Appearances do count!
6) Surprise the customer from the time to time.
7) Provide “full” service.
8) Mea Culpa. When you have made a mistake, admit it and set things straight
9) Listen to your customers.

And, finally a tip from me:

Under promise and over deliver. When you promise ten tips, give them eleven rather than nine.