Pages 124- 126, from Chapter 11 "Perspective" in Ingredients of Outliers The Almighty Customer Ask anyone in business, from the proprietor of the corner convenience store to the CEO of a multi-national corporation, what the key to the success of that business is and the answer to your question is likely to be “customer satisfaction.” Entrepreneurs and corporate executives brag about their customer service in such terms as “knock their socks off,” “outrageous,” “unexpected,” “above and beyond,” etc. The headline of a feature article in a recent issue of SUCCESS magazine (August 2012) … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving: A Time to for Family & A Time for Some Great Deals
You may have noticed in the last few years, that Black Friday has gone from a one day extreme retail sale event, starting as early as 6AM the day after Thanksgiving, to a weekend event, capped off by Cyber Monday. You don’t hear anyone complaining about the all-time low prices, making their way strategically onto the calendar just before the winter holidays, but a new trend in store hours has caused some controversy. A couple of years ago, major stores like Target, Dillard’s, Walmart and Macys have started opening Thanksgiving night with 50%, 60% and even 70% off sticker prices, until late … [Read more...]