Category Archives: Uncategorized

I continue to be disappointed in what I see as a significant and continuing degradation of customer service, across all industries. There was a time when businesses, both commercial and retail, regularly competed on the basis of customer service. Today, it’s a rarity. If you’re old enough, recall driving into a gas station in theContinue reading “Lost and Found – Is Customer Service in There?”

As Published in “Southwest Florida Business Today,” July 2022 Say words like lean, six sigma, black belt, and continuous improvement and many employees will roll their eyes. They envision training programs, special projects, expensive consultants, and extra work. They anticipate the nightmare of being stuck in the new “Lean Conference Room” for hours doing specialContinue reading “Lean on Me – Get Better Every Day”

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today” February 2022 There are countless excellent articles, videos, and seminars available about time and meeting management. This is probably the largest single source of waste in businesses today. Despite a strong lean/six sigma trend across the economy, somehow, this subject never quite gets the attention or commitment itContinue reading “Time is Money – Don’t Waste My Time…or Yours!”

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today” December 2021 We cannot completely put COVID in our rear-view mirror, but just maybe the worst has passed.  Now, we can all get back to normal, right? Not so fast! COVID changed the way we do business in so many ways that there is no “normal” anymore. ThisContinue reading “Your Business Made it Through COVID – Now What?”

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today,” September 2021 The last year and half (and counting) has been a very difficult time for businesses. But no one needs to tell you that – you’ve been living it as a business owner, employee, or customer. Or all three. As businesses have re-opened and worked to recoverContinue reading “Don’t Let COVID Infect Your Customer Service”

This is a slight departure from my other posts. In this post, I am identifying and emphasizing a critical business management style as demonstrated by a current business – a local Florida restaurant focuses on their people and their customers and it drives consistent success. As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today,” August 2021 EffectivelyContinue reading “Doc Ford’s Prescription for Success”

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today”, May 2021 Until recently, the term “Supply Chain” was not a commonly heard business term. However, as the world has become more competitive, the importance of reliable, cost effective suppliers has become recognized as a critical success factor for many businesses. Unfortunately, many suppliers are still neglected asContinue reading “Don’t Out March Your Supply Lines”

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today,” April 2021 One of the most important things you can do in your business is communicate with your customers effectively. While that sounds like a “no brainer” (sorry, I hate that expression, too), I have found that, like common sense, it isn’t. Today, many customers will come toContinue reading “Is Anyone Home? Someone Answer the Phone!”

Top performers are one of the most important resources in any business. You know who they are. Everyone does. They are the ones who perform “above and beyond,” like staying late or coming in early to meet a crucial customer deadline, volunteering to cover for a co-worker who is out, coming up with innovative approachesContinue reading “Bah Humbug! Don’t Scrimp on Your Top Performers”

If you read my column “I’m the Smartest Person in the Room (Don’t Bet On It!),” you may recall that whenever I started as the leader of a new project or business, I would present a set of ground rules to my team. I called it “The User’s Manual for the Boss.” I found itContinue reading “Great Expectations – Getting Off on the Right Foot with Your Team”