Death Reports Have Been Greatly Exaggerated! Libraries Are Alive and Well!

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libraryAt some point in your life, you’ve probably heard something similar to the first sentence of our headline above. It was first uttered by the popular American writer, Mark Twain, in 1897 when he said, “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated!”

I was reminded of that famous phrase recently after reading a magazine article about the rapid demise of so many things we once considered as a part of our daily life. That list included record stores, hand-written letters, VCR tapes, phone booths, newspapers, zip drives, book stores, bank branches, libraries ….WAIT! Libraries? I beg to differ!

I can understand the current plight of major bookstore chains. So many chains have already closed their doors: Waldenbooks, B. Dalton, Borders, Crown, Tower, Encore, and many others. Barnes and Nobel is currently the largest book retailer in the U.S. with 690 brick and mortar locations after having closed more than 50% of its stores.

I can see where one might assume that libraries would obviously follow the fate of bookstores. However, that isn’t the case. I’ve had the privilege to work with a large number of libraries across the country. In doing so, I’ve had the opportunity to witness, first hand, many of the reasons why libraries are enjoying a “re-birth” as they continue to grow, prosper, and serve dedicated patrons from coast to coast. In fact, I’m scheduled to work with a major library consortium in southern Ohio next week. The very fact that they’ve scheduled a session focusing on the many aspects of change explains their success in surviving and thriving in today’s chaotic business environment.

The answer is quite simple while the execution is a bit more challenging. Libraries have made the critical decision to utilize change strategies in their pursuit of customer satisfaction, loyalty and longevity. They continually strive to discover the needs and desires of those they serve and then proceed to create services to better serve those customers.

If you were to visit a progressive library today, you might be surprised at what you find. The list of services is not only impressive but probably much different than you might expect. Of course, that list differs from location to location so you’ll want to visit your local library for more details.

I don’t want to spoil your surprise, so I’m going to share just a few of the new, unique services you may find during your visit. I hope this short list will whet your appetite, enticing you to schedule that visit to your own local library.

  • Obtain passports
  • Talking Books
  • Tax Assistance
  • Genealogy
  • Virtual Library
  • Software Tutorials
  • Wireless Internet Services
  • CD & DVD Disc Repair Services
  • Color Copiers and Fax Services
  • VHS to DVD Converter
  • Services for the Blind
  • Author Appearances
  • Lending Technology
  • Hispanic Resources
  • Homebound Services
  • Computer Classes
  • Literacy Materials
  • Free Online Classes
  • Discussion Groups
  • Foreign Language Collection

Baby Boomers seem to have forged a strong relationship with today’s libraries as well. Due to the constant growth of technology today, many Boomers are overwhelmed at the choices and challenges available to them. Well-trained staff members offer a variety of services and assistance in this area, creating a much-appreciated comfort zone for so many.

libraryThis staff is still another tremendous asset adding great value for you. You’re going to find a very friendly, educated, and dedicated staff that is focused on meeting your every need. Libraries attract unusual staff members … those dedicated to personal growth, education, books, resources, and total satisfaction for those they serve. That staff is still another reason you’ll want to return again and again.

The Library is no longer just a lot of books —today it’s Community! Do yourself a favor and schedule a visit to your local library for you and your children and/or grandchildren. There’s something there for everyone, and you certainly won’t regret it. I’m guessing it’ll be a start to a great tradition!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

JC Penney – It’s Bac-c-c-k! … Or Is It?

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JCPenney established in 1902JC Penney is in the news again. It’s becoming a habit, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing for it. I’ve personally written three or four blog articles for our website trying to explain the constantly changing strategies of this 111-year-old retail icon. I’m beginning to think it’s a lost cause. The obvious reason for the constant change seems to be emerging as one of simple desperation.

JC Penney offers a unique history which may very well explain its comfort with constant change.

  • It once housed several leased departments such as Sephora, Seattle’s Best Coffee, optical centers, portrait studios, jewelry repair and firearms. It also had hardware and automotive departments as well as auto repair shops.
  • It was once the largest catalog retailer in the U.S.
  • In 1940, Sam Walton began working at a JC Penney in Des Moines, Iowa. Walton later went on to found future retailer Walmart in 1962.
  • In 1962, JC Penney entered discount merchandising with the acquisition of General Merchandise Company which gave them “The Treasury” stores which shuttered its doors in 1982.
  • In 1973, JC Penney reached its peak number of stores with 2,053 stores. It now has just over 1,100.
  • In 1984, JC Penney acquired the First National Bank of Harrington, Delaware and renamed it JC Penney National Bank. With the bank, the company became able to issue its own MasterCard and Visa cards.
  • After several years of development, the JC Penney Television Shopping Channel appeared on cable systems beginning in 1989.
  • In 2004, the company exited the drug store division after 35 years, with the sale of its Eckerd division, which was later taken over by Rite Aid.

If you happened to read my previous blog articles about JC Penney, you’re aware of the fact that it has been trying some new and creative approaches in hopes of increasing sales, profits, and customer count after several years of declining performance.

While many call its recent efforts creative, others call them radical. I shared many of them in my previous articles, and they certainly do approach “radical”! This strategy began in November 2011 when it hired the former Apple retail head, Ron Johnson, as its new CEO. In an effort to overcome a certain dowdiness in its stores, marketing, advertising and culture, Johnson made too many changes far to fast for both employees and customers.

Sales and stock value fell regularly for a year and a half, and something had to be done. Customers were staying away in droves. In early April of this year, it was announced that CEO Johnson had been fired. It was then announced that the retailer’s former CEO will be his interim replacement. I questioned that decision in my last article.

However, JC Penney quickly made another decision that I find myself questioning even more. Maybe you’ve seen it on TV. It released an ad campaign begging its customers to return, implying very strongly that previous CEO Ron Johnson messed up. JC Penney said its many problems were caused by the man with the weird ideas it had hired from Apple. He made them do all those things that drove customers away all over the country.

The ad basically said:

“So now that he’s gone, please come back. We beg you. We’ll be the old JC Penney. The one you all loved. Although maybe you didn’t all love it enough to keep shopping there, which is why we hired the man with weird ideas from Apple. But we were wrong. You were right. Well, many of you. We think. What matters with mistakes is what we learned,” whispers the contrite female voiceover. She continues: “We learned a very simple thing: to listen to you.”

Now we’ll see if that approach was tremendously courageous and creative or total stupidity. YOU will make that decision. It’s rare for an advertiser to so boldly go down upon both knees to beg its customers to come back, implying rather strongly that the previous CEO was a little too high-fallutin’ for the common retail customer.

Personally, I think JC Penney failed to listen to its customers, it made too many mistakes in a very short period of time, and today’s customers have too little patience and too many other choices at their beck and call. We’ll soon see.

Take a look at the TV commercial and see what you think.

More importantly, learn something from JC Penney’s situation in hopes of avoiding such challenges.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

What’s Your Dominant Thought About the Boston Bombings?

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United we standB-O-S-T-O-N. I know, I know. We’ve probably all heard our fill of Boston over the past week or so. I have a strange feeling that before it’s all over, we’re going to hear a great deal more. In fact, most Americans will forever change the way they think of Boston … and that, in itself, is a tragedy!

Pause for just a moment and focus on the City of Boston as you once knew it. Just about anyone who has ever attended school has a certain degree of familiarity with that historic city. Some have studied the history of Boston, some have visited there regularly, others have adopted one of their famed sports teams. We’ve all been exposed to Boston in one way or another prior to the recent tragedy which captivated headlines around the world.

Have you ever considered the number of reasons people had to think about Boston prior to the horrific bombing? You might be surprised. Of course, answers will vary based on age, location, travel, background, etc. but consider a few of the many possibilities:

Boston Red Sox, Celtics, & Patriots / Irish immigrants / Harvard, Boston College & M.I.T. / the Boston Tea Party & Battle of Bunker Hill / the T.V. show “Cheers” / New Kids on the Block / the Kennedy family / the Subway System & the “Big Dig” / North Church & Paul Revere / Fenway Park & Boston Gardens / The Constitution (ship) / famed medical and research hospitals / Boston Harbor & Boston Commons / and, of course, the Boston Marathon. I’m sure others have many additional memories which would ordinarily come to mind at the mention of “BOSTON.”

Sadly, that will seldom happen in the future. Most all dominant thoughts will be replaced with any number of visions of terrorism, death and horrendous injuries. That is so sad and unfair for so many reasons. Speaking for myself, I refuse to allow that to happen. I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to work in the Boston area a great number of times over the years in my role as a trainer, consultant and keynote speaker. I’ve learned to know and love the people and the culture of Boston. I won’t be able to totally forget the horrendous events surrounding the Marathon. I doubt if anyone will. However, I can choose to replace those events by focusing on more positive actions which arose as the result of so many unsung heroes who surfaced during this tragedy and the days to follow.

There were so many first responders, citizens, fans, police officers, fire personnel, hospital staff, etc. who immediately surfaced to assist those in need. Another impressive group could be classified as fellow Americans all over the country. Let me share one memory that will always stick with me.

I don’t know if you’re aware of the long-standing rivalry between New York City and Boston when it comes to sports of any kind. It’s serious business. The teams’ rivalry, which has reared its ugly head in bench-clearing brawls and fan assaults over the years is unequaled in its intensity and long history. The word “hatred” is often used to describe the feelings that fans from both cities feel for the other.

New York stands with BostonDue to the intense rivalry, every form of media, here and abroad made it a point to cover fan reactions to the Boston tragedy. The rivalry was set aside and support for fellow Americans emerged as the immediate response to initial news reports. The New York Yankees played a home baseball game the night following the bombing. TV screens around the world focused on Yankee fans wearing Red Sox hats, shirts, and jackets while flying banners and flags supporting Boston.

For over ten years now the Boston Red Sox have enjoyed a tradition of pausing in the eighth inning to pump Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” through their Fenway Park speakers. Everyone in the audience stands up and sways back and forth with their fellow fans in a show of camaraderie and team support. No one is certain how or why this tradition got started but Bostonians seem to love it.

The night following the bombing a few weeks ago, a stadium full of Yankees fans stood arm in arm at the bottom of the third inning in the Bronx, singing along to “Sweet Caroline,” the Boston Red Sox anthem. Irony and sarcasm were absent. During a moment of silence at the start of the game, a large commemorative ribbon with logos from the two teams was shown on the electronic board atop the ballpark. Sincerity was the mood of the night. Hard-boiled New Yorkers knew what the good folks of Boston were going through. It was touching and so representative of how Americans support one another in time of need!

In fact, if you looked around New York the past few weeks, you’d have seen nothing but love for Boston and that is, indeed, a rarity!

In what city officials said was a first, the bright-blue Boston city flag flew at half-staff at New York’s City Hall, on the orders of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

An Occupy Wall Street group, the Illuminator, on Monday night projected the two teams’ logos in large lights on the walls of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. A heart was inserted between the logos, to read “NY(heart)B.” The image has gone viral.

“Sweet Caroline” also was played by the Chicago Cubs, L.A. Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and the Cleveland Indians.

Interesting footnote: Shortly after the 9-11 attacks on New York’s Twin Towers, everyone in Boston’s Fenway Park stood in unison and sang “New York, New York” accompanied by tears and prayers for the victims of that horrible tragedy. That’s the United States I know, love, and have faith in.

If my previous dominant thoughts of Boston and New York are going to be replaced as a result of terrorism, I’m going to replace them with examples such as those noted above. That’s MY choice and I’ve already made it!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The Upward Spiral Will Insure Your Success

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Stephen CoveyI received an interesting phone call upon returning home from Cincinnati last week. It happened to be from a long-time client who has since become a close friend over the years. After some catching up, he light-heartedly asked me about my recent focus on blog articles dealing with change over the past few months. I knew he was jesting as he’s always been a devoted change agent and this was his way of giving me his stamp of approval. Our call soon ended, but my thought process didn’t.

I couldn’t help but assume that others might question my motive for our recent focus on change. I may well have been mistaken in thinking that everyone was aware of the rapid pace of change in our chaotic environment. We see examples of it almost daily in the media. We’re also witnessing an increase in individual and organizational failure resulting for those who simply can’t keep up with the increasing rate of change.

While there are a wide variety of strategies for dealing with constant change, one of the most powerful and productive I’ve ever seen was offered by the educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker Stephen Covey. You can find it in his best-known book: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This classic has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide since its first publication in 1989. The audio version became the first non-fiction audio-book in U.S. publishing history to sell more than one million copies.

Upward SpiralWhile the strategy was created a few dozen years ago, it’s as effective today, if not more, than it was at that time. Covey spoke of the necessary and never-ending Upward Spiral to Attaining Success. This strategy certainly applies to both individuals and organizations alike. It consists of three very basic, but critical, elements which must be learned and executed by anyone and everyone seeking success in any aspect of their lives.

Covey suggests that we must Learn, Commit and Do. It’s as simple as that. Let’s examine the three powerful elements which will lead us to the success we seek.

Learn

We’ve been doing it all our lives. Sadly, far too many thought it ended with a diploma. Reality reveals that life-long learning is required to simply keep pace with technology advances, constant change and increasing chaos.

In his best-seller The World Is Flat, author Thomas Friedman said: “Never before in the history of the planet have so many — on their own — had the ability to find so much information about so many things and about so many other people!” While that is a true and powerful statement, the question is “Are we doing it?”

Commit

It’s not enough to simply learn new information and skills; it’s imperative that we commit to utilizing those resources. Many fall short at this juncture which inevitably leads to their ultimate failure.

Do

This is the third and most critical element of Covey’s message. While commitment is admirable, it means little or nothing unless it leads to execution. If we don’t DO, we FAIL to grow and achieve!

To be successful in today’s challenging world, we must internalize this powerful formula and use it regularly in the pursuit of the success we seek! Moving along the upward spiral requires us to learn, commit and do on increasingly higher planes. We deceive ourselves if we think that any one of these elements alone is sufficient.

Internalize the Upward Spiral today and enjoy the success and satisfaction it will provide for the rest of your life as you will certainly be prepared to deal with the change that lies ahead!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

JC Penney Retail Turmoil Offers a Lesson in True Change

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JCPenneyIf you’re a regular reader of our blog articles, you know I’m a strong advocate of change, the expansion of comfort zones, and calculated risk taking. Embracing these strategies is the only way you’re to going to succeed in today’s very competitive, ever-changing chaotic environment.

However, I also recommend that every organization recognizes the critical importance of enlightening its staff to the tips, tools and strategies of dealing with the challenges of change as well as the consequences of change, both negative and positive. Based on the number of requests we’re receiving for change management, more companies are seeing the advantages of this training.

In a previous article, I stressed the importance of “not changing for the sake of changing” as we have often witnessed the negative consequences of doing so. I used JC Penney as an example as it was promoting some rather radical changes in its efforts to regain market share. My fear was that JC Penney was biting off more than it could chew and that its customer base would not welcome these changes with open arms.

Today, the media revealed that my fears were justified. JC Penney announced that its CEO Ron Johnson has been ousted from the troubled retailer. Johnson, who formerly headed Apple’s wildly successful retail operations, was brought on by JC Penney in November 2011 in a bid to boost lagging sales, and he quickly made a number of radical changes to the century-old retailer.

Those changes made little or no difference, as I had predicted, as sales dropped a whopping 25% in his first year as CEO. Same-store sales were down 32% in the fourth quarter. As the share price dropped like a rock — it’s lost more than half its value in the last year — big investors fled for the exits.

What was even more surprising than his short reign was the fact that JC Penney replaced him with the former CEO Myron E. Ullman III. Nothing like adding insult to injury. I could be wrong, but that decision certainly sounds like another recipe for disaster!

Over the past decade, Sears, Kmart, Montgomery Wards, and JC Penney — once the top four U.S. retailers — have certainly demonstrated what can happen when you slack off, make poor decisions, rest on your laurels, and make changes for the sake of change. One of these giants has already disappeared, and industry experts have little hope for the longevity of the remaining three.

You might want to keep your eye on these major retailers to learn a valuable lesson in the fine art of avoiding extinction. In the meantime, I’ll continue my crusade across the nation sharing the insights of “Productive Chaos: Riding the Wave of Change” to those who want to be prepared for future challenges in dealing with change!

Call Dr. Jeffrey Drake at 1-800-886-2629 for more information about this critical program.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Change Marches On – Coca-Cola

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When it comes to change, it’s almost impossible not to find an example of it almost daily. I’ve been working a very tight schedule at the Empire State Building in the heart of New York City for the past two weeks. Early in the second week, I found myself with only a half hour between two training sessions and was in dire need of at least a cold drink to sooth my throat. I grabbed an elevator to the street level and ran across the street to McDonalds to grab a soda to take back to my next session.

Coke dispenserThat’s when I discovered still another change. I guess it was only a matter of time before touch-screen technology made an impact in the fast food industry. There, lined up along a side wall, were three giant touch-screen soda fountains. Each machine looked as though it had just landed from outer space. These giant units offer more than 125 different Coca-Cola drink products and custom flavors! The machine allows users to select from mixtures of flavors of Coca-Cola branded products which are then individually dispensed. The flavor possibilities are almost endless.

Coca-Cola actually introduced this technology in 2009 but has just recently increased its distribution efforts as part of an ongoing deployment.

Coke dispenserTechnologies involved include micro dispensing technology and proprietary PurePour technology. Both technologies were originally developed to deliver precise doses of drugs. One Freestyle unit with a similar footprint to a current vending machine can dispense 126 kinds of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages from one freestanding unit. Micro-dosing blends one or more concentrated ingredients in 46 US fluid ounces packets with water and sweetener at the point where the beverage is dispensed, thus avoiding the use of traditional 5 US gallon boxes of syrup (also known as a bag-in-a-box). Cartridges store concentrated ingredients in the dispenser cabinet and are RFID enabled. The machine uses RFID chips to detect its supplies and to radio re-supplying needs to other units. The traditional ice cube dispenser remains. The maximum rate of output is 95 drinks per hour.

There is all of this progress despite New York City’s mayor’s campaign to reduce the size of soda glasses to that of a thimble. Change marches on!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Technology Marches on in The Big Apple

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Empire State BuildingI continue to share the many changes we see daily in so many aspects of our lives. It’s many times difficult to keep up with them all. Many individuals and organizations have fallen from grace for this very reason. We must strive to constantly enhance our ability to deal with change as we are impacted by so many critical factors:

  • The economy
  • New technologies
  • Competition
  • Government regulations
  • New products and/or services
  • Customer requests and demands
  • Unexplained chaos such as 9-11, utilities, weather damage

I’m currently spending a couple of weeks in New York City presenting seminars in the Empire State Building. Our focus is on change and how it impacts our customer service efforts. This critical factor is currently a very decisive factor in determining the success and/or failure of so many organizations across industries.

While working with any of my clients, I always try to observe anything that I might share, barring confidentially, with other clients as well as our blog readers.

The Empire State Building is world-renowned for its unique ability to control the growing number of visitors that arrive daily to make the trip to the 102nd floor observatory. As many as 20,000 people a day make this trip to enjoy a view that is unequaled. On a clear day, visitors can see as far as 80 miles away!

It’s amazing to observe the employees in this building. They treat the building as though their own names graced the entrance. Their pride is very evident and their performance certainly reflects that fact. They’re very talented and experienced in handling a growing challenge in a world-class building in one of the largest cities in the world.

Consider the challenges they face in maintaining this colossal American culture icon:

  • It has 6,500 windows and 73 elevators, and there are 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd floor.
  • It takes less than one minute by elevator to get to the 86th floor where an outdoor observation deck is located.
  • The building houses more than 1,000 businesses and has its own zip code.
  • More than 15,000 employees work in the building each day.
  • The building has 70 miles of pipe, 2 million, 500,000 feet of electrical wire, and about 9,000 faucets. There is approximately 17 million feet of telephone wire servicing the building.
  • Approximately 15,000 people work in the Empire State Building.
  • It costs about $4.5 million to light the building each year.

Empire State BuildingFortunately, they also have high-tech, state of the art technology at their disposal. The Empire State Building is currently undergoing a $550 million dollar renovation. Part of that major project includes its elevators. You’ve heard of “smart cars” … well, you’ll soon see “smart elevators” when you visit this favorite tourist destination.

In theory, these elevators are a technological marvel. They save energy and people’s time by grouping passengers going to the same floor in the same elevator. After you punch a button in the lobby telling the computer what floor you’re going to, it directs you to one of the elevators. You step into the elevator and let it to do the rest — there are no numbered buttons to push inside the car. The smart elevator already knows which floors all the passengers are going to, and it simply displays a list of the stops it’s going to make.

I imagine people will still sometimes reach for nonexistent buttons to push, and visitors will have to get an elevator re-education course. It’s going to be interesting to see how visitors react to the many interesting changes coming to this popular attraction.

It’s so reassuring to know that behind all of the new technology is a very talented, experienced, and dedicated staff which will make the many transitions much easier to deal with for the masses that visit daily.

If you’re in the neighborhood, you should really stop by and marvel at the many enhancements gracing this global icon. I’m really enjoying my two-week assignment here and always look forward to returning.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Customer Service Lessons from an Old Pro

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taxiThe longer I live, the more ironic life seems to become. In my role as a consultant, speaker, and seminar facilitator, I travel all over North America expounding the virtues of good customer service.

It’s one of dozens of programs we’ve provided for our clients for decades. Over those years, we’ve witnessed true customer service diminish in most every industry from coast to coast.

Last week I traveled to Charlottesville to present a keynote presentation and break-out session. It was in this quaint, college town nestled in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains that I witnessed a perfect example of the kind of customer service that is so very rare today.

Immediately upon retrieving my luggage, I stepped out of the small terminal to hail a cab. There were only two cabs available so I quickly entered the one at the front of the boarding line. After loading my luggage, the jovial driver with a giant smile on his face jumped into his seat and turned to introduce himself as he handed me a cold bottle of water and a copy of the local newspaper. On the short trip into town, Charles explained that I was riding in “Chuck’s Cab,” and he would appreciate the honor of returning me to the airport at the end of my visit. He came to Charlottesville four years ago from South Africa and used his life savings to purchase this single cab to become the proud owner of his own business. A quick survey of the cab convinced me that he must have purchased a used vehicle. The two bucket seats and console were held together with duct tape. However, the car was very clean and seemed to run well.

While Chuck gave me some local history, I couldn’t help but notice a typed note taped to the rear of the seat in front of me. Chuck informed his riders to expect a 5% surcharge for any trips occurring between midnight and 6:00 a.m. or during unusual weather conditions. There would also be an additional charge of $300 to anyone who couldn’t control their behavior while in his cab. I must admit that I’ve never seen anything like that in all of my years of travel. However, I had to admit that I had been fairly warned as to what to expect.

During our trip to the beautiful Omni Hotel, Chuck told me that Charlottesville was the proud home of Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. It was also the home of the University of Virginia (started by Jefferson) which, along with Monticello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Monticello, Jefferson’s mountain-top home, attracts approximately half a million tourists every year. Chuck obviously knew his adopted home town.

Upon arrival at the Omni, Chuck provided me with a very professional business card which informed me that he was also a local soccer coach. He told me that if I would call him for the return trip to the airport and had an extra half-hour to kill, he would be more than happy to give me a tour of his historic city prior to arriving at the airport and would simply charge me the same price he did today.

Charlottesville AirportChuck’s service, personality, charm, pride, initiative, creativity, knowledge of the area, and big smile wiped out any memory of duct tape and led me to enjoy a very informative and enjoyable tour of the city before returning to the airport a few days later.

I can think of a very long list of individuals and organizations that could learn a very valuable lesson from a short ride with my new friend Chuck! I may even be willing to pay the tab if they promised to control their behavior and agreed to make the trip during good weather before midnight!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

There’s Something about Airports …

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It's only common senseThere’s an astronomical number of people in this world who have never entered the portals of a modern day airport … or ever will. There are millions of others, like myself, who qualify for the privilege and/or burden of claiming airports as a second home.

I personally long ago lost count of the number of hours I’ve spent in and around airports, arriving or departing from more flights than I can recall. Today’s typical airport can be a mind-boggling, high-tech, state-of-the-art marvel of wonder or, for many others, a simple necessary evil.

Experts claim that the challenges of operating a major airport such as those listed below rivals that of operating a major city!

  • Chicago O’Hara
  • Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson
  • New York’s LaGuardia & JFK
  • Washington’s Reagan & Dulles
  • Detroit’s Metro
  • Los Angeles LAX
  • Las Vegas McCarran
  • Orlando International
  • Pittsburgh International
  • Dallas/Fort Worth International
  • Miami International

Think about it … today’s major airports require a sophisticated focus on such critical areas as traffic control, energy generation, safety, security, parking, weather, law enforcement, food prep, maintenance, personnel, transportation (planes, fuel trucks, subways, limos, trams, taxis, shuttle buses, etc.), entertainment, communication, marketing, advertising, etc.

tree sawOne can certainly see the similarities to operating a major city. However, there’s still another very obvious similarity that can’t be overlooked — the lack of common sense! Airport protocol has always astounded me. They do such a phenomenal job of successfully dealing with challenges in all of the areas mentioned above. At other times, common sense seems to have taken an earlier flight!

Consider a few examples:

If security finds you in possession of fingernail clippers, they will take them away from you. However, you can walk into most any gift shop after passing through security and purchase bigger and better fingernail clippers. Is this simply their effort to upgrade you to a better quality of nail clippers?

What’s the reasoning for scheduling an arrival and/or departure at such odd times such as 11:43, 3:14, or 6:52? They NEVER take off or land on time regardless of what it may be.

Why are pilots so proud of the fact that they managed to land 15 minutes early? Every time they do manage to do that, they can’t get you to the gate because there’s a plane sitting there preparing to depart. As a result, you end up sitting on the tarmac for an additional 20 minutes waiting for a gate to become vacant.

When connecting with another flight, there are always a few things you can count on. The gate at which you are scheduled to connect with your next flight will always be located in a different terminal and will usually be at least a 20-minute walk. In addition, they will usually allow you only ten minutes to make that connection.

Why does a Subway “$5.00 foot long” sandwich always cost $8.50 in an airport?

I recently saw a news report showing the transport of a shuttle craft from Florida to California. The 165,000 lb. shuttle was attached atop a typical 747 aircraft. Why is it that they charge you an additional $50 overweight baggage fee if your bag weighs ONE pound over the allotted 50 lb. limit? Are they afraid we may exceed that 165,000 limit?

Why does the TSA agent always ask me “if someone put anything in my carry-on without my knowledge?” How would I know?

Yes, common sense seems to have found a way to avoid major cities, all airports and Washington, D.C. Be sure it doesn’t do the same with your place of employment! It only takes a few seconds to stop and think!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Top Ten Most Hated Companies in America Share Functional Blindness

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Top TenIn my last blog article, I shared information based on research by 24/7 Wall St., which operates a financial news and opinion firm with content delivered over the Internet. I shared the first five companies of “The Ten Most Hated Companies in America” and then explained exactly why each company qualified for such a dubious title.

As expected, the various reasons were very fundamental, obvious, and apparently oblivious to the leadership of those organizations: J.C. Penney, Dish Network, T-Mobile USA, Facebook, Inc., and Citigroup.

Now let’s reveal the final five companies as we seek common threads with the first five.

6. Research In Motion Ltd. (Blackberry)

  • Once the preeminent smartphone in America and around most of the world, RIM Blackberry has lost much of its market share to competitors.
  • Several service outages further harmed its reputation and angered customers.
  • The company’s latest smartphone, the Blackberry 10, has been delayed for months.
  • The company has fired thousands of employees in an attempt to restore profits.
  • To top off these troubles, the BlackBerry lost 39% of its brand value last year.

7. American Airlines

  • Despite its recent merger with U.S. Air, American Airlines, has, in a remarkably short period of time, ruined its relationships with shareholders, bondholders, pilots, customers, suppliers, and most of its other employees.
  • In 2011, it filed for Chapter 11, virtually wiping out shareholders and crippling corporations to which it owed a great deal of money.
  • The company has been bickering with its pilots for months over compensation, and the mass layoffs that often accompany bankruptcy proceedings have added to the chaos.
  • American Airline’s image with passengers has also taken a beating. It was recently named the U.S. carrier with the rudest employees and was ranked the worst carrier in America based on customer service, according to the ACSI.
  • The recent merger with U.S.Air makes American Airlines the largest U.S. airline. Industry experts are divided in their opinions as to whether the merger will solve many of the above problems or simply add more turmoil to what currently exists. The past week it announced upcoming price increases as a result of the merger. Adding more planes and personnel may very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

8. Nokia

  • Nokia was once the largest handset company in the world but has now lost that spot to Samsung.
  • Its brand and distribution muscle should have given it some advantages in the smartphone market. However, Nokia instead experienced a tremendous disaster, losing its industry leadership to Apple and Samsung.
  • Nokia’s shareholders have had to contend with a sickening drop in the value of its shares. The stock is down 20% in the last year, and 60% in the last two years.

9. Sears Holding Corp.

  • For decades, Sears and Kmart were the #1 and #2 retailers in the nation. No one could even imagine anyone else being capable of surpassing their performance. Sears has now been around for 127 years and Kmart for 114. Combined they boast 241 years of experience in dealing with any and all aspects of the retail industry. Theoretically, they should have no equal.
  • However, Sears and Kmart continue to struggle. In the past seven years they have had five CEOs!
  • Over the past five years, Sears shares have dropped by roughly 60%. It lost more than $2.8 billion in the most recent reported 12 months. Meanwhile, main competitors Target Corp. and Walmart Stores Inc. have both handily outperformed them.
  • Employees of both Sears and Kmart stores rate their experience at the company as poor and customer service scores are even lower.

10. Hewlett-Packard

  • According to the ACSI, HP was the second worst-ranked personal computer brand in 2012.
  • HP may also be the most mismanaged major company in the U.S., which gives shareholders a reason to turn on it as well.
  • Five years ago, the company had annual net income of more than $8 billion. In the 12 months ending in October, HP lost $12.6 billion.
  • The company shares are down more than 40% in the past year.
  • Last year, in an attempt to restructure and stop the bleeding, the company laid off 27,000 employees, more than double any other company in 2012. Employee research firm Glassdoor reports HP is also disliked by its employees.

So let’s review our findings. The most naive observer can easily identify the many common threads shared by these well-known organizations. While each may be dealing with a few unique circumstances, most would benefit greatly from simply identifying their “functional blindness” and taking the necessary steps to correct the problem.

You and I, as customers, could easily offer legitimate advice and solutions to these challenges. If we can see it, why can’t they? Here are just a few of the common threads shared by “The Top Ten Most Hated Companies in America.” Note the obvious simplicity of each.

  • Customer service
  • Employee performance
  • Employee morale
  • Employee training
  • Listening to customers
  • Alienation of shareholders
  • Out of touch
  • Mismanagement

If the leadership of these companies aren’t dealing with these critical concerns which are key factors in the success or failure of their operation, what are they doing? Ironically, if you were to rate these same areas among the nation’s leading organizations, you would obviously find that great attention is shown to each. Isn’t there an obvious message here?

Take a look at your own organization from two different aspects.

  1. T.L.C. Think Like Customers. View every phase of your business as though you were a customer. If you’re honest in your review, you’ll be surprised at what you may discover. Then make necessary changes and/or educate your customers as to your decisions.
  2. Naive Observation. View your products, services, business plan, marketing, advertising, policies, etc., avoiding any and all justification and denial. While this may prove to be challenging, it certainly produces results.

Each of the those in the “Top Ten Most Hated Companies in America” have been around for a long time and have experienced tremendous success. They know how it’s done. Their future now lies in their own hands. They will become Distinct or Extinct! As will you! The choice is yours!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.