My tribute to baseball player Kevin Youkilis and how he can help save our country

To this day, Kevin Youkilis is still one of my favorite baseball players of all time. You say you’ve never heard of him? Well.....

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In the early 2000s when the Boston Red Sox were reemerging as a baseball powerhouse, “Youk” as he was called was in the middle of it. So allow me a moment to sing the praises of Kevin Youkilis, and how my love of the Boston Red Sox and Youk is just what this country needs right now. You heard me right!

Youkilis is a product of one of America’s great baseball towns, Cincinnati, Ohio. The city that gave us Pete Rose and Barry Larkin also gave us ‘the Greek God of Walks’. That is how Youkilis was described in the movie “Moneyball” for his ability get on base.

And he could do so much more! Youkilis finished his career with a very respectable 32.6 WAR (wins above replacement) stat. Beyond his ability to draw a walk, he could hit. Kevin was a career .281 average, finishing with over 1,000 hits in his Major League career. During that stretch, he set a Major League record for not making an error in the field and was a great leader for that team. He was a driving force for Red Sox teams from 2005 until his skills started to show some decline in 2011.

Have I sold you on how awesome he was as a player yet?

Youkilis was a central part of my beloved Red Sox. The Red Sox were (are still) must see TV for me during the summer as I watch the baseball season unfold. More often than not, my hopes are dashed for a successful season that includes a World Series banner. But my love affair with the Red Sox continues win or lose.

And I loved Youkilis too, especially his knack to do whatever he could with his abilities for the good of the team. Need a walk, he’ll work to make it happen. Opportunity to get hit by a pitch and get on base, he’ll lean in. He was never, NEVER the best player on any Major League Baseball team he played on during his entire career.

Youk will never be confused with a hall of famer, despite my deep respect of him. What he did was work hard, earn his pay and gave all that he was blessed with to make the organization stronger. He absolutely made mistakes, but Youkilis was absolutely someone that teammates would love to play aside.

Which is what made June 24, 2012 such a bad day for me.

Even the ‘Greek God of Walks’ started to show a decline. So on that fateful day, the Red Sox traded Youk to of all places the Chicago White Sox. This player I loved, that to this day I still have a Red Sox jersey with his #20 on it, was suddenly on the south side of Chicago playing for a team I really didn’t like. I was able to rationalize in my mind that this was still OK. Youk was getting a chance to play, hopefully for a title in a year when the Red Sox were destined to finish last in the AL East standings. The White Sox did not end up in the playoffs that year. And then it got worse!

There is only one baseball franchise I like less than the White Sox, and it is the New York Yankees. Prior to the 2013 season, Youkilis signed a contract with the evil empire and he played his final season of big league ball in pinstripes. For that final season, Youkilis was now trying to beat my beloved Red Sox.

The lesson learned for me through all of this is simple. My enjoyment of the game did not change when my favorite player was suddenly gone. The Red Sox remained my team, through thick and thin even when they traded away my absolute favorite player.

The reality was that even though Kevin Youkilis made all kinds of lasting contributions to the team I love, he was a temporary part of the organization. In fact, #20 has been worn by 37 players for the Red Sox throughout history, including Wade Miley and Ryan Lavarnway since Youkilis last competed in that uniform.

With his departure, I was reminded of a simply adage; that the name on the front of the jersey was more important that the name on the back. You can absolutely love a player for your team, like me and Kevin Youkilis. But his part of the team I root for and love is simply a small blip on the timeline of life. Youkilis as a Red Sox was just a moment in time. The team will march on without that player, only to be replaced by another favorite player on down the line. Baseball is a great sport because it is such a reflection of our lives. In many ways, that is the beauty of baseball as it so eloquently shows that time marches on.

It is that same lesson that I hope the the citizens of our country can learn. Taught to me by Kevin Youkilis and I pass along to you. Love and respect our institutions; our government and our symbols of freedom. The freedom and liberty we all are graced with is what is important. It’s not about the individuals that occupy those seats of government or the house where our leader lives. Rather it is about the ideals that have set us apart as a country from our very beginning. The players on a baseball team and the elected leaders of government at any level are temporary. The institution itself lives on while the individuals that occupy those offices are fleeting, momentary. So maybe Youk cannot help save our country, but we can use this story to improve it.

The name on the front of the jersey is more important than the one on the back; the President, your governor or mayor, congressman or any of the symbols of freedom those individuals are elected to protect. That is the front of the jersey so to speak and what is really important.

Live life with respect, and remember how temporary anything we’re discussing right now is in the grand scheme of life. Lift up our ideals, our liberty and the process to make change. And if you feel a change is needed, get involved and be a part of the change. Join the process, and remember we’re all playing for the same team; the name on the front of the jersey.

Festivus and the commercialization of Christmas

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Festivus is today!!

Fans of the 90s sitcom Seinfeld know what I’m referring to, the celebration of Festivus which was featured in the ninth season. The show that was about nothing managed to make something out of nothing with the faux holiday celebrating the over commercialization of Christmas. Ironically, the celebration about commercialization is itself a well commercialized event, celebrated every year on December 23.

Learn all about the Seinfeld version of Festivus at https://youtu.be/rKdnqjnegEs.

You can learn plenty about Festivus and celebrate in a tongue-in-cheek manner like my family will be today. As explained by the character Frank Constanta, the person that started the fake holiday on the TV show, it was his way to act out against all the commercialization around the holidays. All that tinsel, as he says can be distracting.

While there certainly is a lot of commercialization surrounding Christmas, there are some really good things that have resulted from the commercializations that has taken place over the years. Many of them are now a beloved part of the holiday story for many of us. This may becoming an anti-Festivus post, because I choose to celebrate three of my favorite commercializations of the holiday with you, and the heartwarming stories of their origins.

I guess this might make me an anti-Festite.

When I ask you to conjure up an image of Santa Claus, pretty much everyone reading this will have the same description, and any any mall I visit across the US with a Santa in the commons area will also be the same. A jolly fat man dressed all in red with white fur trim, and a white beard is definitively what Saint Nick looks like, right? Well, that’s not always how the big guy has been described.

Prior to the Civil War, Santa’s depictions would often be a tall, skinny guy with a pointy hat. In 1863, Harper’s Weekly commissioned Thomas Nast to create an illustration which quickly became the inspiration for the modern looking Santa Claus. Later on that basic look became the starting point for the modern pitchman that solidified the modern look of Santa at Coke. Coca-Cola started using Santa in ads in the 1920’s. Santa has become synonymous with Coke ever since, and is now a staple of their ads every holiday season for the past almost 100 years. So much in fact that a lot of people think his image was completely invented by the soda giant. Not so; it was only used exceptionally well for generations, thus making Santa and Coke eternally linked. And besides, wouldn’t Santa look odd in Pepsi blue?

Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer is of course the lead reindeer for Santa’s sleigh on his journey each December 24. Yet Rudolph’s existence was actually a hustle play by department store Montgomery Ward to save money on a coloring book. The story of the story of Rudolph is really a story of redemption, of perservence, of dreams and despair and the author that struggled with the death of his wife.

Robert L. May was tasked with the job of creating a coloring book for the holidays. It was the summer of 1939 and May was dealing with a lot of things in his life. A wife with failing health, career frustrations and mounting debt hung over his head as he tried to be festive. May never wrote that great American novel that he thirsted for, yet he created a character that is a part of millions of kids who look in the sky each December 24 for a red light shooting across the sky. And of course, Montgomery Ward got a super nice coloring book for holiday shoppers in 1939.

While all kids may look to the sky for that red light, the official tracking of Santa and Rudolph is of course conducted by NORAD. Based in Colorado Springs, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) is the organization that keeps a watchful eye on our skies year round and protects us from attacks from foes across the globe. And since 1958 they have been the official tracker of Santa’s sleigh across the United States. Well, it wasn’t official in 1958.

The hotline in the bunker rang one night. In the midst of the 1950s Cold War, hearing that phone ring would have been a scary sound echoing throughout the control room. A wrong number in a newspaper ad, an innocent child wanting to speak with Santa and a quick witted colonel created a new high-tech tradition. There are a number of resources that tell the story of that night, with my favorite being Mike Rowe’s reading of his podcast The Way I Heard It, episode The Missiles of December.

So yes, some commercialization of the holiday and the creation of some beloved traditions. But for me, these three commercialized aspects of the holiday all make me smile, warm my heart and put me in the holiday spirit. So I say to you with Christmas approaching in the coming days — Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukah, Happy New Year. And in the spirit of Festivus, I have a lot of problems with you people!

Local journalism vs. the 'milking' of profits by corporate owners

This is the time of year where people reflect on their circumstance in life, and often times give thanks for their many blessings. The end of year ritual has not eluded me, as I sit here thinking about many aspects of my life as the holiday season begins.

For my work life, the past year has been a year of change. There is much thanks in my heart as I reflect on those personal changes. More on that another time.

Friends get together around the holidays; that isn’t breaking news by any stretch. Our personal circles expand and our lives change as we take new jobs, move on and evolve. While I look forward to the future and all that comes with it, it is also good to return to familiar times in past and the people that made a difference in our lives. You see this reflected in everyone’s social media feeds right now, with family gatherings as well as reunions of past co-workers and friends. 

As I write this, it is Thanksgiving Day, the largest newspaper of the year as most exclaim. That is a true statement, if measured by weight, thanks to countless Black Friday inserts from local stores. The fact is today’s local newspaper is probably the high water mark for the year for revelance, for circulation and readership. And it has nothing to do with journalism. The largest newspaper of the year that I read was light on news, as most newspapers are anymore. 

Politico had a story this week suggesting that individuals should stop subscribing to their local newspaper if they cared about local journalism. I don’t subscribe to that belief, but I do think the article made some great points. The biggest of those points being decision by many corporate owners and their decision to squeeze all the profits out immediately on newspapers and then the likelihood that they will abandon them once they are no longer profitable. In the article by Jack Shaffer,  he wrote about Alden Global Capital but could have said the same about several chain owners: “Deliberately starving its newsrooms and shriveling its news pages, Alden’s “milk-it business modes” is designed to extract the value of a newspaper over time until the day—poof!—their papers vaporize and Smith and Freeman climb into their Scrooge McDuck vault to count their riches.“

This is a reality for more than just Alden owned newspapers and something I had mandated to me by a former boss. I sat in a meeting shortly before I left my last newspaper job where the corporate mouthpiece told me this was exactly the plan I was to execute.

The impact of this corporate ‘milking’ is evident with the daily newspaper you are reading, if you’re still reading. The newspaper is smaller; in width and page count. It is also evident by the dwindling amount of local by-lines you see. And for me, that milking was made evident in one of those social media posts that I mentioned earlier as friends gather to remember and give thanks together this time of year. 

On Facebook today, I saw the reunion of the sports department of the now defunct News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I say defunct, since the decision to stop being a newspaper was two years ago and the decision to stop being a real newsroom ended just over a year ago. Yes you technically still find a website with one good reporter still doing the occasional story. But this is a good example of corporate milking as detailed in the Politico article. It was just all at once instead of the slowly disappearance that is happening at most newspapers.

This group from the old News-Sentinel had recently gathered for their reunion, to share, to give thanks and no doubt reminisce. Not everyone was able to make it, but most were in attendance. The talent of that staff was / is impressive, and would be hard to assemble again in any single city newsroom, no matter the size of the publication or the market they cover. Cheers to that crew who have moved on but have not forgotten their friendship or the impact they made on the community. 

Changing your customer service culture to change your company’s future profits

Meet my new favorite employee at Krispy Kreme, Jackie and see how changing your customer service culture can change your company’s future profits  

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Focusing on the customer is easy to say, but harder than you’d think to pull off. It always sounds good in a conference room, during some management retreat or even on the plaque you place in the lobby of your company. But once you actually introduce the customer into the equation, it gets difficult.

But it’s not impossible. Being customer focused means creating a culture that builds up employees through training and by the company practicing what it preaches with every interaction it has with internal candidates. It is after that practice is established that the employees can and will provide that same experience to the paying customers.

Changing culture involves an intentional process to improve how you do business. I had a former employer who was convinced that the best way to improve culture was to post internet mimes on attitude and then pass out bagels every few months. His actions did not match his desire. Lasting and meaningful change is more than passing interest from a CEO.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is internationally recognized as a customer service leader. They start with their creed: “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen." That is a very classy and very bold statement to make, and one that they work hard to uphold. Their training programs are industry leading, and it shows in every aspect of their business.

Leadership at The Ritz-Carlton has made a commitment to their employees, knowing that commitment will translate to their customers and provide long term success for their organization. This is evident in their commitment to employees:

The Employee Promise

At The Ritz-Carlton, our Ladies and Gentlemen are the most important resource in our service commitment to our guests.

By applying the principles of trust, honesty, respect, integrity and commitment, we nurture and maximize talent to the benefit of each individual and the company.

The Ritz-Carlton fosters a work environment where diversity is valued, quality of life is enhanced, individual aspirations are fulfilled, and The Ritz-Carlton Mystique is strengthened.

By building a strong workplace environment, the brand of The Ritz-Carlton is strengthened. Isn’t that what every business ultimately wants?

In most cases you have to start by making your statement an aspiration, and then work on a plan over time that will help rise your organization to that high level. You and your organization need to have strong resolve, because this will take time. You’ll need to mark your progress not in days or weeks, but in months and years. But it is possible, and the potential pay off is big. The companies that build company loyalty through customer experience, like Southwest Airlines, Ritz-Carlton and Starbucks enjoy prolonged growth and stronger than trends profits. It will also mean strong employee loyalty, which can reduce employee turnover. The future of workforces in the coming 10 to 20 years means that finding and keeping qualified employees is important.

Improving customer experiences is a training opportunity that doesn’t cost any money. And I’m not taking about a one time event. Your organization has to plan out training over time to truly change your culture. This doesn’t mean you have to take the entire team for an off-site meeting. You can talk to your staff and give them the power to provide superior customer service. You trust them, and will back them up to make great decisions to wow the customer. While there are many resources available; from books to websites to Ted Talks and YouTube. In fact, let me provide you with your first training session. The training is for your business, your team or even just yourself.

Jia Jiang created a blog to help him deal with rejection, “100 Days Of Rejection Therapy” is a funny and thought provoking look at life. His goal was to learn rejection by immersing himself in it. Something funny happened along the way; not everyone rejected him. In this video, you’ll meet Jia and Jackie, an employee from Krispy Kreme. Jackie is an empowered employee who connects with customers, even when they ask crazy things. Yet she wanted to make the customer happy, satisfied and an evangelist for your brand to others. Is that everyone’s goal in business, with each customer interaction?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ax2CsVbrX0

So how would your team react to a crazy customer request? Are your employees empowered to say “yes” to customers? When your employees are saying yes to customers, you are building customer and employee loyalty. A loyal customer will become an evangelist for your brand, helping to attract more customers.

I’ve never been a super big fan of Krispy Kreme. After viewing this video I’m more of a fan now of that product. And I’m a huge fan of Jackie. I’m much more likely have a positive impression of Krispy Kreme going forward, which translates to more revenue.

A limitless amount of patience; key to relationships and life

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My 30^th wedding anniversary is quickly approaching. Just typing that is seemingly unbelievable. Unbelievable in that it doesn’t seem possible to be that old, and unbelievable that someone has tolerated me for that long! I’m not sure which is more improbable.

Ruth has more patience that any person I know, to put up with me and my son. I’m lucky beyond words when I look backwards and forward with the life we have built. Ruth and I struck up a conversation with a waitress recently. We were discussing marriage and relationship. She said that they key to marriage was “a limitless amount of patience.” It was as if she knew me!

Long time editor of The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Indiana and friend Kerry Hubartt touched on the depth of marital relationships in a column he wrote while I was leading that newspaper. Kerry’s commentary on the death of his 97 year old father only days before, and his relationship with his wife as they approach their 50^th wedding anniversary has stayed with me.

My wife has never wanted to think about losing me, much less talk about it. But she’s the one who brought it up late one night as we were lying down to sleep after a day of making the final plans for Dad’s funeral.

“I just can’t imagine losing you,” she said. “But it’s going to happen to one of us someday.”

“I know,” I whispered, punctuating the reply with a heavy sigh. And we held hands softly as we tried to put that thought out of our minds, and we drifted off to sleep.

When you get older, I suppose it is only natural to think of dying. I never had the opportunity to speak with my parents about it,  but it seems only normal that they had the same thoughts. Laying in bed next to my wife, thinking about a future where death is an increasing factor is just a reality of being 50+. So is attending services at the local funeral home, consoling friends and family who have had a loved one pass. And so it goes again this weekend, as I make plans for a funeral instead of something much happier.

Both my parents and one sibling have passed. I certainly miss them all, especially surrounding special holidays or events. In fact, today would have been my father’s 87^th birthday. But those emotions are nothing compared to the thought of losing a spouse. I’m typically not the person that dwells on this type of subject. I’m not in denial, but I’d rather focus on living. To quote Jimmy Buffett, “I’d rather die while I’m living then live while I’m dead.”

What started this line of thought is a new Netflix original called Dead To Me. I won’t spoil the plot line’s ending, but simply say that the show is set up as two women that are struggling through grief and the death of a husband. The show has its normal storytelling twists to keep you interested and entertained, but it also shows the grieving process and just how damn difficult it is to lose someone close to you.

I can only image but it is those little moments like Kerry described that I think I would miss the most if my spouse would go first. I’ve witnessed this first hand with friends and family who have been in similar situations, a situation that if you have a relationship you or your partner eventually experience too.

It is good to have options. I cannot recommend enough the book Option B:  Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy. I purchased this book to help with overcoming stress and adversity in my life, not realizing it was a book written by and for people that have lost family members. It worked for me and my stress, and I think it can help you too.

I have many friends and family members that struggle with the grief and depression that comes with losing someone close. That pain is real, and no should minimize it; and I’m certainly not doing it here. But that book, a counselor at church or friends down the street — someone, somewhere can help you. As the Option B book points out, Sandberg and Grant write:

“We plant the seeds of resilience in the ways we process negative events. After spending decades studying how people deal with setbacks, psychologist Martin Seligman found that the three P’s can stunt recovery: (1) personalization – the belief that we are at fault; (2) pervasiveness – the belief that an event will affect all areas of our life; and (3) permanence – the belief that the aftershocks of the event will last forever.”

I think the waitress was right, about marriage and how we treat ourselves. Dealing with grief and the loss of a loved one means you have to have limitless amounts of patience for yourself too.

Saying goodbye to another closing newspaper

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I received word that a friend of mine passed away this week. We weren’t as close as we were 15 years ago, but that happens. Life happens — you get busy, you move on and before you know it you’ve drifted apart. Looking back now though, I have to smile about the relationship me and this friend had.

Passion. I was filled with passion when I hung around this friend. I still remember first time we met. It was at a bar, as a group of people gathered to wish a friend of mine good luck in her new job. Far from unhealthy, it was a great relationship that I cherish to this day. It was a relationship that has launched me to bigger and better things in my life. Rest In Peace, Hendricks County Flyer.

They say you always remember your first. The Flyer Group was my first post as publisher of a newspaper. At the time of my involvement, it was a twice a week publication that went to every household in Hendricks County, Indiana along with a once a week publication for the west side of Indianapolis. Community Newspapers Holdings Inc (CNHI) announced this week that they were stopping publication after over 50 years. But it was a powerful product, and produced revenue more than many daily newspapers at the time.

The Hendricks County Flyer isn’t the only paper that’s been shut down in recent months. Sadly, I fear this is going to be an all too common obituary playing out across this country. But it is sad in that the industry has changed, communities have changed and in this case not for better.  Other newspapers will look to fill in the gap and report on the city council, cover the upcoming graduation at the high schools. But covering a market as a secondary newspaper won’t provide the depth of the local newspaper. Stories won’t be told, memories won’t be made.

Remember when you or someone you know had their picture in the paper? You became an instant celebrity in your hometown if only for day. Actually longer, as the picture would be clipped and placed on your refrigerator for months.

In the case of the Hendricks County Flyer, I know of some of the heroics that were utilized to try and save the publication. Lost preprint and classifieds took away the cushion, and then slowly local businesses turned to other resources for advertising. Google and Facebook provided less expensive alternatives often times with more trackable results. And before you knew it, this newspaper and others just like it are forced to cut expenses; less money for circulation promos, fewer pages and less relevant content for consumers. Death by a thousand cuts ended this and many other publications.  And more to come.

Not that many years ago Warren Buffett was being called a savior for the newspaper industry. However even Buffett is saying now that the end is approaching. Me saying that most newspapers “are toast” might be interesting, but the guy that owns 30 newspapers saying that is an attention grabber. By his estimation only titles like the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal have figured out how to cross the digital divide to stay viable.

What made newspapers successful and why I loved them so much was the local connection. There is very little in common between the business model for the Wall Street Journal and the Hendricks County Flyer. That local connection for content; advertising and editorial are the lifeblood of hometown newspapers. Pick up any newspaper today and count the number of display ads. Many days, you might be able to count them all on your fingers. Too often, you’ll see an entire section of a newspaper with no ads; often times it is the sports section.

Maybe the passing of this newspaper isn’t a big deal. After all, 1,400 other cities and towns across the country have experienced the same thing in the past 15 years, according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by the University of North Carolina. But it is for all the stories that won’t be told now, the picture not taken and published and the government not being watched over to make sure they are taking care of tax payer money properly.

Thank you Hendricks County Flyer for all you did for me and several friends of mine. You will be missed.

Bringing customer service back into focus for businesses

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The shuttle bus was cruising along from the long term parking lot towards the airport. Everyone was excited to get going on a vacation to Florida and warmer weather.

We had made the decision to park our cars at a nearby lot instead of on the airport property itself. It seemed like a no-brainer idea; slightly less expensive and the promise of great customer service. And in all fairness, the company delivered on both price and customer experience so I suspect I’ll use them again.

Looking back though, I still have to laugh about the drive to the airport. The bus driver had been given very specific talking points to help pass the time and to reemphasize the excellent customer service we were receiving. As he drove along you could almost see him checking off all the talking points he’s required to tell us.

1. Remind them where the shuttle will pick them up, and how frequently those shuttles arrive

2. Tell the guest about the website for the company and the customer loyalty program

3. Inform them about the free bottle of water that will await them on our return trip

As he was speeding towards the airport, he breaks from the script to tell us that there is a bad pothole that we are about to come upon, so be aware. He even did a mini-countdown to impact. At first I was pretty impressed with this guy and his devotion to the customer experience as I expected him to slow down and ease across the hole in the road. Oh no, not at all. We took it at full speed. And then moments later he informed us that we had another pothole ahead that was actually worse than the first. And again a countdown until impact. He was correct in his assessment as the entire bus shook as we crossed what felt like a hole to the center of the earth type pothole.

A couple of tooth-rattling potholes didn’t ruin my customer experience. But it did illustrate to me something that I think happens frequently in businesses when it comes to customer service and customer experiences. The employee had the training and clearly took it to heart. The driver felt, I’m sure, like he was the bright face for the company and its mission to be very customer friendly. And I would agree.

But companies, managers and employees don’t always show as much adaptability as they should when it comes to customer service. The driver was aware of the potholes and did a great job of informing us about them, yet did nothing to prevent the outcome which was all the customers being jolted with the impact of the bus hitting them.

Many businesses will preach their customer service system to employees as well as make sure its customers are aware of them. Walgreens used to print their philosophies on the back of their receipts. Every Hampton Inn still makes the 100% satisfaction guarantee sign hanging in every lobby. Yet with Walgreens, Hampton Inn and others I’ve had experiences that didn’t meet this philosophical goal. Often times the reason the resolution wasn’t complete is because of complacency by the front line employee or manager that backs them up. Like that pothole, the employees might see the problem coming but are doing very little to prevent it from being hit, or at least lessening the impact.

Customer service is a tough pillar to prop up in the business world today. Most people understand its value, but don’t have the staffing or the training time to implement it. The companies that are still making it a high priority are the ones that are gaining market share and increasing their profits more so than their competitors.

Perhaps no where is the struggle for customer service more on display than in the restaurant business. Liz Biro from the Indianapolis Star did an interesting article on the struggles for customer service in the industry in Central Indianahttps://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/dining/2019/04/23/why-restaurant-customer-service-getting-worse-indianapolis/1224733002/. Low unemployment rates have allowed servers and staff at restaurants the opportunity to jump ship for more money, shorter commutes to work or better hours, which leaves the restaurant in a lurk and customers often times displeased. It only takes one bad experience for most people to leave a brand that they love. That is true in the restaurant business, and every other business for that matter.

The very best products and all of the marketing dollars in the world can’t fix a business that is consistently missing on customer service. As an employee or manager, if you see the pothole ahead, not only alert the customer but figure out a way around the hole.