The home improvement store was fantastic when it first started. People that worked there knew all of the projects people work on and could help you with all of the tools and tips you’d need. Then eventually, those experienced people left and were replaced with people who knew where stock was located, but that’s it. So, I was delighted on a recent visit when an employee walked up and asked me if he could help. I explained what I was doing and he gave me several tips I hadn’t even considered. Then grabbed another product for me that I needed. I walked away delighted. And with everything I needed.

Experience in any business makes a huge difference in how well problems get solved. And it makes a big difference in customer service when people come with problems they are looking for the business to solve.

How are you thinking about experience when you hire?

When the local grocery store was purchased, their ads changed. Historically, pictures of the product and the sale price were listed. Just the facts. Now, the use or medicinal properties are shared. Oranges are touted as being a good source of vitamin C.  Avocados are great for spreading on toast. But most shoppers already know that.

People look for unique perspectives or the specific information they are looking for. They don’t want to hear what they already know. And that’s the challenge for businesses. Providing useful or thought provoking information.

One of the local high schools recently held a plant sale. The kids learned how to grow plants from seed and sold the starts as a fundraiser. Upon arriving, I was greeted by one of the students who escorted me through the greenhouse. He showed me where each item I was looking for was located, put my selections in a box, escorted me to the check out, then put the plants in my car. The service was fantastic! I was so impressed, I shared the experience with family and friends.

Creating raving fans is easy to do. And it starts with amazing customer service.

How are you creating amazing customer service in your business?

The local grocery store was acquired a few weeks ago. And all the expected changes are underway. Will they kill the business? Time will tell. The store never sold farm raised fish before. Now it does. It never used to sell canned goods with lots of things that can’t be pronounced. Now it does. The produce section was extensive and turned over rapidly so everything was really fresh. That seems to be changing too.

People shopped there because the store did the work for them.

That’s the thing in business. Customers choose to spend their money in places where they see value. Where their needs are being met. When those conditions change, the customer base changes. It’s up to leadership and owners to decide whether the outcomes of the changes are the ones they desire.

A massive development is going in on the major road to the freeway. The project is developing an area that was previously undeveloped, requiring all sorts of new infrastructure. As part of the development, the road completely closes for 15 minutes, cars are let through then it closes again. If you hit the closures wrong, you’ll spend 30 minutes waiting for each back and forth trip.

The county doesn’t consider the road closed, so detour signs are not placed out, nor are signs about intermittent closures. One time while I was waiting, they explained all the rules as to why they can’t notify people of the closure, allowing them to take a detour.

The situation is a classic example of how bureaucracy gets in the way of providing solutions. The same can be found in businesses. Rules exist that make doing the job harder and less efficient, or provide lots of friction points for customers.

Is bureaucracy getting in the way of solutions in your business? If so, what is stopping you from getting rid of it?

This past weekend marked the annual spring forward an hour. Along with that leap comes the ritual of adjusting any clock that does not adjust itself. For me, one of those is in my car. For some strange reason, my car has two clocks. One of which is very easy to adjust. The other, I’ve not been able to figure out after reading the manual and looking online. So, for part of the year, it is off an hour.

The funny thing about my car is it illustrates the spectrum of user friendliness. On the one end, a product that is easy to use without any instruction manual. On the other, so difficult that even with a manual, it is difficult to operate.

Which end of the spectrum are your products?

After an inch or two of snow, the weather was cold enough to keep the snow from melting for about a week. Which led birds to find food a different way.  The birds, that are not normally visible, were everywhere and nipping off the buds that were just emerging. They just moved through each limb, removing every single bud. Nothing was left.

In business, cutting off the new growth in every single part of business can stop new products or services from reaching their potential. The most successful businesses have a place where ideas can germinate and grow. They know that is the lifeblood of their business.

How are you making sure you have a place for ideas to grow?

The last few days have been so foggy, the sun was not able to burn through. Today was different. The sun was bright and shiny against a brilliant, blue background, which made for a lovely drive to my favorite hiking place. In the distance, the clouds were so thick, they obscured the mountains. But that was in the distance.

As I started my hike, the sun streamed through the trees. The water, the green of the trees, the sun and the blue sky all played against each other in a beautiful way. But as my hike proceeded, the fog rolled back in and dulled the brilliant colors against a grey background. The window closed.

In business, the same happens. We see things on the horizon. Sometimes they come to pass and other times they don’t. Knowing when the window is open and when it will close is the key to success. How good are you at predicting when the window is open and when it will close?