Two years ago, I bought a new refrigerator. The old one had been around for 13 years until a design flaw finally caught up. The repairman said he could fix it, but the problem would resurface. I’d be better off buying a new one. Then he suggested not getting one with all the bells and whistles because the more options, the more opportunities to break. So I wasn’t surprised when I started receiving notices for extended warranty plans that are pretty expensive. A signal that after two years, things will start breaking.

The situation presented an interesting question. What are the expectations of people today about how long products will last? And are businesses making products that meet those expectations? How do you make that evaluation in your business?

The trash pickup was missed. Somehow the truck just missed going through the entire subdivision. When I called, the person I spoke with explained I could just leave extra on the side the following week at no extra charge. Then proceeded to ask me if I wanted to pay the bill that wasn’t due for two weeks.

The challenge with a one size fits all script is it leaves customers confused or angry and puts the employee in an awkward situation. And it results in more time spent because all of the steps must be accomplished. Or more time is spent because the issue isn’t being resolved. The best results come when people are hired who can resolve issues and they are empowered to do so.

How are you ditching the script and resolving issues in your business?

A few weeks ago, I went to buy a few clothes for an upcoming trip. The woman checking me out was a delight! She was friendly, shared how excited she was that her mom was coming to visit and all of the amazing things coming up. We had a great conversation. My last impression leaving the store. And I left delighted with the experience.

It’s amazing how those brief experiences color our views of  who we do business with. How are you designing customer experiences? And what impression do you want to leave?

Fall is here, even though the weather seems to be telling a different story. So I decided to see if my strawberry patch was working to produce fall strawberries. Nestled in the middle of the leaves was a frog, just larger than a thumbnail, sitting on a leaf in the middle of the patch. Given its color and size, it blended in so well that it would have been easy to miss if not looking closely.

There are times blending in makes sense. When trying to avoid danger. Or in a chorus line. Or a band or orchestra. In those cases, pulling focus is a bad thing. But when selling a product or service, standing out makes the difference between getting lost in the background or having a bumper year.

Are you trying to blend in or stand out?

“Which did you like best?” That was the question posed to me at the end of a wine tasting over the weekend. It’s a typical sales question that’s designed to engage in conversation that results in a sale.

But what’s best is not how I think about most things. Rather, I think about what is the best fit for this situation? And that’s how I responded. I like different wines for different occasions. Some just fit better based on preferences of the group, food or the occasion.

The same happens in business. There are people, systems, locations, etc. that are a really good fit under certain conditions and not others. So, it isn’t always about which you like best. The best decisions are focused on which is the best fit.