Chris Mann

No Compromises: Promoting, Supporting, and Living Your Mission Statement

By chris.mann | Published: January 17, 2012
I always have an eye on the competition. I don’t obsess over them, but I try to make myself aware of what they’re doing, how they price, and what they’re promoting. One thing that never fails to surprise me is how often they lose focus of who they are. I’m in the spa business—not pools and hot tubs, but the rub-you-down and make-you-relax kind of spa—and recently I saw two things with competitors that literally made me laugh out loud.
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How to Deal with Challenging Customers

By chris.mann | Published: December 13, 2011
One of the first things my life coach taught me was that there are no problems…only challenges. When the word problem is replaced with challenge, it evokes an instant yearning to rise to the occasion and conquer it. Like actually strapping on boots and climbing a mountain instead of just looking at it and thinking, “Wow, I can’t climb that!”
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Customer (Over) Service

By chris.mann | Published: July 5, 2011
Recently I’ve begun to experience something I like to call customer "over" service. It’s a rare monster to encounter, but when you come face to face with it, you’ll immediately know.
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The Double Platinum Rule: Taking Customer Service to the Next Level (or Two!)

By chris.mann | Published: May 31, 2011
Let me start by confessing that I’ve “borrowed” the idea for this blog from a guy named Bryan K. Williams who did a stint at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company and now does customer service consulting and seminars. I believe that his Double Platinum rule should be engraved in a granite plaque and placed in the break room of every company that places any importance on customer service.
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No More Mediocrity: Over-Deliver for your Customers

By chris.mann | Published: August 5, 2010
Zappos.com is a notoriously customer-centric company. Recently they received some great press when one of their affiliate sites had a [...]
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Putting the Customer Back in Customer Service

By chris.mann | Published: July 15, 2010
It boggles my mind how little most businesses care about their customers. It’s sad. “Do what’s right” has been replaced by “Do what’s right…for the company.” If only companies would realize that doing right for their customer IS what’s right for the company.
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