Strategic Discipline Blog

Thales Teixeria, author of Unlocking the Customer Value Chain shared this “Did You Know” slide.

Costco: Costco makes a profit entirely due to its membership fees.

Grocery stores: Supermarkets get more profit % from brands who buy shelf space and cap ends than they do from the products they sell.

P&C insurance: Pay $100 per click yet still feel they get an efficient ROI!

FedEx: Has very slim margins. FedEx absolutely, positively must have systems that work consistently.  One phone call complaint, eliminates Profit!

Apple: Like Dell Computers Apple receives your payment before paying for the parts to make your iPhone.

RyanAir: A $15 international plane ticket is profitable because RyanAir makes so much on upgrades from passengers.

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Topics: customer satisfaction metrics, Unlocking the Customer Value Chain, Thales Teixeira, Innovation-Customer Needs Alignment, Metronome's Tip Top Business Growth Summit 2023, Decoupling

It wasn’t long ago when speed of delivery wasn’t expected to be next day.

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Topics: Customer Feedback, Net Promoter Score, customer satisfaction metrics, customer loyalty, Fred Reichheld, Customer Satisfaction

In October of 2008, I wrote a blog Even in a difficult economy Customer Service can Make a Difference! My car wash customer was looking to improve his business during the summer, due to skyrocketing gas prices. The solution: measure customer satisfaction. Autopia Car Wash in California was one of the first customers I shared Fred Reichheld’s Ultimate question, Net Promoter Score (NPS).

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Topics: Good to Great, customer survey, Net Promoter Score, customer satisfaction metrics, Jim Collins, customer loyalty, Fred Reichheld, Winning on Purpose

A customer complaint is a good thing.  It means you know that you need do to something for improvement.

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Topics: Customer Feedback, Net Promoter Score, employee engagement, customer service, customer satisfaction metrics, Qualitative Customer Feedback, customer loyalty

Discovered a great customer experience recently?  When and how were you sure?

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Topics: employee engagement, customer service, customer satisfaction metrics, Q12, customer loyalty, Gallup's Q12 Employee Engagement Survey

Customer Satisfaction surveys should be part of your company’s regimented discipline to stay in touch with evolving customer relations.  With respect to customers, Gazelles/Rockefeller Habits coaches like Positioning Systems suggest your business have your top line leadership team calling one or more of your customers a week to conduct a personal survey of four questions to stay in close contact with your customers and then report this information as part of your weekly meeting rhythms.

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Topics: The Ultimate Question, customer survey, Customer Feedback, Net Promoter Score, customer satisfaction metrics, Customer Advocacy

Discretion at the operating level of your business can absolutely destroy your business!  When you fail to be consistent, customers come away with a different experience every time.  This headline, “Eliminate Discretion at the Operating Level of Your Business” is a mantra from Michael Gerber’s E-Myth, Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. It is the principal of systems at its core.  A starting  point for systems take precedent over people.  (See Topgrading - Was Michael Gerber Wrong)

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Topics: Acute Myeloid Luekemia, E-Myth, People, customer satisfaction metrics, Business Culture, E-Myth Revisited, Eliminate Discretion at the Operating Level of You

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Topics: Customer Feedback, Net Promoter Score, weekly meetings, Strategic Discipline, customer satisfaction metrics

There are a number of components within the inner working of Meetings, Metrics and Priorities to make Strategic Discipline work for your business.  When we begin working with clients at Positioning Systems, any implementation of Strategic Discipline includes customer and employee reporting in the weekly and monthly meeting segments. This is critical due to the importance of pattern recognition and the need for balance in your business metrics and priorities.

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Topics: The Ultimate Question, customer survey, Customer Feedback, Net Promoter Score, weekly meetings, customer satisfaction metrics, measurement

Last week’s newsletter (sign up here) which I publish monthly was How to Link Customer Feedback to Profitability.

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Topics: Net Promoter Score, customer satisfaction metrics, Execution