I posted the other day about this being a great time to consider whether any of your business policies and touch points aggravate your customers, and if so fix them. I included a PS saying we know we’re not perfect, and "if you reckon this is the pot calling the kettle black, please leave a comment or email us". I was glad I did because Mark went to some trouble to leave a lengthy comment detailing his frustration with us. My point here is not so much to talk about his particular issues (we've been in touch, of course, and we  pretty much have to take what he says on the chin, and fix the To View More >>

Johannes wrote a post last week about a restaurant going the extra mile, but in the wrong direction. I thought it was real food for thought ... so to speak. Justine pasted it on DWF and people got the point. But Adrienne reckoned it was a bit harsh – didn't the restaurant deserve marks for trying? Absolutely, and I'm sure Johannes was out to make a point rather than beat up on them. But... It's a harsh world. Your customers probably don't care how hard you try, whether you can make payroll, how much you like oysters. Sometimes the toughest thing about being in business is that you can't make To View More >>

I was upsold to in the weekend and didn't even know it. Now that I do though, I'm ok with it. Over the last few weeks my fiancee and I have been looking out wedding bands for us both. We'd again done our homework, been put off by another raft of useless sales people and ended up where we always knew we would, with the same jeweller I'd bought her engagement ring from. I blogged about that experience a while back. An hour later I walked out of the shop with a quote for a wedding band thicker, wider, with a bigger diamond and in higher quality gold than I'd gone in thinking I wanted. Kayla made To View More >>

This clip is from Mad Men, the US TV series about '60s-era Madison Ave ad-men. The guys are planning the launch of the Kodak Carousel. Watch 'em weep. It's not the about the technology, it's not about "new", it's about...  what drives your business. Cheers, Ian To View More >>

I have to say this. That leather is beautiful. Well I certainly think so. It's is part of our new contemporary range, specially made for us. Heather and I were lucky enough to visit the tannery in Europe last month and we were very impressed. So much individual attention to every hide, from the initial inspection and grading (by four very serious men) through to the final finishing processes and packaging. Not to mention their environmental commitment,  and even the way they engaged personally with us. We visited our paper suppliers too. Same story. Great people, great product, high standards. To View More >>