If you're new here, I just want to say how much I appreciate your dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!

NOTE: To further celebrate our upcoming Anniversary this week (May 1), I’m sharing some of our honeymoon adventures.

Despite the fact that Kauai is absolutely chock-full of remarkably beautiful sights, we still managed to find a few that left us somewhat, er, underwhelmed at best. (Question: I know it’s possible to be overwhelmed, but can one simply be “whelmed”? But I digress.)

Old Russian Fort

For instance; remember that main road I mentioned earlier? Our trusty guidebook (yes, the same one that led us to the infamous Barking Sands) mentioned that somewhere on the southwest part of Kauai was an old Russian fort; the only one in Hawaii. Well, this seemed worth visiting, so we headed on over.

Off the main road, we discovered a sign confirming our arrival. There was nothing else in sight except a small parking area, in which ours was the only car. Hmmm… obviously not exactly a tourist hotspot, but what the hey.

Although there were no directions, a rough path lead us toward a clump of low trees and overgrown vegetation. After walking for about 5 minutes or so, we found ourselves surrounded by low, heavily weed-covered mounds. Within another few minutes, we came across a sign detailing the history of the fort, and it was then we realized we had been walking right through the middle of it!

I mean, c’mon! Granted, it’s a genuine chapter in Hawaii’s history, but in the condition it’s in, it’s not exactly exciting, you know? In fact, the only reason we remember it at all is the actuality was so much less than promised!

Spaulding Monument

One of the things we discovered on Kauai, and was later confirmed during our stay on Aruba, is that when you’re on a small island, there are only so many things worth looking at. Although Kauai is seven times larger than Aruba (552 square miles vs. 75), only a small part of it is easily accessible by car (the island is basically one big, and luckily extinct, volcano). So we ended up with little more than the same area to explore. (Besides, since we were on our honeymoon, I had no desire to try more physical means of exploration, such as hiking, etc.; I mean, you understand, don’t you?)

Anyhoo, it got to the point where we were almost desperately searching for something new to see. Therefore, every time we found a road we hadn’t explored yet, we just pointed the car and went.

Well, this one time, the road we picked at random (the ocean was the other direction, so at least we knew there wouldn’t be a big wet surprise at the end of it!) seemed to just go on and on. For several miles at least, we drove down this dirt road seeing nothing but cane fields on either side. And, just to make things more interesting, the cane was so tall and dense (at least 8-9 feet) there were no landmarks, either. It was like an endless, roofless green tunnel.

Every so often, we looked at each other and asked ourselves, “Keep going, or turn around?” However, the spirit of adventure still being present, we kept going. Finally, we came upon a small sign that read: “Spalding Monument” with an arrow that pointed ahead. This struck us both as kinda funny, since there was clearly nowhere to go but straight ahead.

After a few more minutes (which seemed to take forever), we finally came upon a split in the road. There was a small cleared space in the “Y” that had a low, stone and concrete “thing” on it. “Aha!” we thought; “at last, the famous Spalding Monument!”

Well, once again, the promise, such as it was, was somewhat, er, less than expected. It turned out this particular monument had been erected by a former cane plantation owner to himself! Ah well, at least there was a great view, the cane having receded enough at this point.

Oh, well. All I can say is, if you ever visit Kauai, don’t bother with either of these two spots. I’m just sayin’.

Promises, Promises

So what can one learn from this, anyway? Well (and you no doubt knew this was coming), allow me to point out something.

Here’s the thing. When you make a promise, you need to make sure the promise is what it seems to be. By that, I mean make sure the recipient gets what he or she thinks they’re going to get. Notice, now; this is a little different from the statement, make sure the recipient gets what you promised.

Why the distinction? Well, you have to remember; perception is critical, especially when it comes to promises. That first statement is from the recipient’s point of view, while the second one is from yours. Here’s the question: Which one is more important?

I’ll leave you to make whatever application you want here, but suffice it to say, it’s important to make sure what they hear is what you meant to say.

See, when we saw something mentioned in the guidebook, we naturally assumed it would be actually something worth seeing. I mean, who wouldn’t? Thus, an implied promise was made. But, when we arrived, the result was disappointing at best. Although neither the book nor the signs made explicit promises (come see the stupendous Old Russian Fort! Thrill to the sight of the Spalding Monument!), in our minds there was at least a promise of value, so to speak.

The result is, of course, disappointment. Interesting, don’t you think, that those disappointments are still well-remembered, even 26 years later?

_____________________

For our other Hawaiian Honeymoon adventures, see:

Hawaiian Honeymoon, Part 1: Dignity; Always Dignity

Hawaiian Honeymoon, Part 2: When Skies Are Grey

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Bwa-ha-ha-ha! I bet you thought this was going to be a tutorial on the basics of Feedburner, didn’t you? Well, sorry ‘bout that, but I just couldn’t resist the title.

Hey, check it out! For the first time, Middle Zone Musings hit triple digits (on Wednesday, April 16, 2008) in the Feedburner gizmo thingie over there in the sidebar! (Sound of audience cheering wildly; cue the fireworks; cue the band; and hey - where’s that red carpet?)

Now, I realize this may seem small potatoes (or is that ‘pot-ah-toes’?) to many of you out there in Bloggerville. I mean, there’s still a ways to go to get close to ruling the world the numbers Darren Rowse pulls in (46,557 last time I checked). But what the hey; it’s a milestone on the way!

Gee, and it seems like only yesterday when I first installed it (showing, by the way, a grand total of 4 readers). Yep; I was just a young whipper-snapper of a blogger back then, still pretty wet behind the ears. Well, we sure have come a long way together since then, haven’t we?

Hmmm… After 22 months, that comes out to about, uh… let’s see now… multiply by 16… carry the 92… er, what’s the square root of pi again? (Hold on, y’all; I’m gonna hafta take my shoes and socks off for this one…) Wow! That’s an increase of about 2500%! (Give or take a percent or two.) Not too shabby when you look at it that way, eh?

Anyhoo, I just wanted to thank all y’all out there who made it possible. I mean, without you folks, I’d be just another lonely ol’ cowboy, woofin’ it into the breeze, if you know what I mean. So I want to say thanks for stopping by… and especially for stickin’ around!

Although there’s not enough time in the day to possibly thank everyone (much as I’d like to) who’s had a part in making the Middle Zone a great place to spend time each day, I’d still like to mention a few particularly special folks:

• Amy Palko
• Brad Shorr
• Ellen Weber
• GL Hoffman
• Jackie Cameron
• Jean Browman
• Jeanne Dininni
• Joanna Young
• Karen Hanrahan
• Karin H
• Laura Spencer
• Lillie Ammann
• Liz Strauss
• Mike DeWitt
• Pete Aldin
• Robyn McMaster
• Sam Brougher
• Sterling Camden
• Terry Starbucker
• Trevor Hampel
• William Tully
• Yvonne Russell

Thanks, y’all; you really make me feel special! And of course, no MZM “thank you” would be complete without a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Actually, this post serves as something of a Public Service Announcement. (You know, one of those things you see on TV or hear on the radio where people or organizations publicly demonstrate they’re watching out for your welfare.)

So consider this post as fair warning: You folks up in the Chicago area (laughingly known to us Texans as “the frozen north”) - well, you’d better hide the silverware! Yep, that’s right; I’m on my way to Chicago on May 2 for the Next Big Thing - SOBCon08 (sound of women and children screaming in fear crowd cheering)!

Liz Strauss, Terry Starbucker, and the whole gang have really gone all-out to make this year’s edition of SOBCon a huge success, and believe you me, it shows! Dubbed as a “Biz School for Bloggers”, it promises to once again be the keystone event of the year:

Whether for love or money, if you blog for readers or community, you’re in the business of blogging. This conference can help you achieve your goals, faster with more confidence, and more predictably.

I must admit, I spent a lot of time trying to decide whether or not SOBCon08 was right for me or not. After all, the Middle Zone isn’t a business (it’s really more of a state of mind), and I don’t monetize it in any way, shape or form - other than the priceless currency of your readership and good fellowship. But that’s not really what caused me to hesitate.

To tell you the truth, I didn’t understand the value proposition. I mean, when you get right down to it, what is it about SOBCon08 that justifies the not insignificant cost? To put it bluntly, what’s in it for me? (C’mon, admit it; if you’re still unsure about going then you’re probably thinking the same thing.) Naturally, being the pragmatic fellow that I am, I started to wonder - just what are the benefits?

After all, even though I don’t monetize the Middle Zone, that doesn’t mean I won’t try to make money from blogging someday, right? After all, as more and more businesses turn to blogging to get closer to their customers (and quite a few other reasons), the chances are pretty good that I’ll need to better understand the business of blogging, right? Besides, we’re not necessarily talking here about hard cash, you know.

So, if you’re like me (and if you are, I offer my sincere condolences), in no particular order allow me to count the ways…

Knowledge - Like I said, knowing how to do something is never a bad thing, even if you don’t actually, you know, do it. Besides, you never know when you might be able to synthesize that knowledge into some other endeavor, right? Like my old scoutmaster always used to say, “Be prepared.”

Ideas - There’s nothing like being with a large, like-minded (yet still diverse) group of folks to stir up the ol’ creative juices! Not only will you get to hear from 200+ others, at some point we’ll be working in teams to help each other build business plans, action plans, and maybe plain old share an idea or two - whacky or otherwise - that could be useful to us and our customers. This could be worth the price of admission all by itself.

Relationships - It’s a chance to meet up with the folks we may only know electronically. At the last SOBCon, I was still relatively new at it, and didn’t really know too many people. Since then, however, I’ve forged some wonderful relationships - many of whom (or is it who?) will actually be there too. What a great way to strengthen the bonds of friendship! For me, this is probably the biggest immediate benefit. But who knows where it can lead?

Show Off - I know this sounds a bit odd, but the fact is, many of us have grown considerably during the last year. Hey, here’s a chance to demonstrate your own expertise. C’mon; take a bow, why don’t you - there’s nothing wrong with that! After all, we make money off our expertise every day, right? Besides, it gives the rest of us a chance to celebrate and encourage each other, too.

Networking - I’m tellin’ ya, ever since I realized the value of networking for life, I’ve tried never to miss the opportunity. Although in person I tend to be rather shy and retiring (no, really!), it’s something I’ve made myself do because, well, we all benefit from knowing as many people as possible. And I don’t mean just their names, either.

Hey, there’s plenty more than these few things I just listed, but I didn’t want to hog ‘em all. If you’re still sittin’ on the fence, though - well Bubba, why not take a moment to consider these five thoughts. Heck, add your own reasons, why don’cha!

I can tell you this - SOBCon08 promises to add up to one exciting event! Do yourself a favor and drop by the site and sign up. Hey, if you do decide to come, then by all means, drop me a note and let me know. And be sure and tap me on the shoulder (just look for the hat); I’d be downright honored to meet you. I’ll be staying at the Hotel 71 around the corner, so I’ll be close by.

In the meantime, to you folks in Chicago… like I said, you’d better hide the silverware!

See ya!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Have you ever been on the phone with someone when they suddenly and inexplicably… just stopped talking? Not like a cell phone, when you (supposedly or for real) get cut off due to signal loss. No, I mean the connection is still there, but it’s like they dropped the phone without hanging up.

Well, ironically enough, that very thing happened to me once when I was out of town on a short, 6-week assignment. See, there was this refinery client in California who needed these special, um, things (never mind what they were) manufactured by a particular vendor in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Now, normally this isn’t a big deal. In this case, however, these… things… were so critical that it was deemed worth the expense to have someone (like yours truly) actually go to their facility and check the finished dimensions as they were built. That way, when they got to the field, there wouldn’t be any worries about ‘fit’ during construction, right? It should all go together like a giant Lego set.

The challenge, though, was the, er, things were being designed almost simultaneously with being built, which necessitated a considerable amount of communication between my boss back in Houston and me. No problem there; we had a good relationship, and I had been loaded down with drawings, etc. before leaving the office.

Anyhoo, one fine morning I was on the phone with my boss, smack in the middle of discussing a potential change to one of the drawings, when I suddenly noticed I had pretty much been talking to myself for about a minute or two. I stopped, called his name on the phone a few times, but didn’t hear anything except distant, sortof random noises. What the heck?

Finally, I hung up and called back. Nope; nothin’. I tried again; now all I got was a busy signal. (This was back in prehistoric times - before cell phones.) I tried a few other office numbers that I knew were nearby, then other friends I knew in other parts of the building. Still nothin’ but busy signals - only now it seemed like it was the whole doggone office! I really started to wonder, how could the ALL be busy? The rest of the day I kept trying, to no avail.

All kinds of things started going through my mind about this time. Had there been a run on the donut cart? Had there been a fire? Was Houston being attacked by Godzilla? I mean, what could it be? I finally went home that day, still completely mystified.

The next day I tried again, but there were still no answers. Finally, the following day I received a call about midmorning - it was my boss! Hallelujah! I no longer had to play “Lone Stranger” with the client, pretending everything was still peachy-keen.

Ironically enough, my guesses hadn’t been too far off. It turned out there had been a sudden and very strong storm passing through Houston at the time, and along with it, record-setting winds (some were recorded at nearly tornado-strength!), particularly in the downtown area where the office was located.

See, our building was one of those that have an outer layer of big glass panes, right? Well, my bosses’ office happened to be in the corner of the 16^th floor, and it just so happened that as we were talking, the wind suddenly ripped one of those panes right off the building - quickly followed by just about every loose piece of paper in the vicinity! Yikes! Holy Cow! Not to mention Whooo-eey!

What would you do? Well, while this was going on, my boss, an experienced Vietnam Vet, dropped the phone and was under the desk in less than a heartbeat (he was very proud of those cat-like reflexes he’d developed while ‘in country’), clinging to the metal supports for dear life.

Hey, I’m not ashamed to admit that, under the circumstances, I’d have done the very same thing (with the possible addition of screaming like a girl). I mean, it’s not everyday you get an up close and personal encounter with an almost-tornado!

It had taken the building crew a couple of days to restore power and put a big piece of plywood over the opening, and finally work resumed. But for a couple of days it was pretty messy. Ah, well, at least everyone was all right; no permanent damage done.

Although my boss did move to another desk away from the windows.

Hello? Hello? Are You Still There?

It occurs to me this is something we do with each other, too. Are there friends, acquaintances or contacts you used to keep in touch with on a regular or semi-regular basis - but now you don’t?

I’m sorry to say over the years I’ve been the worlds worst at keeping in touch. Oh, I’ve had good reasons, mind you. After all, we’ve moved quite a bit over the years, plus there’s the inevitable “out of sight, out of mind” thing, too. Sadly, some folks who were once close to me are no longer even on my radar screen anymore.

The unfortunate results? Well, although it took a while for me to see it (since I’m apparently something of a slow learner), I’ve found my own life is somewhat, well, smaller now than it could’ve been. The addition of my friends’ insights, their friendship, even their laughter - well, it’s simply missing. And even worse, now that I’ve (finally!) noticed the loss, it’s anywhere from difficult to downright impossible to reestablish the connection. I mean, they’ve moved on, too - and who could blame them?

All I can say is, it doesn’t have to be that way. With today’s technology, there are plenty of ways to find people you once knew. Facebook, LinkedIn, and any number of other social networking sites are surprisingly good at that. Even using Google, if their name is unique enough, can be useful. (For instance, as far as I’ve been able to tell, when you Google “Robert Hruzek” you’ll find that, like Tigger, I’m the only one. Maybe that’s why I feel a special kinship with the furry little critter.)

All I can say is, I wish that I had been better at it keeping in touch; I really miss those folks sometimes.

Take a lesson from someone who knows (albeit a bit late). Take the time to keep those connections alive. I mean, you never know; you might just need them one day!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

When it comes to gathering information, what is it that makes you trust a particular source? How do you know you can count on the information you receive?

To help me get started on the right foot (since I’m, you know, right-handed) with my shiny new career as a consultant, I asked a couple of friends of mine to help me out with applicable tips, thoughts, material, etc. worth looking into.

My buddy Dennis sent me a short reading list, and one of the books, Strategy and the Fat Smoker: Doing What’s Obvious But Not Easy, is a new release by a gentleman named David Maister. As I was perusing the (ridiculously long) Amazon page, scrolling down… and down… and still down… I finally ran across the “customer reviews” section.

In light of the many recent “fake customer” scandals, I tend to approach these things with something of a grain of salt (not to mention the shaker and the entire salt mine with it). I mean, who are these people, anyway? And why should I listen to them? Are they even real? How do I know? Or can I? And what about Mary Lou?

It’s like that annual Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes. How do you know those are real people? Surely you’ve had the same thoughts at least occasionally pass by your brain, right? (And yes, I know; don’t call you Shirley.)

When it comes to information sources, I must admit I tend to be from, well, Missouri rather than Texas. (Ed. Note: for those who might not be familiar with it, the colloquialism, I’m from Missouri – when not referring to the actual U.S. State, that is – is an Americanism that means Color me skeptical, or perhaps, Go ahead, Bubba; prove it to me.)

Anyway, as I started reading these supposed “Customer Reviews”, I stopped dead in my tracks (sound of me screeching to a halt) when I actually recognized one of the reviewers as none other than my Spooky friend Mike DeWitt! Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather (sound of me, being knocked over with a feather)!

But it’s what happened internally that’s the most interesting. Suddenly my attitude about the book changed completely (sound of attitude being, er, changed). In an instant, I went from “Hmmm… I wonder if this book is really all that,” to, “Hey, if he thinks this is a good book, then it must actually be a good book!”

(Note: No disparagement against Dennis’ opinion; I was already predisposed toward it from his opinion alone. But now I had TWO recommendations!)

So what made the difference? Why would I choose to accept what was being said about the book from Mike – and why I accepted Dennis’ opinion? The difference, my fine feathered friends, is my relationship to the source of the information! Because I know (and trust) the provider of the information, I can therefore trust the information.

As I thought about this a bit more (sound of grinding gears), I realized there are several ramifications to this line of thought.

Trust Should Be Uncommon

At first blush, this sounds like a rather cynical statement. Please hear me out.

We all know people we kindly refer to as “too trusting”, right? So what’s the problem with that? The problem, as you well know, is that when people trust everything, then they are easily fooled into believing anything.

You don’t need a PhD to know that such an attitude can lead to serious consequences. Ever received an email from someone you don’t know about a large sum of money hidden in a bank in Nigeria and just “waiting for you to send your bank account number…”? The prosecution rests.

No; trust should be reserved for something (or someone) special. And may I also add that the degree of trust is important, too. After all, that’s part of what makes trust such a special quality, right?

The Key to Trust is Relationship

If we trust a particular source, friend, company, bank, etc. it’s essential we have a relationship with the object of that trust. There’s just no way around it. You have to be familiar enough with what or who you are trusting to be comfortable with the level of trust you’ve assigned to it.

That’s why I have to snort (which is particularly messy when drinking a beverage at the same time) when I hear TV commercials assure me I can “Listen to Channel Blah News; with (name of Talking Head here), the trusted source for your information needs.”

I mean, c’mon! You have no actual relationship with this person, do you? How can you possibly trust them? How can you know that what you hear is actually the truth? Or the whole truth, for that matter. (Luckily, these days we have a vast resource called the Internet, filled with people who only print the *ahem* truth.)

I guess what comes to mind is the fact that in America, this is a Presidential election year. Having survived many such fun-fests over the years, especially the last three or four, it’s only fair to warn you that trust in your information sources is going to be more and more crucial.

(Perhaps you may recall a certain prominent newscaster who’s still battling the consequences of the loss of trust that occurred during the last Presidential election season. Talk about going down in flames!)

The Key to Relationships is Trust

All right, perhaps this sounds like a contradiction (sorta like the old chicken and egg question - which came first?). But I assure you, it’s not (go ahead; say those last two words three times really fast!)

Hopefully, though, you’ll come to realize the truth. Any relationship, if it’s to become a deeper and more fulfilling one, has to have trust as a foundation. But that implies that trust comes first. Or does the relationship come first, before you can start trusting? Hmmm… sorta brings to mind the chicken and the egg question, doesn’t it? (For which, by the way, I have the correct answer.)

So how can this be, you ask? Well, for what it’s worth, here’s what I think.

Trust and relationship are actually two sides of the same coin. If you’ll think about it, you’ll realize you can’t have one without the other. Thus, they must be different aspects (or manifestations, if you will) of the same thing.

Go ahead; try it for yourself. Try to develop a relationship without trust. Can it work without first trusting them to some extent? (And bear in mind, I’m talking about a relationship, not just a surface acquaintance. You know the difference.)

So what’s your opinion? Think I’m on the right track? Or, has my train of thought derailed itself, fallen off the Bridge of Reason, and crashed in Crackpot Gulch, exploding into an expanding ball of superheated steam?

(You might want to also read this related post: Consider the Source)

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Have you ever found yourself vehemently defending your position (doesn’t matter what about) – only to later discover you were completely and totally in the wrong? Yep, thought so. I tell ya, there’s nothing quite like that egg-on-your-face feeling to really make your day, is there?

Small Change

You know those little machines you see at grocery store checkouts, the ones that automatically dispense exact change? Well, it happened quite a while back, but I still recall this one time when I made a purchase, handed the guy a $20 bill, the cashier counted out my remaining bills – but no coins came out of the change machine.

I waited a second or two, then turned to him and said, “Hey, where’s the rest of my change?”

He looked at me kinda funny for a moment and responded with something like, “But you already got it.”

It kinda caught me off guard. I had done no such thing! I was so surprised I indignantly replied, “No, I didn’t!” I mean, the nerve of the guy! I quickly got angry enough that I was determined to hold my ground. What was this guy trying to pull, anyway? After all, it wasn’t about the money (less than a dollar), it’s the principle of the thing, right?

Well, we somewhat intensely went back and forth for a bit (no shouting – it was just… intense), but he finally turned to his change drawer and counted out the correct change. He didn’t exactly slam it on the counter – but it was close. All the while I’m thinking triumphantly to myself, Man, this guy’s a real piece of work! What’s his problem?

Finally, satisfied that Justice (along with, you know, Truth and the American Way) had prevailed, I grabbed my bag of junk food (hey, I was still single at the time), slid the change into my hand, and headed for the car.

While walking across the parking lot, however, I put my hand into my pocket to deposit my hard-won change and, um… well, you remember what I said earlier about egg-on-your-face?

Yep, you guessed it! There, nestled in my pocket like a big ol’ greasy omelet, was the missing change!

I was so taken aback (which is an Eastern European expression that loosely translates to Well, whack me up the side of the head and call me gonzo!) that my feet simply stopped in their tracks. (Good thing there wasn’t a car bearing down on me at the time!) I was overcome with the inescapable knowledge that I had just made a complete and total fool of myself! (It’s one reason why I think of this as The Chump Change Incident.)

The Moment of Truth

OK, picture yourself as a contestant on Monty Hall’s Let’s Make a Deal (anyone remember that old game show from the ‘60s?). You came dressed as a banana (enduring numerous snide comments from fellow contestants - not to mention various family members) and you’ve made it all the way to the Final Deal.

You finally get a shot at the Grand Prize - there’s nothing left but to choose between two doors. Behind one is an all-expenses-paid cruise around the world plus $10,000 in spending cash. Behind the other one is an old rusted-out 1952 pickup truck filled with garbage.

You have 20 seconds to make your decision, while the entire studio audience is screaming at the top of their lungs at you. Which door do you pick?

Door #1: Turn around. Go back to the cashier, and admit the mistake. Return the change, withstand the glaring looks and the “Aha! I was right all along!” (whether silent or spoken, I knew it would be there). To basically take my medicine and swallow it.

Admittedly this course of action would be a toughie, since it required, you know, swallowing my pride. (Eating crow, as they’d say in East Texas.)

OR…

Door #2: Keep walking. I mean, when you got right down to it, hey, it was only a few cents worth of change, right? After all, the incident was over now. Besides, the cashier would forget about it pretty soon – and so would I. It’s ironic (which as you know is an old Scottish term that means made entirely of iron) that I’m writing about it over 35 years later, don’t you think?)

Besides, after investing so much emotion into just getting the change and establishing my *ahem* Righteousness… hey, it seemed a shame to have to give it all up now.

In other words, take the coward’s way out.

Will The Real Issue Please Stand Up?

You know, making the mistake isn’t even the real issue. I mean, we’ve all had the experience of being absolutely positively sure we were right – but *ulp* weren’t. (And if you don’t think it’s ever happened to you – then, um, this is probably one of those times!)

No, the real issue is this: When the mistake was eventually realized, what did you do about it? Did you face the music and at least make the attempt to set things right (assuming you had the opportunity)? Or did you just let it slide?

Perhaps even more important: What do you think the long-term consequences of your choice were? In other words, what did you learn from the experience? Care to share ‘em with us?

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

I know you often think about keeping your customers happy - and you’re right to do so. But have you ever thought about the opposite?

I mean, do your customers appreciate what you provide so much that they would be willing to sacrifice just so they could stay your customer? Would they be upset if you went out of business?

In the past, it wasn’t unusual for the drafting rooms of a few of the larger engineering firms here in Houston to be basically just drafty old warehouses, or whatever else happened to be available. In fact, the biggest firm (this was many years ago) used an old remodeled aircraft hanger that was affectionately (or disparagingly, depending on your point of view) called The Barn.

Now close your eyes and imagine with me, if you will, row upon seemingly endless row of men (yes, men – in those days there were very few, if any, female drafters), in white short-sleeved shirts and ties, pocket protectors jammed full, all hunched over their drafting tables, laboriously designing the infrastructure of modern day society. (OK, that last may be a bit melodramatic. But it’s still true – most of the stuff those guys engineered back then is still for the most part functioning just fine today, thank you very much!)

Quick question: What is it that keeps all engineering offices fully functional? Nope, not computers (sound of buzzer) – the idea of using a computer was laughable back then. Uh-uh – it’s not electricity either (again, sound of buzzer – followed by sound of hammer repeatedly hitting buzzer); you can still function pretty well in the dark, you know. Hey, you finally got it (sound of cheering): it’s coffee! (Except, of course, in Asia where it’s probably tea.)

According to legend (as told to me by someone who worked there at the time) there was this young woman at The Barn whose job was to keep the coffee flowing freely all day long. She was a sweet girl, naturally gregarious (which is a ten-dollar word for “friendly and easy-going”), and very well-liked (after all, she provided coffee – the lifeblood of drafting rooms everywhere).

(Yes, I know. The idea of a young woman’s choice of career being spent serving coffee to hundreds of men is largely passé now. Try not to judge this story by today’s standards – remember this was a while back.)

Well, one day she came to work unusually depressed, and within a few minutes, word got out that she had been laid off. The news spread like wildfire; talk about your angry mob (sound of angry rabble) – it nearly started a riot! I mean, you would have thought the entire drafting floor had been closed for business.

However, as luck would have it, this was a room full of *ahem* engineers – if anybody could come up with a solution, they could, right? Right (sound of more cheering)!

So here’s what happened.

Coffee had always been free. Now, however, the company had announced plans to install automatic coffeemakers (something fairly new at the time), which is why they didn’t need the young lady to serve coffee any more. Coffee would still be free, but the downside was that the men would have to *gasp* make their own coffee! The situation was intolerable (sound of disgruntled murmuring)!

Suddenly Aero, the Superhero Engineer a couple of the more enterprising fellows whipped out their trusty slide rules (hey, why use pencil and paper when you can use a slide rule! Who says engineers don’t rock!) and quickly calculated that if every man in the room chipped in just a few dollars per week, they could actually match her former salary!

So they offered her the deal and she quickly agreed. Voila! Problem solved! The universe as we know it was saved, and the heavens rejoiced. (In fact, I think the clouds actually parted and a particularly bright sunbeam shone down on the building at that specific moment. Or so they say.)

OK, now let’s consider what happened from a business point of view.

This woman’s “business” was being shut down, because the company found a cheaper way to provide the same product (the coffee, in case you’re having trouble following along). Her “customers” got so upset about her losing her business that they were willing to pay money to keep her in business!

It wasn’t that they couldn’t get coffee. No, it was the service – or more accurately, it was the whole routine of coffee with personal service and interaction she provided that they couldn’t get anywhere else.

So here’s the sixty-four dollar question: Do your customers feel that way about you?

After all, it ain’t just customer service any more; these days it’s customer experience.

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!