How to Fire a Customer as Nicely as Possible

A man waving goodbye at a customer outside a building, showing how to fire a customer

What makes a customer bad? Can you get rid of customers that are doing more harm than good? Mike Michalowicz says you need to fire bad customers because they can harm your business by wasting time and resources. Bad customers don’t share your values, aren’t financially trustworthy, and aren’t cooperative. Keep reading to learn how to fire a customer and cut ties with them once and for all.

Onward by Howard Schultz: Book Overview & Takeaways

A woman reading a book at a coffee shop

What’s Onward by Howard Schultz about? How did Schultz turn Starbucks around during the 2007-2008 financial crisis? In Onward, Howard Schultz highlights the obstacles he faced as the CEO of Starbucks at a time of worldwide instability. He further explains how he managed to save the company while preserving its unique value. Read below for a brief overview of Onward.

How to Improve Customer Experience: Fix Their Problems

An employee helping a customer at the store to make her happy and improve customer experience

What do you do when a customer is unhappy with your service? Do you know how to improve customer experience at your business? A crucial part of ensuring your company’s success is improving your most valuable customers’ experiences. This will further increase their value and help your company succeed. Let’s focus on Mike Michalowicz’s method for turning customers’ dissatisfaction into delight.

The Innovation Strategy of Starbucks That Saved the Company

Two new Starbucks drinks on a ledge as part of the innovation strategy at Starbucks

What’s the innovation strategy of Starbucks? What cuts did CEO Howard Schultz have to make to raise Starbucks’s profits? One of Schultz’s initial turnaround strategies in 2008 was to improve Starbucks’ financial standing. He achieved this by focusing on two objectives: frugalizing operations and shifting in focus from expansion to innovation. Let’s explore these innovative changes in more detail.

How to Create a Business Framework (The Pumpkin Plan)

A business manager writing on a whiteboard with sticky notes, creating a business framework

What are the benefits of a business framework? How can you simplify your company’s goal into one plan? An operational framework explains one of your company’s processes in a clear and detailed way that your employees can easily follow. One benefit of creating operational frameworks is that they keep the company running smoothly as it grows. Read below for a short guide on how to create a business framework for your employees.

How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge: Book Overview

A man reading a book in a library

Do you ever think you can do things differently than those in charge? Do you have great ideas but feel like you’re not high enough on the career ladder to act on them? In How to Lead When You’re Not In Charge, business speaker and former evangelical pastor Clay Scroggins explains that you can be a leader even without holding a position of authority. You can still inspire others to strive toward a shared goal of a better future, regardless of your position. Read below for a How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge book overview.

Starbucks in 2010: Howard Schultz’s Plan for a Better Future

A Starbucks store in 2010

What was Starbucks’s plan for success in 2010? How did Starbucks reward its employees in the same year? In 2010, Starbucks lifted itself out of an economic rut thanks to former CEO Howard Schultz. Schultz’s not only stemmed Starbucks’ financial downturn but also bolstered its reputation as a socially responsible corporation. Here’s how Schultz planned to keep Starbucks in a positive state after 2010.

Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: Book Overview & Takeaways

A blank book sitting on a desk next to a lamp

Do you put off work that needs to get done? What’s the book Solving the Procrastination Puzzle about? In Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, psychologist Timothy A. Pychyl contends that you aren’t procrastinating because you’re bad at managing your time. Instead, you’re procrastinating because you haven’t learned how to handle your emotions. Read below for a brief Solving the Procrastination Puzzle book overview.

What Is an Operational Framework and What Are the Benefits?

A manager showing employees the operational framework of his business

What is an operational framework? What are ways to get your employees on the same page about customer experience? To create a quality mindset as a manager, you need to create operational frameworks for your company. A framework is essentially a detailed plan that every employee should follow to meet the same goals. Continue reading for an overview of an operational framework’s purpose in a business.