to me and told me they were preparing my order and it'd be right out. The same "food runner", also known as Shannon, returned with my French Toast sans the whipped cream and a heaping mound of strawberries on top. I was pleased! She asked, "Is this what you wanted, Ma'am?" I told her yes and that she'd made me very happy!

Business-owners your success hinges on making the customer/client and patient happy with the services and products your provide. Your team should have this as their priority and they will if you have your team as your priority. I believe you manage paperwork but you lead people. How do you lead? You lead by example. It starts with you and trickles down to your team. Each team member should be made to feel as if they were the CEO of the company. If you can do this effectively, your team will take care of the customer/client and patient as

Spoiled defined as an adjective means to treat with excessive indulgence. Have you been accused of being spoiled? I have. Admittedly, I spoil myself regularly. Manicures, pedicures, Day Spa pampering and other things that are no doubt the norm for many others are enjoyed and necessary for me.

Since I spoil myself after working hard, smart and passionately, I have come to expect preferential treatment when I'm spending this hard earned money I make. Nowadays, practically every retailer I infrequent, I am only setting myself up for disappointment, frustration, and astonishment with that great expectation. I typically enter a store humming a song. I do not necessarily like shopping and this puts me in a better mood to do what I must do. I believe if I am going to do something, I should at least put forth a positive attitude and eventually, my mind will psyche the rest of me into some measure of enjoyment. I tend to shop when I have sufficient patience, a high tolerance level and a nonchalant attitude about tackling the task. It usually has to be done and there's no one else about to do it. I forge ahead.

If you are one of those who enjoy shopping, God bless you. I would still wage a year's salary that you want a decent level of customer care and service as you spend your money. So do I. I absolutely abhor the mega-stores! About the only time I enter one of those places is not for me but for something specific someone else needs or wants. I will buy a few things I may need and use the opportunity to push up the steps on the pedometer. It's almost always the same experience. Upon entering this monster of a store, there are enough cash registers to decrease unemployment in my town by at least a percentage point but most of them have the lights off and only 4 out of 35 registers are open. I do not know the layout of these stores and if you're looking for something, you may find someone to point to a general direction of the item. You're lucky if you get someone to take you to where the item can be found. When I need a clerk, they are usually all huddled together instead of dispersed throughout this mega-monster to give someone like me assistance.

I haven't ruled out becoming independently wealthy (so no, I'm not rich...yet) but I'll pay more money for something if I am getting the attention I need. This does not mean I'm an easy target for a commissioned or noncommissioned salesperson. I'm known as an 'educated consumer'. I will research high-ticket items and compare. I usually know what I want and how much I'll pay for it before going to the store. (I shop via the Internet quite often.) Getting back to my willingness to pay more for being shown some appreciation for even walking in the store. Does that make me spoiled? I think not!

I agree with Mark Twain when he said, "Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see." I'm never rude or impolite even if I am treated rudely. At a restaurant today, I wanted French Toast with strawberry topping, no whipped cream. The server informed me they didn't have that particular topping so I ordered peach. I looked about and saw they were featuring Strawberry Shortcake. Ahhh, I thought, there's my strawberry topping. My order was delivered by a "food runner" and I told her I really had my heart set on strawberries. I informed her I passed two restaurants to eat there and was disappointed I couldn't have strawberries. She collected the plate and told me she'd be back in a few. Meanwhile, my server came out to me and told me they were preparing my order and it'd be right out. The same "food runner", also known as Shannon, returned with my French Toast sans the whipped cream and a heaping mound of strawberries on top. I was pleased! She asked, "Is this what you wanted, Ma'am?" I told her yes and that she'd made me very happy!

Business-owners your success hinges on making the customer/client and patient happy with the services and products your provide. Your team should have this as their priority and they will if you have your team as your priority. I believe you manage paperwork but you lead people. How do you lead? You lead by example. It starts with you and trickles down to your team. Each team member should be made to feel as if they were the CEO of the company. If you can do this effectively, your team will take care of the customer/client and patient as t

e rest of me into some measure of enjoyment. I tend to shop when I have sufficient patience, a high tolerance level and a nonchalant attitude about tackling the task. It usually has to be done and there's no one else about to do it. I forge ahead.

If you are one of those who enjoy shopping, God bless you. I would still wage a year's salary that you want a decent level of customer care and service as you spend your money. So do I. I absolutely abhor the mega-stores! About the only time I enter one of those places is not for me but for something specific someone else needs or wants. I will buy a few things I may need and use the opportunity to push up the steps on the pedometer. It's almost always the same experience. Upon entering this monster of a store, there are enough cash registers to decrease unemployment in my town by at least a percentage point but most of them have the lights off and only 4 out of 35 registers are open. I do not know the layout of these stores and if you're looking for something, you may find someone to point to a general direction of the item. You're lucky if you get someone to take you to where the item can be found. When I need a clerk, they are usually all huddled together instead of dispersed throughout this mega-monster to give someone like me assistance.

I haven't ruled out becoming independently wealthy (so no, I'm not rich...yet) but I'll pay more money for something if I am getting the attention I need. This does not mean I'm an easy target for a commissioned or noncommissioned salesperson. I'm known as an 'educated consumer'. I will research high-ticket items and compare. I usually know what I want and how much I'll pay for it before going to the store. (I shop via the Internet quite often.) Getting back to my willingness to pay more for being shown some appreciation for even walking in the store. Does that make me spoiled? I think not!

I agree with Mark Twain when he said, "Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see." I'm never rude or impolite even if I am treated rudely. At a restaurant today, I wanted French Toast with strawberry topping, no whipped cream. The server informed me they didn't have that particular topping so I ordered peach. I looked about and saw they were featuring Strawberry Shortcake. Ahhh, I thought, there's my strawberry topping. My order was delivered by a "food runner" and I told her I really had my heart set on strawberries. I informed her I passed two restaurants to eat there and was disappointed I couldn't have strawberries. She collected the plate and told me she'd be back in a few. Meanwhile, my server came out to me and told me they were preparing my order and it'd be right out. The same "food runner", also known as Shannon, returned with my French Toast sans the whipped cream and a heaping mound of strawberries on top. I was pleased! She asked, "Is this what you wanted, Ma'am?" I told her yes and that she'd made me very happy!

Business-owners your success hinges on making the customer/client and patient happy with the services and products your provide. Your team should have this as their priority and they will if you have your team as your priority. I believe you manage paperwork but you lead people. How do you lead? You lead by example. It starts with you and trickles down to your team. Each team member should be made to feel as if they were the CEO of the company. If you can do this effectively, your team will take care of the customer/client and patient as

lights off and only 4 out of 35 registers are open. I do not know the layout of these stores and if you're looking for something, you may find someone to point to a general direction of the item. You're lucky if you get someone to take you to where the item can be found. When I need a clerk, they are usually all huddled together instead of dispersed throughout this mega-monster to give someone like me assistance.

I haven't ruled out becoming independently wealthy (so no, I'm not rich...yet) but I'll pay more money for something if I am getting the attention I need. This does not mean I'm an easy target for a commissioned or noncommissioned salesperson. I'm known as an 'educated consumer'. I will research high-ticket items and compare. I usually know what I want and how much I'll pay for it before going to the store. (I shop via the Internet quite often.) Getting back to my willingness to pay more for being shown some appreciation for even walking in the store. Does that make me spoiled? I think not!

I agree with Mark Twain when he said, "Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see." I'm never rude or impolite even if I am treated rudely. At a restaurant today, I wanted French Toast with strawberry topping, no whipped cream. The server informed me they didn't have that particular topping so I ordered peach. I looked about and saw they were featuring Strawberry Shortcake. Ahhh, I thought, there's my strawberry topping. My order was delivered by a "food runner" and I told her I really had my heart set on strawberries. I informed her I passed two restaurants to eat there and was disappointed I couldn't have strawberries. She collected the plate and told me she'd be back in a few. Meanwhile, my server came out to me and told me they were preparing my order and it'd be right out. The same "food runner", also known as Shannon, returned with my French Toast sans the whipped cream and a heaping mound of strawberries on top. I was pleased! She asked, "Is this what you wanted, Ma'am?" I told her yes and that she'd made me very happy!

Business-owners your success hinges on making the customer/client and patient happy with the services and products your provide. Your team should have this as their priority and they will if you have your team as your priority. I believe you manage paperwork but you lead people. How do you lead? You lead by example. It starts with you and trickles down to your team. Each team member should be made to feel as if they were the CEO of the company. If you can do this effectively, your team will take care of the customer/client and patient as

illingness to pay more for being shown some appreciation for even walking in the store. Does that make me spoiled? I think not!

I agree with Mark Twain when he said, "Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see." I'm never rude or impolite even if I am treated rudely. At a restaurant today, I wanted French Toast with strawberry topping, no whipped cream. The server informed me they didn't have that particular topping so I ordered peach. I looked about and saw they were featuring Strawberry Shortcake. Ahhh, I thought, there's my strawberry topping. My order was delivered by a "food runner" and I told her I really had my heart set on strawberries. I informed her I passed two restaurants to eat there and was disappointed I couldn't have strawberries. She collected the plate and told me she'd be back in a few. Meanwhile, my server came out to me and told me they were preparing my order and it'd be right out. The same "food runner", also known as Shannon, returned with my French Toast sans the whipped cream and a heaping mound of strawberries on top. I was pleased! She asked, "Is this what you wanted, Ma'am?" I told her yes and that she'd made me very happy!

Business-owners your success hinges on making the customer/client and patient happy with the services and products your provide. Your team should have this as their priority and they will if you have your team as your priority. I believe you manage paperwork but you lead people. How do you lead? You lead by example. It starts with you and trickles down to your team. Each team member should be made to feel as if they were the CEO of the company. If you can do this effectively, your team will take care of the customer/client and patient as

to me and told me they were preparing my order and it'd be right out. The same "food runner", also known as Shannon, returned with my French Toast sans the whipped cream and a heaping mound of strawberries on top. I was pleased! She asked, "Is this what you wanted, Ma'am?" I told her yes and that she'd made me very happy!

Business-owners your success hinges on making the customer/client and patient happy with the services and products your provide. Your team should have this as their priority and they will if you have your team as your priority. I believe you manage paperwork but you lead people. How do you lead? You lead by example. It starts with you and trickles down to your team. Each team member should be made to feel as if they were the CEO of the company. If you can do this effectively, your team will take care of the customer/client and patient as they would want to be cared for when they're the consumer.

We should all be spoiled! Imagine if every time you entered a store to make a purchase, you felt as if you were the only person in the store! I would no doubt learn to love shopping and reactivate a few credit cards I cut up. I would spend more than I had planned simply because of my being treated with excessive indulgence. I'm old enough to remember the good 'ol days when customers were valued and it showed. A mechanical smile, a sigh when you approach the check-out, being put on hold immediately upon calling a place of business without some explanation, or playful conversation with a co-worker while you are supposedly assisting me on the phone are all unacceptable customer service actions. A patient who has waited over 20 minutes to see the doctor is unacceptable.

Change is not easy but is inevitable. There are ways to inspire, motivate and reward your team. Excellence in customer service and patient care are basic requirements for a business to grow. Your goals must include your team and how they treat your customers/clients/patients. You should strive to reach the "WOW" factor! Whenever anyone from your team interacts with the consumer, they should leave saying and thinking, "Wow!" When you "WOW" them, they will tell others. If you don't "WOW" them, they will tell others. What do you want said about your business? It really is up to you!

If the mega-stores want all of their registers open, all-year long, and not just at Christmas, perhaps they should look into how well they treat their team members so that the team will take better care of the customers. The numbers may be great but there is always room for growth; even if the growth is aimed at improving the well-being of the team.

More on providing "Red Carpet" customer service and patient care: http://aviswardconsulting.com/