There were four of us at dinner. Three ordered “regular” coffee, the fourth requested “decaf.” Every so often a server, carrying two pitchers, refilled the coffee cups and knowingly poured three cups from one pitcher and one from the other. He never asked who wanted which type of coffee.
As we were leaving, one of us asked the server how he knew which of us preferred “decaf.” “Simple, the three of you drinking “regular” coffee have black cups with white saucers, we serve “decaf” in white cups with black saucers.” Instead of thinking outside the box these people have been thinking outside the cup and saucer.
What an elegant, easy solution. The server doesn’t have to interrupt conversation to find who is having which coffee, there is no mix-up or confusion, and everyone gets what they want. More importantly, it demonstrates how deeply the “customer satisfaction” thought process has gone in that particular establishment and it is a lesson for everyone who manages a business.
Imagine how many opportunities for little confusions that exist in delivering any product or service, from not greeting a customer properly to forgetting to return a credit card, and everything in-between. Management that really wants to deliver a superior customer service experience systematically looks at every possible opportunity for confusion or error and attempts to eliminate them as they are identified. In the case of the cup and saucer solution there was no cost expended to solve the problem, just a little time and creativity.
An owners or managers challenge is to identify a little confusion or opportunity for error in your business that can be overcome by thinking through the process and developing a low cost / no cost solution. Instead of thinking outside the box, let’s call it “thinking outside the cup.”
Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the business column, "Front Lines with Larry Galler" Sign up for his newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com
What do you think about this article? Do you agree or disagree with it? Be the first to comment on this article, and share your thoughts with the world. No registration is required to post comments.
Your coffee maker has been sitting on your cupboard for months and the coffee beans you have received as coffee wedding favors are sitting in the cupboard too as you settle for that instant cup of coffee at...
How do you brew the best cup of coffee? With fresh beans, of course! And how do you get the freshest beans for home-brewed coffee? With a coffee grinder that lets you grind just as many beans as you need...
If you are looking for the best single cup coffee maker, you'll be stunned to find all the types that are available. There is one that may fit every budget and each need. One single cup coffee maker will...
The Hamilton Beach Brew Station 12 Cup Coffee Maker is unique among coffee makers. This coffee maker has no carafe, instead the coffee is self contained within the unit and is released into your cup by...
There is good coffee and absolutely abysmal coffee. Both may start with the same elements, but one cup can taste completely different to another. Freshness is the key to great tasting coffee. Here is the...
If you want to experience coffee pleasure at its best you will have to use fresh coffee beans and brew the coffee in a professional machine like a thermal carafe coffee maker. Now, instead of going to your...
Everyday when you get up the first thing that you rush out to is a warm cup of Coffee. When your Coffee is made perfectly, you enjoy it to the utmost and savouring every sip till the last drop, but what's...
Everyday when you get up the first thing that you rush out to is a warm cup of Coffee. When your Coffee is made perfectly, you enjoy it to the utmost and savouring every sip till the last drop, but what's...
Everyday when you get up the first thing that you rush out to is a warm cup of Coffee. When your Coffee is made perfectly, you enjoy it to the utmost and savouring every sip till the last drop, but what's...
So you are finally fed up with that bland black liquid, you once called coffee, brewed from the finest can of generic supermarket grinds. You are financially outraged at the price of a single cup of...
What Innovation Can Do to Your Life Kim and Charles Petty It's a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't. The power of innovation. If you've ever marvelled at somebody's creative prowess, guess...
When innovators talk about thinking outside the box, they mean coming up with creative ways to solve problems - new ways to look at things. How do they do it? How can you do it too? We first have to ask...
Run, run, run. React to this, react to that. How can you be effective when you are continuously being pulled into situations? You want a way out and you think the solution is to become proactive. But how?...
How do you like to solve your problems? Do you prefer to use the more creative problem solving techniques, or the systematic ones? You'll get the best of both with the add-subtract-change method.Add, Subtract,
To creatively solve problems you need to get your mind looking in new directions. You can systematically do this by using a list of words, primarily adjectives, to create "what if?" scenarios. You start...
You've likely heard this beforee... "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."Says who? I mean come on. If prevention was so popular why would we see so many "cures" being marketed. Why? Because of...
How many times have you heard the phrase "knowledge is power"? Probably enough for you to really wonder if you're actually doing something useful with your life, isn't that correct?So you want to possess...
Have you ever used your intuition to solve problems? Can you trust your intuition? Can you improve it?What Is Intuition?Intuition is simply a feeling, sense, or hunch based on information not available to your
Recently I read an excerpt from a new business innovation book wherein the author went to great lengths to instill the need to provide sufficient resources for every innovation effort, without which the effort
There is a momentum of thought in the USA and EU that implies that either of the two continents should come out on top in the innovation game. Perhaps this is related to the number of articles that appear...
Driving down the road our eyes frequently scan the vital instruments on the dashboard that monitor speed, fuel level, coolant temperature, and oil pressure. The modern vehicle also has many more devices...
Q: Why is a great business like a great marching band?A: The players in both organizations are in alignment.Alignment? Yes, Alignment.When a marching band passes by in a parade, the columns and rows are...
Wow! You're brilliant! You have a great idea. You've looked at it every possible way to find holes in your logic, fallacies in your assumptions. You know it will work and you can't wait to turn your new...
It always amazes me when I see someone on television holding a press conference - a lawyer outside a courtroom, a businessperson at the launch of a new product. Reporters ask hardball questions. The...
Article: Think Outside The Cup And Saucer Author: Larry Galler Publication Date: 2007-06-20 Total Views: 443 Word Count: 345 Category:Home /
Advice / Innovation
Categories
