The Common Sense Guy

It seems that I’ve preoccupied with fast food lately. I’ve done two posts on Chipotle Mexican Grills. This one is about Panda Express, Chinese fast food. I read a USA Today article about Panda Express on Monday. It caught my eye, because I see Panda Express stores in airports and often patronize... Sign in to see full entry.

Last week, I told the story of Chipotle Mexican Grills and Paul and Phyllis Willis, pig farmers who are one of their suppliers. Yesterday, I received an e mail from Mr. Willis that said: Hi Bud: Thank you for your comments and yes we do have a great relationship with the folks at Chipotle. Many have... Sign in to see full entry.

The other day, I came across some common sense advice on office organization. Barry Izsak, President of the National Association of Professional Organizers and owner of Arranging It All, listed his advice on organizing your office for peak efficiency. Barry Izsak’s Office Organization Rules Choose a... Sign in to see full entry.

On July 28, I did a post about Chipotle Mexican Grills and their unique way of recognizing one of their employees. They told Houram Iskandani’s amazing story on one of their soda cups. Well, they’re at it again. This time, they’re recognizing one of their vendors. I think this is pretty cool –... Sign in to see full entry.

Committed, engaged employees are one of the secrets in my book 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations. The September, 2006 issue of Executive Leadership has a front page article entitled Why Do They Stay? The article highlights the top 18 reasons employees stay loyal to their employers… Why Do... Sign in to see full entry.

I find that remembering my customer’s birthdays is a simple but effective way to stay in touch with them. It’s a very good relationship building tool. Lately, several customers and friends have had birthdays. I use a web based service called Reminder Spot to keep up with birthdays. I haven’t missed... Sign in to see full entry.

I came across some great advice in the One Minute Ideas sections of the August 2006 issue of The Motivational Manager. The article was entitled Choose the best medium for you message. Choose the Best Medium for Your Message Use e mail when: You need to share information that requires no response.... Sign in to see full entry.

A few weeks ago, I met Margo Berman at a workshop we were attending. Margo calls herself a “creative strategist”. Among other things, she is a copywriting expert. She was kind enough to send me some of her materials. I was impressed with what she had to say about copywriting. These days, almost any... Sign in to see full entry.

Lacey Smith is a friend of mine. The other day, he sent me a copy of his book Get It! Street-Smart Negotiation at Work: How Emotions Get You What You Want. I’ve read a lot of books on negotiation, and this is one of the best. Many books on negotiations advise you to take emotions out of the... Sign in to see full entry.

Last week, I wrote about the difference in service I received at Comp USA and Best Buy when I was in need of a new power cord for my laptop. If you missed it, Comp USA kicked Best Buy’s butt when it came to service. I sent an e mail to the Comp USA and Best Buy customer service folks, telling them... Sign in to see full entry.