Have you ever had a big project that felt like no matter how long or hard you worked you couldn’t seem to get it done as quickly as you expected to? Every time you think you see some light at the end of the tunnel there is a dip or turn or obstruction and the […]
Read MoreThis morning at an off-site leadership training session, Captain Reman challenged his office managers and your loyal REMAN U writers to write a poem… about leadership… inspired by our natural surroundings at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Society. In a fashion consistent with his character, he didn’t tell us why we were doing this activity, just […]
Read MoreETE REMAN’s founder, Sam Loshak, is known for his many insightful and pithy statements. We’ve regularly refer to his statements as “Sam-isms.” One of Sam’s most frequent reminders to ETE’s leadership is “fish stink from the head.” What Sam means is that the worst smelling part of a dead fish is its head. But what Sam […]
Read MoreA couple of weeks ago, my furnace kicked off sometime in the middle of the night. In the morning, it was cold. Really cold. And I have a baby. We solicited the advice of friends and family, tried those little tricks you should try, and then began the calls to see how soon someone could […]
Read MoreSo, I’m in Chicago last weekend with my family and decided to take Baby Marlow, our 3 ½ -year-old daughter, to American Girl on Michigan Avenue. I knew I was in for an expensive trip, but I wasn’t prepared for the single most ridiculous thing that has ever happened to me at the register in […]
Read MoreYou don’t have to be a salesperson to make a sale. You’re an artist – who paints the picture of what life will be like for the customer after you fix their car. You’re a helper – who helps make a good decision about whether to repair the car, which part is best, which warranty is appropriate, and the […]
Read MoreI’ve come to think that the old adage, “The customer is always right!” is only useful for someone just learning service. It’s a safe way for a new or entry-level employee to operate. In my role handling escalations, responding to complaints and maintaining a company’s reputation, I have come to a deeper understanding, and you […]
Read MoreI know that’s a strong title, and an unfair one without qualification. I promise I’ll explain in detail just after I tell you about my last trip to Chicago. My wife and I took our two older daughters to Chicago for two nights of fun in the city. We interacted with the trendiest brands – […]
Read MoreIf you are selling paperclips or pizza, this article may not be very relevant, but an increasing majority of US workers sell a service or a product plus the service to support it. When service is a significant part of the customer or company relationship, not all customers are created equally. Not all customers are […]
Read More“Slow to hire, quick to fire” is one of the countless philosophies on how to staff a business. As much as we have an official hiring policy here, it’s at the very least to hire slowly. Every candidate goes through a series of interviews with a variety of staff members, tours the office space, and […]
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