Dumb Ass Stupid Management: Excuse Me, But I Have an Excuse
Why is the restaurant on the far corner doing well with sufficient staffing, while the restaurant on the near corner closes two nights a week because of poor staffing? Why is one carrier cancelling flights due to bad weather, but
Not Seeking New Business, Please Go Away
The coffee shop was closed, so I got back in the truck with the dogs to find another place. But suddenly the door opened and a woman signaled me to enter. "You're a bit late, this morning!" I said with a
Dumb Ass Stupid Management: Customer Manipulation
Have you noticed that several major companies are sending out their bills with very short due dates, perhaps ten days away, and then follow up immediately if you're "overdue"? They then send you message that there are problems with the
If Customers Just Weren’t in the Way
The difference between front-line operations and backroom operations in many companies is that the former interact with customers all day and understand the impact of the products and services, while the latter interact with themselves all day and focus on
DASM: Why There Are No Mirrors in the Executive Suites
Now is that time of year when football owners whose teams didn't make the playoffs begin firing coaches and seeking replacements. And why not? Because those fired coaches couldn't win with the players the owners hired and the better players
Feedback? You’re Sloppy. Second Opinion? You’re Late.
Have you noticed that merchants, online and in reality, have become like dogs desperate to be petted? What I mean is that I get a survey begging me to comment on how great a supplier is five times a day.
You’re Fired. (This Zoom Call Is Being Recorded.)
This morning's big story: "The CEO of Better.com, a digital mortgage company, laid off about 900 employees over Zoom last week. About 900 employees of digital mortgage company Better.com learned they had been laid off in an abruptly-scheduled, three-minute group Zoom
Seat Training
The seat wouldn't recline in first class on AA475 from Boston to Miami this morning. The flight attendant, who we barely saw once she served meals and collected trays, told me with a straight face to stand up, face the
We’ll Get Back to You, But We Can’t Guarantee in this Lifetime
Dumb Ass Stupid Management: From Amtrack to the local pool company, you can no longer immediately reach someone or even leave a message. First, there's a minute or so on how faithful they are to Covid protocols (and, in Amtrak's or
Just-in-Time No Sale
I think that "supply chain" has become a cliché to cover lousy management and poor planning. (As has the "great resignation.") Here's the battery display at CVS, basically bare, because they don't like the costs of carrying inventory. Yet a