Customer Service Articles By Mark Mayberry

Mark chronicles instances of good and bad customer service from his own experience and that of others resulting in a challenge to readers to measure their own levels of service.

Click each article header to read.

My Best Nine Holes - By Mark Maybery
The first nine holes were nothing special. I was playing with my friends, Jack, Clay and Mike, and we had a “friendly” bet going - $1 skins. I shot a 41 on the front nine, which is a pretty decent score for me these days. In spite of the good score, I was behind in the bet. More...

Pass The Mustard - By Mark Mayberry
Celebrating 90 years in business is quite a feat. Especially if you’re selling hot dogs! When I came back to the United States after serving in Viet Nam, I moved to Montgomery, Alabama. I spent 1 ½ years in Montgomery before moving to Atlanta in 1973. I’m sure you’re wondering – what has Montgomery got to do with selling hot dogs… More...

Common “Cents” Customer Service - By Mark Mayberry
I was in Orlando for a speaking engagement, and was feeling like I had been hit by a train. I had a sore throat (a real hazard for a professional speaker) and was feeling quite rundown. I stopped at a CVS drug store to get some Advil. More...

A Service Vacuum - By Mark Mayberry
Lisa didn’t want to go – and now I know why. In our town of Woodstock, GA, there is a small retail store that specializes in vacuum cleaners – and their accessories. The last time Lisa went there, she had a bad service experience. So, guess who got to go there this time… More...

Parking Lot Shazzam! - By Mark Mayberry
When my Stepmom, JoAnn, arrived at the Minneapolis airport, she was running late and parked in the “short-term” (and most expensive) parking lot. She rushed to the gate and barely made the flight. More...

What’s Best For… The Customer?!! - By Mark Mayberry
It was a Saturday afternoon, around 1:00, when my Mom and I walked in an “independent” drug store to look for a wheelchair. This drug store sits right across from the nursing home where my Stepdad is. There is also a senior center next door to the nursing home. The drug store has a great location – and a large display of wheel chairs and other home health care items. In addition to my Mom and me, there were two other Customers in the department. More...

How’s This For A Revolutionary Concept? - By Mark Mayberry
Imagine opening a new business every few months – in the same physical space! That’s what Ben and Hall Smyth have done in New York City. In just 400 square feet of space, Ben and Hall created a ping-pong parlor, along with bleachers for spectators. More...

A Meal & A Service Measure By Mark Mayberry
It’s not often that I am surprised when I get the check at a restaurant. And it’s very rare that there is a “pleasant” surprise on my check. Chequers Bar And Grill in Atlanta actually made me smile during a recent lunch. More...

Who's The Turkey? Promotions - By Mark Mayberry
Years ago, I used to enjoy shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Believe it or not, the stores opened at their regular hours, and although they were packed by early afternoon, there were very few people in the stores for the first couple of hours. The holiday spirit was festive, and there were plenty of sales to make my journeys worth-while. More...

Closing The Doors For Better Service! - By Mark Mayberry
If you were in charge of 7,100 coffee shops across the United States, would you close them down for 3 hours (5:30 to 8:30 PM) to get the message across that your Team needs to deliver better Customer Service? That’s exactly what world-famous Starbucks did on February 26, 2008. More...

It’s Not About The Process! - By Mark Mayberry
When I was still in the apparel business in the late 80s, Lisa and I went to see one of my heroes, Tom Peters. For 2 days, we had the opportunity to hear Tom talk about his most recent book (and 20 years later, it’s still my favorite), “Thriving On Chaos.” During this two-day event, we became friends with some of the other attendees. More...

Paying Attention To Sales! - By Mark Mayberry
I never want to be the number one sales person in my company.” That statement caught my attention. On the slight chance that I might get someone in trouble, let’s just say that a guy named “Chuck” said this. More...