1. What Yo-Yo Dieting and the Recession Have in Common

The papers are saying that productivity is on the rise, that the fat officially has been cut from corporate America. Good news, right?

Depends on what you do next, says Gartner Blog Network’s Mark McDonald in a recent post. Productivity gains are “… a mathematical phantom, particularly if people remain on their current course and speed,” he writes.

“It is the equivalent of losing water weight at the start of a diet.”

That current course he’s talking about is the way many companies made it through the recession – by removing the costs (employees) without changing the underlying process or operation.

Says McDonald: “It is the equivalent of losing water weight at the start of a diet.” And, as any yo-yo dieter knows, you will gain that weight back quickly if you don’t change the habits that got you fat in the first place.

Read his post here.

2. What Recession?

Then there’s that whole other realm, the business of haute couture, which seems to be a barometer of nothing really, Read more…

Jenny Sweeney This Week in Tech News, Worker Productivity Christian Dior, Gartner, Mark McDonald, Paris, productivity, recession, Tag Heuer, Versace

Although the French don’t have a particularly stellar reputation for being nice — especially not to American tourists – blogger Terry Starbucker had such a memorable customer service experience while on vacation in Paris, he was compelled to blog about it.

No one likes waiting, especially not when they think they may have accidentally deleted a 52-page PowerPoint presentation that’s due in 20 minutes.

In a post titled “15 Basic Steps to Mind-Blowing Customer Service,” Starbucker recounts the unforgettable customer service experience he had on a handful of visits to a produce shop on Paris’ Rue Jean Mermoz.

Here are some of the things the monsieur got right, according to Starbucker:

• Proper greeting: He acknowledged him with “bonjour monsieur” each and every visit.
• Patience: Despite the language barrier, and a gaggle of customers waiting in line behind the author, the proprietor nevertheless gave him his full attention while waiting on him, and did not try to rush him along. Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Customer Service France, Paris, produce, Terry Starbucker