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Service

The Mystique of Partnership

by Chris Arlen

Every supplier I’ve spoken with wants to be a “partner” with their customers. It’s right up there with other cliches, such as “our service is second to none” and “our people are [...]

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Don’t Go Under That Bus

by Chris Arlen

You know you’re under the front wheels of the contract cancellation bus when customers place you, their service supplier, in a poor light so they can come out smelling like roses. That [...]

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Blindsided by a Mental Model

by Chris Arlen

This is isn’t about a deranged runway exhibitionist. It’s about suppliers’ frustrations with customers’ behavior in service relationships. Does the following scenario sound familiar? You’re a facility service supplier. You’ve been working [...]

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Incremental Fruit & Crowbar Leverage

by Chris Arlen

There is no low hanging fruit. Not anymore. Only incremental improvements You’ve tackled the low hanging and enjoyed the returns. That leaves only incrementals. The good news is you have an infinity [...]

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Government Leveling Contractors Playing Field

by Chris Arlen

An article in today’s New York Times describes a possible change in the way federal contracts are awarded, and it specifically calls out facility service contracts. Plan to Seek Use of U.S. [...]

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A Frequent Buyer Program for Service Customers

by Chris Arlen

Frequent buyers are your existing customers, those already under a base contract for an on-going service. Base contracts provide revenue, non-contract services (aka project work, TAGs, etc.) provide profits. Customers under contract [...]

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Immigration, Service Labor & Politics

by Chris Arlen

U.S. immigration laws, enforcement and politics are tied up in an overwhelmingly complex knot. Immigration touches all areas of society: the economy, publicly funded social systems, and universal human rights. At a [...]

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Add 100s of Salespeople for Free

by Chris Arlen

Everybody sells. Even your hourly paid janitor or security guard. Whenever they’re seen or approached by a prospect or customer, they’re selling your company. Think about those 1,000s of interactions every day. [...]

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Janitorial Fact & Fiction

by Chris Arlen

March 16, 2009 Unhappy Janitors at Microsoft protest subcontractor’s cuts This article points to the janitorial subcontractor’s staffing cuts and unhappy janitors because of increased workloads. It made me wonder about our [...]

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