Customer-service expert Ron Kaufman has a radical notion that great service shouldn’t be as hard as it seems to be for so many businesses to deliver. “Service is everywhere,” said Kaufman. “But there’s a disconnect between the volume of service we need and the quality of service we are giving and receiving. Businesses have turned a simple concept into a catastrophic cliché. They remain blind to the fact that true service comes not from demands and dashboards, but from a basic desire to take care of other people.” more

The Providence Business News Executive Poll is a weekly survey of 70 business leaders throughout the state, representing small and large companies in a variety of industries. more

I’m all Apple all the time. Since 1984. more

When a small business receives a customer complaint it has two basic choices: Treat the complaining customer like a pain in the neck, or use the complaint as an opportunity to improve. more

The Providence Business News Executive Poll is a weekly survey of 70 business leaders throughout the state, representing small and large companies in a variety of industries. more

OK, forget about the employer paying 100 percent of the premium for things like health and dental insurance. Or fronting deductible costs in the health care program so if workers need just preventive care, or are rarely sick, there’s little if any out-of-pocket expense as a product of the deductible. more

When employees are asked to describe the culture at this well-established financial investment company, they usually respond with the word, “family.” At Edward Jones, it’s a business model built on face-to-face time with its clients and the encouragement of leadership to help associates navigate personal conflicts. Whether it’s extra time off, special pay arrangements, a health-benefits exception or preventative programs to prevent a crisis, they offer the backing to put family first. more

Providing project management and systems consulting is busy work, full of deadlines and unforeseen circumstances. For Turino Group of Providence, which has been serving private businesses and government corporations since 1996, it often means co-workers on different sites – especially during the summertime – and not crossing paths much. more

Lots of growth and separate buildings posed worker-relations challenges for account-opening and funding-solutions company Andera. The Providence company, which automates the customer-acquisition process through bank branches, call centers and websites, got big fairly quickly. more

Need to wind down a little bit? Most of us do. more