In 1962, car rental company Avis was embroiled in fierce competition from market leader Hertz.  With 11 percent of the car rental market share, an unprofitable Avis sought the help of Doyle Dane Bernbach, an advertising agency, to help launch a new ad campaign.  The result was a tagline so memorable, Avis ran it for […]

On his first day of practice as a UCLA Bruin, a wide-eyed Bill Walton marched into the locker room, eager to learn from his new coach, John Wooden. [1] “Men, this is how you put your shoes and socks on,” instructed Wooden, removing his shoes and socks before an audience of bewildered college freshmen. “We […]

One rainy Saturday in May, three friends walked into a barber’s to learn the golden rule of personal finance. [1] “Invest ten percent of all you make for long-term growth,” said Roy, the barber Dave, Cathy, and Tom had come to seek advice from. “If you follow that one guideline, someday you’ll be very rich.” Roy […]

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln sat down at his desk to write one of his generals a long, scathing letter. General Gordon Meade, then commander of the Union Army, had disobeyed the President’s orders to capture General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army when the South found themselves trapped between the Potomac River and […]

In 2012, the travel website, Expedia, learned that, for every 100 customers who booked travel on Expedia, 58 of them placed a call afterward for help. [1] One of the benefits of self-service, from a company standpoint, is maximizing efficiency and minimizing expenses. Longer call times between customer service agents and customers incur higher costs.  And […]