Is There a Future for ‘Chitchat’ Checkouts?

With so much buying happening online or through self-service kiosks, the art of shopping has lost much of its attraction. Shopping has become so impersonal with scarcely a chance to interact with others. Indeed, it is no longer an art but a mechanical process. Rare are the open-air markets where shopping was … Read more

Staying in Business in the Age of the Customer

Staying in Business in the Age of the Customer 1

A review of The Age of the Customer: Prepare for the Moment of Relevance by Jim Blasingame, (Florence, AL: SBN Books, 2014). A good book is one that provokes good questions in the mind of the reader. It need not provide all the answers. The important thing is to challenge the person to … Read more

“The Ham Lady” and the Art of Ham Curing

“The Ham Lady” and the Art of Ham Curing 1

Off the Beaten Path… in Princeton, Kentucky Spain is a country that is world-renowned for their pork products. Everything from air-dried cured ham, to their mouth-watering Prosciutto, have delighted travelers for ages. One need not travel to the Iberian Peninsula however to enjoy such culinary masterpieces. The age-old and time-tested art of … Read more

Human Touch or iTouch

Human Touch or iTouch 4

“What would you think if a robot showed up with your food?” This is the question I asked Ross and Kelly, a young couple in a Newark, New Jersey airport restaurant. “Oh, interesting,” answered an intrigued Kelly. “No thanks,” disagreed Ross, “you would miss the human touch.” Not the best way to … Read more

To Send a Package, Just Ask a Priest

As I traveled up the interstate toward Washington, D.C., my colleague suddenly realized that he had left some items behind in the hotel room where we had stayed. It was too late to return to the place, but he really wanted the items back. “Just ask!” was the motto on the hotel … Read more