It was Mark Twain who said, “Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.” This has become my favorite saying, both with regards to customer experience and to life in general.

I’ve used this quote recently with my kids, and it's an important code to live by. It speaks to honesty, integrity, and trust. It’s something that is just as important to your business and how you interact with your co-workers as it is to your friends and family. As a matter of fact, if we raise our kids on this principle, perhaps they’ll become a part of the solution and never have to question the intentions of businesses of the future. We can only hope.

Why do I bring this up now? I have a few examples to share that, pardon the pun, speak volumes on this topic.

In October, Debbie Laskey wrote a blog post about an experience she had at Office Depot that was celebrating a grand opening; what struck me (and her) was the sign on the outside of the store:

“NOW OPEN. Be a part of our new experience.”

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