One of the most pervasive ideas in the New Economy is “Glocalization:” the idea that global thinking can and should be applied to local initiatives for the benefit of a community.

The largest city in the region, Traverse City

There was a time, long years ago, when taking care of your own job responsibilities was the only thing you had to do. We’ve all had surprising, even flabbergasting customer service experiences where the individual you’re dealing with either doesn’t have the interest, or the authority, or the capability to handle a simple request. Cable companies, software tech support, sixteen year… More...

In our healthcare work, we often face the critical question of how to manage competing interests in patient room signage. With so much potential information that could be displayed, what should be? What specific functionality does staff need to effectively do their jobs? How much precautionary information should be shared with visitors? Finally, what about the patient’s privacy concerns?

We’d like to explore the issue a bit further, starting… More...

We work in a service industry. We charge fees based on services rendered. You, our clients, trust us to educate, to provide our expertise, and often to advocate on your behalf as the “outside expert” who can help to influence approvals, policy, funding or purchase decisions.

But we need to be careful not to cross the line beyond what’s necessary for you. In most cases, an initial proposal will… More...

Have you ever noticed when making a flight reservation on the phone how the representative often says, “THEY changed the schedule for that flight,” or when ordering a product, the response might be, “THEY don’t make it in that color any longer”?

It’s as if the representative of the company is distancing herself from the company and the issue, in effect disavowing any responsibility for the situation. That’s what… More...

I’m fascinated with the fallout in customer experience from all the airline and bank mergers, and feel there are some lessons to be learned. Healthcare providers: this analysis is particularly relevant to your field as well.

I’d like to discuss a particular airline merger for the purposes of this post: Delta and Northwest.

The airline industry is in transition, not only as it regards ownership, but also in… More...

Just off an early AM flight from Traverse City to MSP, and I had a marvelous time. Not.

Generally when I fly, I try to be as innocuous as possible: greet the flight attendant, make myself as small as I can in the seat (at 6′3″ it’s not that easy), bring a book to read, and quietly mind my own business. On this morning’s flight, I decided that I… More...

To understand the state of information in today’s world, you need look no further than your nearest gas pump. The cacophony of information slapped on its face exemplifies what we encounter every day.

There is brand information:

• the company’s logo
• their various products’ logos
• the names of the three types of gasoline
• the octane ratings of the three types of gasoline

There is… More...

We love it when things turn out this way: our relationship started when Mark VanderKlipp and Woody Smith were invited to participate in a monthly book group. More...

Corbin Design and NAVTEQ have entered into a partnership aimed at giving our clients the opportunity to reach a potential audience of millions. While attending the IDA Annual Conference in Milwaukee, we met with NAVTEQ representatives to discuss the advantages of this partnership for our clients.

From our friends at the IDA… More...