“I can’t wait to get to the DMV to renew my driver’s license,” said no one ever. I’ve had my share of less-than-stellar experiences at the DMV, and they were undeniably on my mind when I approached the imposing gray building. It was a dreary day in Chicago, and I was gearing myself up for what was bound to be a very trying morning. I tried to time my visit to avoid “DMV rush hour,” but realized that I must have miscalculated as soon as I opened the door to a sea of people ass

“Is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?” asks Frank Zappa in his masterpiece, Camarillo Brillo. It’s a great lyric and it got me thinking about authenticity, which I believe is at the heart of hospitality. One of the most incredible hospitality experiences of my life wasn’t at a restaurant or a hotel, but a Zappa Plays Zappa concert. The Zappa Plays Zappa series was a tribute to legendary musician, Frank Zappa, created by his eldest son, Dweezil Zappa. Frank had pas

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” - Mary Schmich What scares me the most? Right now, it’s security challenge questions on a website, that’s what. I pride myself in being up for a good challenge, but lately, these experiences have almost broken me! So I’m logging into my bank’s website to pay my Verizon bill, which needed to be scheduled ASAP. I’m short on time and I’m a little cranky as I haven’t had my coffee yet, but this is the exact moment when my bank decided to

Note: "You have to go to the bar" is first in a series, Customer Experience Observations. “Wow, rock star parking for the second year in a row!” my husband exclaimed as we pulled up to our favorite Wisconsin supper club. We’d been coming to that specific place on that specific Saturday night for 18 years running, and we were excited to be back. Most years we’d hit the prime rib buffet, roll out in a food coma, and file the experience away under “fond memories,” knowing we’d b