There's an animal waiting to order in the NoodleNut café. The waiter-birds seem to think they know who he is and what he wants. But they don't. This is a story about being proud of who you are and not letting others make choices for you.

The bestselling business book from award-winning restauranteur Danny Meyer, of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack Seventy-five percent of all new restaurant ventures fail, and of those that do stick around, only a few become icons. Danny Meyer started Union Square Cafe when he was 27, with a good idea and hopeful investors. He is now the co-owner of a restaurant empire. How did he do it? How did he beat the odds in one of the toughest trades around? In this landmark book, Danny shares the lessons he learned developing the dynamic philosophy he calls Enlightened Hospitality. The tenets of that philosophy, which emphasize strong in-house relationships as well as customer satisfaction, are applicable to anyone who works in any business. Whether you are a manager, an executive, or a waiter, Danny’s story and philosophy will help you become more effective and productive, while deepening your understanding and appreciation of a job well done. Setting the Table is landmark a motivational work from one of our era’s most gifted and insightful business leaders.

Kinfolk magazine—launched to great acclaim and instant buzz in 2011—is a quarterly journal about understated, unfussy entertaining. The journal has captured the imagination of readers nationwide, with content and an aesthetic that reflect a desire to go back to simpler times; to take a break from our busy lives; to build a community around a shared sensibility; and to foster the endless and energizing magic that results from sharing a meal with good friends. Now there’s The Kinfolk Table, a cookbook from the creators of the magazine, with profiles of 45 tastemakers who are cooking and entertaining in a way that is beautiful, uncomplicated, and inexpensive. Each of these home cooks—artisans, bloggers, chefs, writers, bakers, crafters—has provided one to three of the recipes they most love to share with others, whether they be simple breakfasts for two, one-pot dinners for six, or a perfectly composed sandwich for a solo picnic.

“A journey into a powerful idea . . . the more people you involve as creators and contributors, the greater your innovation capacity.” —Polly LaBarre, New York Times-bestselling coauthor of Mavericks at Work Organizations need to offer customers breakthrough products, services, and solutions to effectively compete in today’s innovation-hungry economy. The challenge is customers often don’t know precisely what they want. As Henry Ford is reputed to have said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” To surprise and awe your customers, Chip Bell advises developing co-creation partnerships with them. Co-creation partnerships are about fulfilling customers’ hopes and aspirations, not just their needs and expectations. Co-creation partnerships require (1) curiosity that uncovers insight, (2) grounding that promotes clear focus, (3) discovery that fosters risk-taking, (4) trust that safeguards partnership purity, and (5) passion that inspires energized generosity. Using examples from organizations like McDonald’s, DHL, Marriott, Lockheed Martin, Discover Financial, Ultimate Software, and many more, Bell shows how co-creation partnerships enable you to tap into the treasure trove of ideas, ingenuity, and genius-in-the-raw within every customer. “Innovation through partnership is the blueprint for business growth in the future. Inside Your Customer’s Imagination provides the instruction and inspiration to make it a success.”—Marshall Goldsmith, #1 New York Times-bestselling author “Chip Bell’s unique perspective, lively illustrations, and practical advice result in one terrific resource for anyone eager to tap a customer’s ingenuity for creating breakthrough results.” —Jeanne Bliss, founder and CEO, CustomerBliss; and cofounder, Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA)

The former Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World shares indispensible Rules for serving customers with consistency, efficiency, creativity, sincerity, and excellence. Lee Cockerell knows that success in business--any business--depends upon winning and keeping customers. In 39 digestible, bite-sized chapters, Lee shares everything he has learned in his 40+ year career in the hospitality industry about creating an environment that keeps customers coming back for more. Here, Lee not only shows why the customer always rules, but also the Rules for serving customers so well they'll never want to do business with anyone but you. For example: Rule #1: Customer Service Is Not a Department Rule #3: Great Service Follows the Laws of Gravity Rule #5: Ask Yourself "What Would Mom Do?" Rule #19: Be a Copycat Rule #25. Treat Every Customer like a Regular Rule #39: Don’t Try Too Hard As simple as they are profound, these principles have been shown to work in companies as large as Disney and as small as a local coffee shop; from businesses selling cutting-edge technologies like computer tablets to those selling products as timeless as shoes and handbags; at corporations as long-standing as Ford Motors and those as nascent as a brand new start-up. And they have been proven indispensible at all levels of a company, from managers responsible for hiring and training employees, setting policies and procedures, and shaping the company culture to front line staff who deal directly with clients and customers Chock-full of universal advice, applicable online and off, The Customer Rules is the essential handbook for service excellence everywhere.

A hub for barefoot bohemians and glamorous goddesses, Tulum is a Mayan hideaway that perfectly distills the gypset lifestyle. An off-grid escape for nomadic creatives, it is a playground for spirituality and community. This tiny, idyllic eight-mile strip of sand on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is tucked between a tropical jungle, Mayan ruins, and the Sian Ka’an biosphere: It’s a heady vortex. Tulum’s isolated and breathtakingly beautiful environment also makes it the perfect place for those craving a deeper connection with themselves, others, and nature. Seekers (sun, spiritual, and otherwise) pilgrimage to this beach settlement in droves to join this avant-garde template for a new bohemian lifestyle that prioritizes healing, eco-friendly practices and organic cuisine. The boho-chic crowd’s home away from home, Tulum is a rare and successful modern experiment in both consciousness and sophistication, bolstered by its down-to-earth hotels, mesmerizing cenotes, and lush backdrop.

Foreword by Michael D. Eisner. All organisations drive towards the same goal - how best to serve their customers. Walt Disney World has always enjoyed a reputation as a company that set the benchmark for outstanding business practices. Now, for the first time, one critical element of the method behind the magic is revealed: that of quality service. Here, their proven principles and processes are fully outlined, to help your organisation focus its vision and assemble its infrastructure to deliver exceptional customer service.

The newest edition of an insightful and practical statistical approach to quality control and management In the newly revised and thoroughly updated Fifth Edition of Fundamentals of Quality Control and Improvement, accomplished academic, consultant, and author Dr. Amitava Mitra delivers a comprehensive and quantitative approach to quality management techniques. The book demonstrates how to integrate statistical concepts with quality assurance methods, incorporating modern ideas, strategies, and philosophies of quality management. You'll discover experimental design concepts and the use of the Taguchi method to incorporate customer needs, improve lead time, and reduce costs. The new edition also includes brand-new case studies at the end of several chapters, references to the statistical software Minitab 19, and chapter updates that add discussions of trending and exciting topics in quality control. The book includes access to supplementary material for instructors consisting of a new instructor's solutions manual and PowerPoint slides, as well as access to data sets for all readers. Readers will also benefit from the inclusion of: A thorough introduction to the evolution of quality and definitions of quality, quality control, quality assurance, quality circles, and quality improvement teams An exploration of customer needs and market share, as well as the benefits of quality control and the total quality system Practical discussions of quality and reliability, quality improvement, product and service costing, and quality costs A concise treatment of how to measure quality costs, the management of quality, and the interrelationship between quality and productivity Perfect for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in quality control and improvement, the Fifth Edition of Fundamentals of Quality Control and Improvement will also earn a place in the libraries of business students and those undertaking training programs in Six Sigma.

Learn how to create a competitive advantage for your business by offering a customer experience that’s second to none! By following a simple “ten principles” format, this book will show you how to constantly improve and build your business. The combination of psychological theory, real world case studies, worked examples and template documents provides the ‘what, why and how’ necessary to make good ideas stick and get them into practical usage, so you can enhance your customers’ experiences and keep them returning again and again. Featuring lessons from a host of winning companies such as Facebook, Lush Cosmetics, Gü puddings and John Lewis, the book is littered with uncomplicated ideas which are simple to implement and accessible to anyone.