‘T ake out the papers and the trash.” That was the opening line of the song “Yakety Yak” by The Coasters. It spent weeks as the No. 1 hit in 1958. Teenagers everywhere wore out their shoes dancing to the hot song. The lyrics hold a strong message about delivering a superior customer experience.

Most customer experiences have a certain amount of garbage. It looks like excess wait time, mind-numbing paperwork, delay, indifference, and missed deadlines. And in today’s competitive world, where customers demand more value for their ever-diminishing dollar, if you don’t “take out the papers and the trash,” as the lyrics of the song go, “You don’t get no spending cash!”

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