* The book focuses on basics. It strips topic of ‘change’ down to its bare essentials without clouding them in detail. Its philosophy is that while details may be important, they can always come later. But they will be worth nothing if fundamentals are not understood first.

* It doesn’t do our thinking for us. This book encourages us to interpret its lessons for ourselves. In this way, our conclusions are much more powerful and much more likely to stay with us.

* Perhaps most powerful of all, book’s concepts can be easily shared. Readers of ‘Cheese’ become members of an informal ‘club’. They share a new ‘language’ and can readily compare each others’ individual approaches to change using simple cheese and maze analogy.

‘Getting message across’ – to our market, to our customers, to our co-workers, to our staff – is a fundamental part of business. Johnson’s success proves yet again that keeping things simple is an effective way to have more of your audience understand what you are trying to say.

We should never underestimate power of simplicity.

And, as most of us know, common sense cannot be written into a customer service policy. However, you can do certain things that will increase likelihood that your employees will make good judgments. Experts claim that small to medium businesses have an advantage over big business when it comes to offering customer service. Smaller size can mean a more personal atmosphere and better opportunities for communication between management and staff.

To make most of that advantage, try following:

1. Communicate your expectations to employees. Discuss emergency situations and how to handle them. Stress that emergency situations take precedence over company policy.

2. Make good hiring decisions then empower your employees to act independently when situation warrants it. If you have hired good people and trained them well, you can trust them with a degree of independent activity. This will work to your advantage in a second area as well. An opinion survey demonstrated that public resents waiting while staff persons seek approval from one or more supervisors before refunds, exchanges or complaints are handled.

3. Set a good example by showing respectful attitudes to persons both inside and outside of company. If employees hear management jeering at delivery persons, customers or other staff members, message received is that disrespect and lack of concern is acceptable. Employees who know that internal respect is norm will extend that respect to customers and others.

4. Provide feedback to let employees know how they are doing. When you catch an employee showing "good common sense," compliment him/her and do so in front of other employees.

5. Reward employees for providing good customer service. Rewards can be informal (i.e. praise, mention at a staff meeting) or formal (i.e. a regular award for employees who provide exceptional customer service).

6. Avoid over-managing. Happy staff means happy customers. The more involved in your business employee feels, more effort he or she will put into satisfying customers or clients.