I love watching Phineas and Ferb with my children (secretly I also watch it with my husband too but don’t tell anyone!)  http://bit.ly/dpNPs4 It’s simply the best thing around about two boys who invent things, incredible things. Meanwhile, their pet Platypus, Perry, is really a Secret Agent who is busy stopping the evil Dr Doofenschmurtz creating havoc. It’s fun, innovative and every single episode makes you go wow. Their principle of life is the avoidance of boredom and in doing so ensure that others have a great time too.

So what can we learn from this programme (did I say you simply must watch it). Two things:

1. Lessons from Perry – Dr Doofenschmurtz is so obsessed with showing off to his nemesis Agent P (Perry) that he never manages to fulfil his evil intentions. How much time, money, and resource do you and/or your organisation spend looking at your competition and trying to outdo them? What could you more fruitfully achieve if you spent that time creatively asking and listening to your customers instead? I hear the constant obsession by some organisations with enticing customers from competitors through early deals and seductive promises that we forget the thousands/ millions of customers with whom we already have a relationship. Research shows that businesses are doing everything in their power to make it as easy as possible to switch but are they deploying the same amount of resources on helping customers to stay? Which leads me nicely to the second learning from Phineas and Ferb
2. Each day they invent the impossible. Each episode starts with “Hey Ferb, I know what we are going to do today!” With conviction, passion and enthusiasm their inventiveness has rubbed off on the most unusual bunch of children who gather to help. If you started each day with that same mantra with the same energy and conviction, what new ideas do you think you and your team could have to help your customers stay. Often the boys create inventions to thrill their friends and has nothing to do with their own motives. They get their kicks simply by helping or creating something for others. So why not spend the next week just talking to your customers, delving a little deeper and showing that you really care.  Ask your staff too also. You never know what you mind find out to help them stay loyal to you.