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January 20, 2014 How Work Saved One Woman's Life By The Shortlist Four dollar toast? A hipster travesty! A sign of Silicon Valley indulgence! These may be your initial reactions to, well, expensive hot bread sold in San Francisco. But hold those thoughts. This lovely piece by John Gravois tells a story about the business that's credited with starting the toast tre

Customers Do You Know What Makes Your Company Distinctive? by Stephen Shapiro USAA uses smart differentiation to retain 98% of customers. Hiring The Right Way to Answer "What's Your Greatest Weakness?" by David Reese Don't turn it into a positive. Customer service Nest and Google's Customer Service Problem by Dan Pallotta Google shows extreme disinterest in customer service but that won't fly with its new acquisition. Information & technology Make the Most of Scarce Data-Mining Talent by Brad Brown Taking advantage of big data is as much about people as technology. Hiring For Senior Leaders, Fit Matters More than Skill by Jean Martin A better way to recruit executives. Advertising Super Bowl Ads Are Less Effective Than Others by The Daily Stat Brand association sometimes gets lost in the highly entertaining story lines. Customers Diagnose Your Customer Culture by Linden R. Brown Seven factors that drive customer satisfaction, innovation, profits and growth.

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