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We are thankful to be given the opportunity to work with

and get to know such talented people.

 

ORGANIZATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT

Thank you for your wonderful work. We are extremely happy to have you as our trainer for the recent workshops in Malaysia & Singapore. Feedback from delegates was truly outstanding.

Julian Tan and Grace Kon

Operations Executives, UNI Strategic Pte Ltd

Rob’s workshops [and publications] emphasize the value and importance of focusing on customer needs in the context of the organizational system. That absolutely is consistent with what the Baldrige Award Criteria is about.

Brian Lassiter

President, Minnesota Council for Quality

Your session was the best one I attended at the recent Annual World Conference. I attended 13 sessions, plus the three keynote speaker sessions.

Carol Cornwell

Senior V.P. of Quality, Attronica Computers, Inc.

Your workshops exceeded our expectations. There are very few consultants we work with who provide the detailed support and emphasis on ease of execution. Your workshop was a “mind-opening experience” which challenged conventional thinking without making a confrontation out of it.

Elizabeth Menzer

Executive Director, Wisconsin Council for Performance Excellence and Forward Award

It was absolutely delightful to meet you. I was pleasantly surprised with your presentation style, wit and humor to engage and interact with everyone. We’ve NEVER had such a fun and “entertaining” workshop. The content provided was extremely thought provoking and challenged our thinking. Many Thanks!!!

Laurie Emerson

Executive Director, Vermont Council for Performance Excellence

I appreciated your challenging, thoughtful session. I am delighted that this health care professional audience adapted enthusiastically to your message. You created enthusiasm and focus for developing or expanding a customer-centered approach to delivering health care.

Steven Richards, M.D.

Vice President, Blue Plus, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Chair of the Third Annual Healthcare CQI Conference

I’ve been to a number of symposiums over the years and we’ve had some very good presenters. YOU, however, were the most effective that we’ve ever had.

David DeMauro

Planning Committee Chair, California State University Annual Improvement Symposium

You changed our view of our customers and helped the U.S. Coast Guard Yard win both the Maryland Performance Award and the Coast Guard Quality Award in 1996. I was a Board member for the Virginia Quality Award for about 6 years, and have been a member of the Executive Board for Maryland. Your C3 methods offer a level of customer awareness that has not been addressed anywhere else. I will reiterate that message as long as I am involved in promoting leadership practices.

Ronald Marafioti

Executive Board, Maryland Performance Award

After 50 years of running my own business I was certain I knew who our customers were and what they wanted. That was until I attended Robin Lawton’s workshops. Fortunately it is not too late for me to create a Customer-Centered Culture for my new enterprises. Thanks, Robin.

Jerry Brown

President, National Council for Performance Excellence

For months, we had struggled at my company with identifying our key processes and determining what to measure to help drive improvement. The takeaways from the workshops have been a tremendous help. Our ASQ Chapter and my company are richer for the experience.  Our two-day event was well attended, and it included a number of folks who we seldom see at our ASQ events. There was a wonderful blend of activities and lecture, and you always had insightful answers to every question that was raised. The workshop notebooks have been extremely useful at work and your book, Creating a Customer-Centered Culture, has also been a valuable reference.  C3E has a great system for conference planning and execution. The logistics requirements were so well documented; it was difficult for us to fumble on our end. A lot of hassle was eliminated by C3E handling the registration process, adding to the ease of doing business.

Steven Ohm

A-dec, Inc., ASQ Portland Chapter Chair

DEFENSE & MILITARY

This model is one that can be effectively used by decision makers as well as every individual in the organization. It is the most effective model I have seen in my 15 years in management. It is a powerful change tool.

David Leary

Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - Winner, 1998 California State Performance Excellence Award

You changed our view of our customers and helped the U.S. Coast Guard Yard win both the Maryland Performance Award and the Coast Guard Quality Award in 1996. I was a Board member for the Virginia Quality Award for about 6 years, and have been a member of the Executive Board for Maryland. Your C3 methods offer a level of customer awareness that has not been addressed anywhere else. I will reiterate that message as long as I am involved in promoting leadership practices.

Ronald Marafioti

Executive Board, Maryland Performance Award- Winner, 1996, USCG Quality Award and Maryland Performance Award

During my long career, I was one of the few people in the world to study under, and spend personal time with Dr. Edwards Deming, Peter Drucker, Joseph Juran, Philip Crosby, Russell Ackoff, Tom Peters and Michael Hammer. In comparison to those giants of the past, Mr. Lawton is clearly in a comparable position to be today’s premier thinker and practitioner of quality as defined by customer satisfaction. He causes revolutionary new managerial thinking and decision-making.

Bruce E. Laviolette, Ph.D.

Corporate Director of Management Systems, Naval Air Systems Command

Mr. Lawton has captured the concept of structured, common sense business operations focused on the customer. I found [his methods] far more than revealing; it was the heart of an organizational transformation. [Those] concepts would help transform the “as is” Pentagon in a very significant manner.

Jake Hansen

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (In his research conducted at the U.S. Army War College)

EDUCATION

I was absolutely delighted and thrilled with the results. I do look forward to working with you again.

Cynthia Matson

Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Administration, California State University Fresno

Education has been producer-centered, based on the belief that the instructor knows best and the learner is a junior apprentice who must be put through the hurdles prior to being permitted into the real world. Educators must become customer focused. Education must be offered at times and places and in formats convenient to learners rather than being by the faculty, of the faculty and for the faculty. The prime value of this program was the creation of skilled champions of customerization who can facilitate change through action and example.

Dale Landry

President, Southern Alberta Technical Institute

I can assure you I will think, act, work and do things differently as a result of this session! Your ‘real life’ examples were excellent. Rob’s enthusiasm is very contagious. I actually got energized by his energy!  I found Rob’s personal examples striking both intellectually as well as psychologically. Thanks!

Michael Fedock

Management School, University of St. Thomas

I have personally used [Rob’s] concepts and methods to address a strategic project at California State University. The approach is taught in a way that makes it accessible to a wide audience. Lawton’s methods revealed opportunities for improvement in customer satisfaction while simultaneously making significant reductions in costs, staff inefficiencies and response times, which exceeded what we had thought possible.”

Steven Walker, Ph.D.

Associate Dean, College of Social Sciences, California State University

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS & INSURANCE

I have never experienced a program with a higher return on investment of time and money. This is also the most clear and direct method of leadership improvement and quality management I have found.”

Quentin Wilson

Director, Department of Revenue, Winner, 2000 Missouri State Level Baldrige Award (First state agency in the country to be so recognized), State of Missouri

This workshop caused us to make the startling revelation that what the company thinks is important to the customer may not be what the customer thinks is important.

B. Butler

Manager, Retail Credit, Harley-Davidson Financial, Inc.

We wanted to make sure the enterprise‘s daily work matched our strategic intent. I am very pleased that those objectives have been achieved very shortly after our work with you. Results included the following: 1) Using the C3 methodology, we have identified nine (9) characteristics of the extraordinary experience, along with one or more measure for each one. We now know we can measure anything that is a member priority. This has been invaluable. 2) We have changed our perspective on what we expect from staff. When we had them change the structure and timing of questions asked of customers, we immediately saw our close rate improve by over 55%.  3)Loan utilization rate has seen major improvement from 50 % to 75%. The dollar value of that improvement was $8 million/month over just what it was prior to five months ago. The excitement this has caused among employees has been quite noticeable. They feel like we’ve invented the better mousetrap.  4) Loan processing is now much simpler and quicker for employees. The irony is that this has happened by changing our focus away from our process and toward focus on the member’s process.  5) Virtually all of our key business measures of success are significantly better than we had projected they would be at the beginning of the year. This is despite declines and deepening woes among other financial institutions over the same period.  6) Our improvements are not just very good; we’ve sustained and increased them every month since working with C3E six months ago.  If we can make these dramatic improvements in such a short time by using Rob’s model, I think anyone can.

Kyle Markland

CEO/President, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union

GOVERNMENT

This model is one that can be effectively used by decision makers as well as every individual in the organization. It is the most effective model I have seen in my 15 years in management. It is a powerful change system.

David Leary

Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Winner, 1998 California State Performance Excellence Award

The session moved me from very limited understanding of how to identify and measure government “products” to a much better understanding of how to move our department toward incredibly better service.

Phil Noble

Director, Wyoming Department State Parks/Cultural Resources

This interactive experience made me think in terms of customers’ wants instead of what we think the customers want. Great job!

Caroline Haidacher

Branch Chief, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security

As a Directorate, we struggled with (1) what a “client-centered culture” really meant in terms of our organization and (2) what do we need to do to get there. Your session met those two objectives for our diverse scientific leadership group. Our leadership conversations right after your presentation were very productive and we now have a way forward. Personally, I benefited greatly from the workshop and now see how I can contribute more positively in other activities that I’m involved in – at work and outside of work.

Ted Sawchuk

Manager, QMS/ISO, Meteorological Service of Canada

For leaders in government, C3E offers a truly eye opening methodology. They will help you understand the reasons for citizen dissatisfaction and what steps can be taken to redesign services to better meet their expectations and requirements.  The quality and sophistication of the information they uncovered was quite remarkable. Using C3E’s system, a truly innovative survey instrument was developed that gave a wealth of information about the outcomes those citizens wanted from redevelopment in their community. This helped me understand what was bugging constituents and to successfully get to different solutions that resolved their dissatisfaction. As a result, I was recently nominated for an award in achieving excellence in municipal government.

Bob Hawkesworth

Alderman, Ward 4, City of Calgary

The value/benefit from my perspective is that this presentation is simple to understand, logical and to the point. The average participant is able to walk away with something they can immediately use. You motivated them to find out what customers want, intrigued them to want to know more and gave them something tangible that is easily implemented.

Tom Deagen

Conference Chair, Regional Quality Manager, NISH (a non-profit organization with the mission of enabling disabled citizens become employable)

HEALTHCARE

I want to be sure you heard from me what a critical piece of work we all did during your session last week. We are already beginning to incorporate the thinking in your model into our efforts in the Mental Health Service. Thanks so much for a superlative session.

Rich Goepfert

East Region Chief, Mental Health Services, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound

The cardiovascular services group – doctors, nurses, secretaries and technical staff – plans to use your [system] with teams to address problems that affect our patients, referring physicians, and other departments with whom they work. We hope to provide a model for the rest of the medical center.

William Nugent, M.D.

Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

This program articulates the absolutely critical message for health professionals that places the customer, namely the patient, at the center of attention. As the health system evolves, it is easy to lose track of who the real customer is. As a doctor, I was awash in new ideas about how I, individually, and the health systems I am in, could improve practice.

Eric Schned, M.D.

Park-Nicollet Clinic

Instead of these ideas slowly fading away as often can happen after a course, they are making more and more sense. You have essentially changed the whole way I approach everything I do! And I am enjoying my job more as a result. I have been working with [a team] on their balanced scorecard. Someone came in to see me today and said, “I don’t know what you have been doing with that group, but they finally seem to be focusing on the right things to improve”. Hallelujah!

Stephanie Easthope

Manager, Operational Excellence, Wolters Kluwer Health, Pharma Solutions

Thank you for the outstanding job you did for the Texas Department of State Health Services this week. Your presentation was informative, engaging, and entertaining. Your model is comprehensive and compelling. You certainly opened our eyes to a powerful fresh approach to thinking about our customers, talking to them about their expectations and doing a better job of meeting and exceeding their expectations.

David Biemer

Texas Department of State Health Service

MANUFACTURING

This program is a must for top management! It (provides) a clear vision of where business must be, with a no-nonsense plan of implementation.

Edward Foss

President, M&F Case Company, Inc.

I was very impressed with the session entitled ‘Measuring Service Quality.’ I got more out of that four hour session than all the books I have read on measurement.

Dave Pittman

Senior Engineer, Caterpillar, Inc.

I first attended Rob’s seminar at the Ford Plant in Ypsilanti, MI. Rob is the man behind the Ford turnaround in its approaches to new product development, which is a secret I wish he would not keep so quiet.

Michael McKee

Consultant, Futurist, Executive Coach

As a result of participation in your session, I bought and read your book and am currently engaged in rallying support amongst my peer group. I signed up because of a belief that we did not have the proper focus with our customers…now I am thoroughly convinced. Our Market Managers believe I’m crazed over this issue and I damn near incited a riot (slight exaggeration) in a product development “town hall” meeting shortly after finishing the book when I suggested we were not properly aligned and why…Wow! I have successfully recruited our President and VP of Sales and Marketing into my new cult. Your style of delivery as well as your message obviously rang true with me. Well done.

Mike Walker

VP Product Development, Midmark Corp.

Robin Lawton did a fantastic job. He is very charismatic and has great stories that really drive home the message. He has a great system and it contains so many key elements of Strategic Development, Lean Six Sigma, Project Management, Change Management, etc. I really appreciated the opportunity to attend his class and be exposed to his material. It was a very enjoyable two days.

Tori Lain

Business Analyst , Mercury Marine

NATURAL RESOURCES

The course provided the opportunity to work real situations with the individuals who will be using the process and tools in the immediate future.

Howard Dingle

Vice President, Oil Sands, Imperial Oil Resources

 TECHNOLOGY

This class is definitely NOT for the faint-hearted! Mr. Lawton led us through an intensive, fast-paced presentation designed to reframe how we think about customer satisfaction and service. He encouraged each participant to continually challenge how we think about ‘products’ and our role in providing these to our real customers. He provided a very clear understanding of what a customer-centered culture is and how to create one.

Hazel Mays

Quality Manager, AT&T Global Business Communications Systems

Rob Lawton’s program treats the subject of customer satisfaction from a cultural perspective. He does an excellent and unique job of explaining the subject. He provides the management and tactical tools to implement cultural change to achieve satisfaction internally and externally to the organization. This program is a must for managers and executives who are pursuing this important goal.” 

Carlton Braun

Corporate Vice President, Motorola, Inc. – Baldrige Award Winner, 1987

This created excitement about ‘what’s possible’ and gave the leadership a new way to evaluate the work they and the organization do.

John Powers

Director, Eastman Kodak

This changed the way we think about the customer. It forced us to look more at the outcome of the customers and see if our services provide them with that outcome, to look at doing the right thing instead of improving services they don’t even need.

Natalie Fortier

Manager, Ericsson

I stood by the door, and when we ran out of standing room, the session volunteer at the back of the room began turning people away, so they congregated outside the door. My legs were getting sore near the end, but the presentation and especially the presenter were well worth any discomfort.

Donald Nicholson

Client Proximity Americas, Electronic Data Systems Corporation

Our unmistakable need for much stronger customer focus emerged. A surprising and very impressive, well-structured presentation.

Manfred Donz

Executive Vice President, Siemens

TRANSPORTATION

Excellent seminar! This was not ‘soft’ training but required concentration and challenged me to make a mind shift to apply the customer-centered thinking in my work. The emphasis on creative divergent thinking may be the key to our success in the next 10 years.

Steve McAlexander

Assistant Vice President, American Honda Motor Company

I am passionate in my conviction that those of us who are leading the transformation of our organizations must learn to think like our customers. Robin Lawton shows you how to do it for the greatest impact. The external proof is how we applied these new insights and methods to achieve #1 rank in customer satisfaction and lowest incidence of lost luggage.  The impact on us internally included our total rethinking of our Human Resources hiring practices so we cut about 75% of the time to place new talent into open positions.  Made lots of folks happy.

Bruce Rismiller

Executive Vice President, Northwest Airlines

UTILITIES

The C3 concepts, methodology and tools are structured in a form that allowed us to become promptly self-reliant and have seen return on investment in a short timeframe. I am pleased with the progress our organization has made as a result of our association with Rob and look forward to even more success in the future.

Herbert J. Schardein

Executive Director, Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District - Winner, International Team Competition Finalist

We used to focus on narrowly defined problems and their short-term fixes. We didn’t really look at outcomes and related measures, particularly as valued by customers. This is a key change we’ve made with C3.

Pick Talley

Director, Pinellas County Utilities