Bill Kalmar

Writer and speaker

William J. Kalmar has extensive business experience, including service with a Fortune 500 bank and the Michigan Quality Council, of which he served as director from 1993 through 2003. He served on the Board of Overseers of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and has been a Baldrige examiner. He was also named quality professional of the year by the ASQ Detroit chapter. Now semiretired, Kalmar does freelance writing for several publications. He is a member of the USA Today Vacation Panel, a mystery shopper for several companies, and a frequent presenter and lecturer.

Thu, 04/07/2022 - 12:02
Warning: Sharp Learning Curve Next 24 Hours Patience with customer service reps required
Tue, 05/31/2011 - 12:23
Have you ever had one of those days where confusion reigns and as each hour ensues, you find something new to dwell on that absolutely drives you nuts? Well, I just had one of those days. It started this morning as I was out for my daily five-mile…
Sports vs. Families Quality family time shouldn’t be sacrificed to school sporting events
Thu, 05/19/2011 - 06:00
For discussion: We were intrigued with the idea that well-meaning parents and kids get so over-involved in sports that they lose site of what most likely was their original goal--family unity. How do you feel this translates to the work/family…
Life in the Gutter Dripping away at customer service
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 06:00
A recent column of mine described how deleting the cheese on a burger resulted in our not receiving a $10 credit. It was an example of a breakdown in customer service. Suffice it to say that contacting corporate management resolved the situation.…
Life in the Gutter Dripping away at customer service
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 06:00
A recent column of mine described how deleting the cheese on a burger resulted in our not receiving a $10 credit. It was an example of a breakdown in customer service. Suffice it to say that contacting corporate management resolved the situation.…
My Wife Cut the Cheese, and It Cost Us $10 What we have here is a failure to communicate
Thu, 03/17/2011 - 05:30
This is one of those stories that defies logic and common sense. It is a story that stretches the lines of poor customer service and transcends into the annals of, “How to Disenfranchise Customers Over a Piece of Cheese.” Additionally, it is one…
Super Bowl XLV Aftermath Aaron Rodgers is the new Big Cheese
Mon, 02/28/2011 - 04:30
Alert: Due to an e-newsletter error you may have landed on this article expecting to find Miriam Boudreaux's One Hour of Root Cause Analysis or Eight Hours of Firefighting?. Click here to be redirected to that story. Our apologies.
--Editors…
If I Were King King Kalmar makes his decrees
Thu, 02/10/2011 - 15:00
Fifty years ago President John Kennedy delivered one of the most memorable inauguration speeches since President Lincoln. Kennedy’s words still resonate after all these years when he stated, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you…
Cancel That A nostalgic trip back through 2010
Mon, 01/31/2011 - 05:00
It seems every day we view “breaking news” reports on television or read about a particular event in the paper that catches our attention. It might be acres of brush fires that level hundreds of homes, a new law that restricts the number of…
There Oughta Be a Law Thoughts from aisle three
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 09:00
Another holiday season has come to an end. Somehow we survived Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve, but for some it wasn’t easy. Gas prices have risen for no apparent reason, but despite the increase, more than 90 percent of travelers opted…
New Year’s Resolutions for Everyone Except Me I’m perfect, so there’s no need to change
Mon, 01/03/2011 - 05:00
As a retired citizen, I no longer have to make any New Year’s resolutions because changes to my lifestyle at this juncture could be injurious to my health, well-being, and mental acuity. So I’ve decided to make them for others in our society. I…