A flat, thumb-sized block of wood or other material, bearing from one to six pips or dots, and used in various games played by placing them edge to edge in such a way that their adjacent faces match. A traditional domino set contains one unique piece for every possible combination of two ends that have zero to six pips, and 28 such pieces make up a full double-six set. A number of other, less common, sets are also available.
A domino effect occurs when a small action triggers a chain reaction that has far-reaching effects. Dominoes are a visual symbol of this principle, as when you tip over one domino it sets off a chain of events that topples all the others. As a writer, I see this concept as a metaphor for how a single action can have a dramatic impact on an entire story.
After taking over Domino’s, Brandon Doyle pushed a series of changes to help revitalize the company. One of those values was a focus on listening to employees and customers. This meant implementing a relaxed dress code and introducing new leadership training programs. It also meant responding quickly to complaints and making sure Domino’s was always improving.
But these efforts were not enough to overcome Domino’s mounting debt and slowing sales. By 2004, the pizza chain was more than $943 million in debt and its stock price had dropped to $1 per share. The company was in trouble and it needed to do something drastic.
Domino’s turned to its founder to find a new name for the business and he suggested using the word domino, which would symbolize its ability to create a chain of restaurants that would have a powerful influence on the industry. The name stuck, and by the end of 1984, Domino’s had 5,000 locations.
During this time, the company also focused on expanding its delivery capabilities. To do this, it put its Domino’s stores close to universities where college students were more likely to want pizza. But that strategy brought its own problems when Domino’s drivers were involved in a series of accidents, including one fatality.
The company’s delivery problems caused a lot of people to lose faith in the brand, but Domino’s was determined to survive. It began to implement a series of changes designed to improve its service, including a remodeled delivery vehicle and an improved system for tracking deliveries. The company also started a new emphasis on technology, which has allowed Domino’s to offer its customers ways to order pizza by text message or with devices like Amazon Echo.
But the most important change that Domino’s made was to shift its focus from quantity to quality. This meant creating a better recipe for its pizza, revamping the company’s delivery methods, and hiring more experienced managers to oversee each store. As a result, Domino’s began to turn things around and its stock price rose again. Today, Domino’s is a top-performing company.