What's noteworthy?   What's  controversial?   Sasha's exclusive use of "method acting" techniques to teach customer service training. Here's what Newsweek  had to say:

Firms ranging from grocery retailer Kroger to  Coney Island amusement park in Cincinnati  have turned to Sasha Corp.'s Showtime Training. Showtime uses techniques based on Lee Strasberg's renowned method-acting approach, to teach employees to act as if they care--even if they don't. That doesn't mean faked smiles and canned speeches, says Sasha president Karl Corbett. Instead, the training teaches employees to "put on a show" using natural emotions.

The two-hour presentation, which costs $20 to $100 per trainee, uses movie clips, posters and stage lighting as well as method-acting techniques to generate genuine smiles. True method acting, using relaxation and sense memories to bring emotions to the surface, demands years of study.

With just a few hours, Corbett can teach barebones concepts. For smile practice, for instance, trainees focus on a happy moment. Corbett then encourages them to carry that moment back to the work place.

Does it work? According to a survey of store managers, Kroger supermarkets  that tested the training boosted their Mystery Shoppers scores from the high 70s to the high 90s.  Seventy-three percent of those managers noted fewer customer complaints, and 70 percent saw improved employee morale.

Coney Island director Vic Nolting says the training has reduced customer complaints there, too... "