5 Facts High Schoolers Should Know About Email Etiquette

5 Facts High Schoolers Should Know About Email Etiquette

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More than ever, companies are experimenting with new communication modalities. That said, as employees, especially Generation Z, are accustomed to communicating in real-time collaborative environments similar to those found within social media.  Applications such as Yammer and Slack use social technologies to allow employees to share information internally.  However, despite the emergence of new workplace communication applications email still reigns supreme.  A survey conducted by the Public Relations Society of America found that 95% of companies use email as their primary mode of internal communication.

Here are five rules to live by:

  1. Use “Reply all” thoughtfully. Consider whether everyone on the list will benefit from your response.  Take time to edit the recipient list to avoid  inundating people with emails that don’t pertain to them.  Nothing eats more time than reading unnecessary emails (not to mention the aggravation of it all).
  2. Check your tone.  Never compose an email when you’re upset because it’s too easy to include harsh words and phraseology that you will likely regret later.  Also, brevity can be a friend or foe…a sent message can be misconstrued as abrupt or not taken seriously enough.  Before sending, put yourself in the recipient’s position and read your message aloud.  Does it convey what you intended?   Remember to include “please” and “thank you”.  They are courtesies that will take you miles with the reader.
  3. Avoid fancy fonts.  Use easy to read fonts such as Arial, or Times New Roman.  It’s best to use size 11 or 12 point types.
  4. To prevent accidentally sending an incomplete email, insert the recipient address(es) just before you’re ready to send the message.  That way you will catch typos and missing attachments.
  5. Every communication is not email compatible.  If you require a quick response, make a phone call.  Also, keep in mind that sensitive subjects such as job performance may be best suited for a face-to-face conversation.

When it’s all said and done, email is still an effective mode of communication and we must understand how to manage its usefulness and power.  Young new hires should review this short video and add it to their Soft Skills arsenal.

For more information about email and telephone etiquette,  type “business etiquette” in the blog search box on our website, www.elite-customer.com.

And now…go out there and make it a great day !!

5 Tips to Attract Young Consumers

5 Tips to Attract Young Consumers

Generation Z (Gen Z) is known as the digital generation.  They are a powerful group of consumers who will give you about 8 seconds to attract and keep their interest in your product or service.  This is particularly important for eCommerce businesses.

Here’s a secret: Refine your website.  Here are five ways to attract and keep their attention:

#1  Your website should mirror their lightning quick attention span.  This demographic is proficient at editing out fluff and hype.  Contrary to popular belief, Gen Z doesn’t act on every stimulus. They want to spend precious little time on a site to decide if you have anything relevant to offer them.  So, make sure your site focuses on realistic and authentic engagement.

#2  Gen Z is mobile-first.  Acknowledging the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets as a primary means of connecting and consuming, design a website for a quality mobile experience–that is where customers will find you, especially Gen Z.

#3  If your auto-play slows down page loading, Gen Z (and most other consumers) will lose enthusiasm to engage.  Use videos that reinforce your company’s relevance and be sure to launch them with the audio muted.  This will give consumers control and will likely keep them on your site.

#4  Gen Zers immediately know whether your blog post is sponsored. They’ll know if you’ve just written it to get your blog post done for the week.  If that’s the case, they’ll promptly stop following your blog.  Think about how you can make your content exciting, funny, insightful, and helpful.  If possible, make it a series. Above all, be honest.

#5  Consider invitng Gen Zers to write guest posts for your company blog. This will show that you value their viewpoints and opinions.  It will also differentiate you from competitors who may be too resistant to do this.  Additionally, it is highly likely they’ll share their post with their own followers on social media – potentially introducing your blog to hundreds of new Gen Z followers.

These practices will set your company on the right path to capture the more than $44 billion (USD) in spending power of Generation Z.  So, who wants to go out there and make it a great day?

Top Ten Best Practices for Customer Care 

Top Ten Best Practices for Customer Care 

As a consumer, when was the last time a business knocked your socks off with extraordinary service?  When was the last time you were wowed by an amazing product and follow up from the company/owner/representative?

This week’s blog focuses on the top ten Best Practices that will attract attention and have clients coming back for more.

  1. Increase customer privacy and protection
  2. Implement “Habit Loop”.  Smartphones and social media are examples of habit loop formation. The ping from a new notification is the cue, the routine involves pulling out a phone to check the notification, and the reward is seeing a new message from a friend or a new comment on social media
  3. Understand how to cater to Generation Z.  According to a Pew report, they make up 40% of all consumers and 27% of the U.S. population
  4. Ask for feedback via short surveys.  Respond to and act on the recommendations. Customers will be glad to know you took the time to read and respond to their suggestions
  5. Stay on top of digital customer service trends
  6. Post Frequently Asked Questions/Answers on social media about your new product/service
  7. Be creative and efficient with your self-service platform (most clients will seek that option for problem resolution before trying to call your company)
  8. Ensure your website meets Google’s Mobile First SEO mandates by March 1st.  Not adhering to the rules will result in a slow response time when consumers look up your site on their mobile devices.  Consumers use their mobile devices ten times more frequently than a desktop computer
  9. For e-commerce stores, consider inserting CTAs (Calls to Action) or pop-ups that request reviews after checkout
  10. Learn how customer service is conducted around the world–you’ll be able to deliver top notch service for a diverse client base

Your clients want to feel your emotions and sincere appreciation.  When you provide them with more than just goods and services, you’ll offer the very best you have…yourself.  Ensure their happiness and you’ll secure a loyal following.  So, go out there and have a great day!

5 Transforming Workplace Facts About Generation Z

5 Transforming Workplace Facts About Generation Z

Show me a company that is not interested in hiring and retaining the best talent and I’ll show you a company that is about to go under.

Concerns over a lack of talent remain top of mind for companies that want an edge over its competition.  According to  a Gartner survey, CEOs around the world consider talent shortage to be the top emerging risk for their companies.  That, coupled with Generation Z’s (Gen Z) increasing demands for a short time-to-hire, more face-to-face communication, and a high-tech hiring process, the competition for top talent continues to grow.

With that said, here are five things to know about this amazing demographic:

  1. They are ultra-focused and work efficiently. They’re not looking for a 30-year career with a company.
  2. They’re known as the “digital generation”— they are proficient and sophisticated in navigating through any kind of social media.  
  3. They openly speak their truth to offer balance and goodwill to society and the workplace.
  4. Education is one of their core values.  While it may not always take place in a traditional classroom setting, they seek innovative ways to learn and evolve.  
  5. They believe in authenticity.  If they perceive your brand is focused on only making money and not giving back to the community, they will call you out and offer suggestions on how to make the world a better place.

Focus on unconventional strategies to recruit Generation Z.  They will be a valuable asset to your workforce.

Engage. Encourage. Educate.  And, make it a great day !

4 Powerful Ways to Kickstart Customer Service

4 Powerful Ways to Kickstart Customer Service

Most customers will leave your brand if you don’t give legendary service.

It’s simple.  The quality of a company’s customer service will impact revenue. Offer gold standard experiences and revenue will increase. Deliver consistently poor service, revenues will not only decrease but there’s a good chance the company will go under.

Surprisingly, what matters most in service may not be what you think. Research shows more than anything, customers want to be seen, heard, respected, and have their problems resolved with laser precision and quickness.  They don’t like repeating themselves either! 

Dimensional Research, a market research company, revealed that 69% of consumers attributed their good experience to quick problem resolution, while 72% were irritated with having to explain their problem to multiple employees.

Follow these time-tested solutions in order to take your customer service from ordinary to legendary:

  1. A Powerful Support Team – Every employee is responsible for delivering gold standard service.  Managers are the glue that hold the company together.  They’re responsible for encouraging, training, and motivating all members of the team.
  2. Purpose and Values – Ensure all employees (a) are on board with the company’s vision to serve (b) have a sense of strength and solidarity for the company’s success.
  3. Recognition and Appreciation – Give the team positive feedback and recognition in order to build esteem and enhance a feeling of value and accomplishment.  This will build morale and create happy employees who will deliver exceptional service.
  4. Journey to High Performance – You want team members who are committed to being great, who think in terms of “we” rather than “you”, “I”, and “me”.  You want a team that will anticipate client needs and deliver ultimate luxe.

Strive for Michelin star ratings.  Give such personal and detailed attention as to make clients feel as though they’re the only customers on your books.  And above all…

Make it a great day!