We’re Retuning to Work!

On June 30, 2021   /   All Star Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, How to Increase Employee Loyalty, Pandemic Resolutions, Uncategorized   /   Leave a comment
We’re Retuning to Work!

At last !  The world is slowly reopening and employees are returning to work.  Everyone is excited about being out and about…especially business owners.  In all of the commotion, there’s a high probability that abundant changes are needed in the workplace.  In this blog, we’re offering ideas about how to enhance employee morale, strengthen customer service, and increase sales.   

Change your perspective

View “new normal” challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement.  Avoid approaching problems with a defeatist attitude.  Visualize how positive outcomes will help your firm thrive.  Then share your ideas with clients via social media and other communication outlets.

Get back to basics

Revisit soft skills basics such as effective communication, empathy, and positive attitudes.  Now is not the time to allow customer service to fall by the wayside; in fact, it’s time to double down on delivering an experience that is unique only to your brand.  Empathize with customers and maintain a positive mindset.

Communication is key.  Be upfront and honest with clients about what they should expect from the level of service you’ll deliver.  Keep them in the loop about policy changes.

Set realistic attainable expectations from your team.  Highlight  expectations in weekly staff huddles.  

If a project cost is going to run over due to price increases in raw materials, share this information with clients immediately.  Give as much information as possible to ensure an understanding that they’re not being overcharged.  

Let your customer know you appreciate their patience by writing personalized “thank you” notes, applying a customized postage stamp, and dropping it in the mail.

Products and Policies

Due to shifts in the marketplace, consider whether you should update your company’s policy or services.  Whether it’s a reduced staffing model or limited supplies, these “constraints” may require a change in how you conduct business.  Doing so may increase employee efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Let us know in the comments how your business is pivoting in the face of such challenges. 

Make it a great day!

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5 Tips to Attract Young Consumers

On February 24, 2021   /   All Star Customer Satisfaction, College Students, Effective Listening, Emotional Intelligence, Getting Loyal Employees   /   Leave a comment
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?

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5 Transforming Workplace Facts About Generation Z

On January 27, 2021   /   Getting Loyal Employees, How to Increase Employee Loyalty, Innovative Problem Resolutions, Uncategorized   /   Leave a comment
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 !

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Ask 5 Questions: Then Pandemic-Proof Your Small Business

On December 30, 2020   /   All Star Customer Satisfaction, Getting Loyal Employees, Innovative Problem Resolutions, Leadership, Providing Exceptional Customer Experiences, Virtual Customer Service   /   Leave a comment
Ask 5 Questions: Then Pandemic-Proof Your Small Business

Customer service delivery has become more complex thanks to a global pandemic.  It is the customer who has leveraged control and has demanded a positive experience, not the company.  

Nearly overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic elevated the importance of delivering fast and accurate digital experiences to customers who found themselves cut off from conventional ways of doing business.

According to a global study by ESI ThoughtLab and ServiceNow, a measly 27% of companies have transitioned from recruiting underperforming in-house talent to high-efficiency automated systems in order to deliver top drawer customer experiences (CX).

So, what’s at stake?  Profitability.  As you answer the five questions listed below, consider whether your responses match what’s in your pandemic plan, company core values, mission statement, and corporate culture philosophy:

  1. Has your team developed skills to create a digital customer experience (CX)?
  2. Have you identified the touchpoint that matters to your customers?
  3. Has your team aligned its objectives & key results (OKRs) with CX?
  4. Has your company consolidated data into a single customer view?
  5. How much progress has your team made toward providing a personalized CX (creating personas specific client demographics)?

The largest returns from CX initiatives come from positioning the right people, processes, and technologies in the right departments to deliver a superior experience time after time.   According to ESI ThoughtLab and ServiceNow, almost 50% of global leaders reported a moderate to large ROI due to maintaining an efficient and  personalized CX platform, versus only 22% for others.

You may have already implemented the necessary safety measures to protect employees and clients from further complications of COVID-19 and future disasters; however, it is also important to know that protecting and growing your small business is about finding ways to anticipate the needs of your clients and to deliver superior service with laser precision.  Trailblazers constantly search for ways to implement state-of-the-art safety and delivery systems that will benefit both clients and employees as well as local and global supply chains.

Remember, clients are your “why”.  Show them that you are in this for them and with them.

Make it a great day.

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Attract/Retain the Best Employees Via Company Loyalty

On July 25, 2018   /   Effective Communication, How to Increase Customer Loyalty, How to Increase Employee Loyalty, Increasing Profits   /   Leave a comment
Attract/Retain the Best Employees Via Company Loyalty

Ask almost any company in any industry right now if they are having difficulty finding skilled employees and/or retaining their best employees and you’ll probably get an earful of woes they are facing.

One of the ways to attract and retain excellent workers is to be loyal to them.  How, you might ask, does one make THAT happen?  Well, one way is to treat employees in the same manner that you treat your best customers/clients.  

Let’s take a closer look.   To get consumers to stay with you, it is important to:

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