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Don't write off those old fashioned ways
I received a handwritten postcard recently from a supplier of mine last week. It had a real impact on me and reminded me that sometime, doing things the old way is a great way to stand out from the crowd. Forget Resolutions, think Revolutions
January is traditionally the time for New Year Resolutions. But instead, here are 10 ideas for New Year Revolutions - simple things that can help revolutionize your approach to your customers in 2008. In praise of praise
Many organisations are quick to act when things go wrong. But what about when things go well? Given the importance to staff of praise and recognition, why is customer praise not handled with the same energy as customer complaints? How can I get them to take some notice?
Mike's job in a financial institution is to handle complaints about miss-selling – and he's worried by the number of unhappy customers who contact him every day. But his bosses won't face up to the problem. Andy Hanselman offers some advice. A breath of fresh air or just sweet FA?
Just as young footballers watch and copy the bad behaviour of their sporting idols, so employees copy the actions and inactions of their bosses. So remember, change starts at the top – and actions always speak louder than words. The ties that bind
Tying customers into your business has huge benefits, but only if it's their choice. The best businesses aren't just easy to buy from, they ought to be easy to walk away from, too. In the long run, keeping customers locked in against their will is no good for anybody.
To be, or be seen to be – that is the question.
More and more businesses are going green. But delve a little deeper and it becomes clear that much of this is greenwashing - many are just going through the motions. They might have jumped on a bandwagon but they're going to fall off – and fall hard.
Don't mind the gap, expand it!
The attitude of many businesses towards customers is all about consistency. Consistent mediocrity, that is. It's "aim low, reach your goals, avoid disappointment". And by focusing on minimum standards, they become the norm. The only way to break this habit is to break the rules. Creating a high performance culture – breathe in and out
Building a culture that creates competitive advantage is critical to business success. But because this is all about attitudes and behaviours, many organisations find this impossible. Here's how to go about it. There's no hiding place!
Thanks to the Internet, customers are demanding more, questioning more and talking more. This word of mouse is great news for organisations that deliver, but very bad news for those that do not. Extend It Like Beckham!
David Beckham may not be the best soccer player in the world, but he maximises what he's got and charges a premium price for it. Is that true of your business? Are you utilising your competitive assets and maximising your opportunities like he is? Make 2007 your year of living differently
If you make just one New Year Resolution for your business, it should be to do something that nobody would expect you to. Go on, stick your neck out. It might just get you ahead! Profits - happy or crappy?
Creating competitive advantage by providing extra services that customers actually value rather than trying to extract every penny from them seems a simple strategy. It's amazing so many organisations don't get it. A matter of trust
Public trust in institutions and companies is declining - and no wonder. Yet far too many companies still don't understand that if they want to attract and keep their customers, building trust is vital. Do you only hear what you want to hear?
Far too many organisations take the attitude with their customers: "when things go well please tell us; when they don't, then don't bother". Great expectations
It's all very well aiming to delight your customers by exceeding their expectations, but what if their expectations were low in the first place? It might be better, then, to focus on their experience rather than their expectations. Are you doing a scriptease?
Any business that encourages (or even allows) customer service reps to do nothing more than read from a prepared script is demonstrating little more than contempt for their customers. Be creative about being creative
The role of the leader is to be an enemy of the status quo. That means challenging, questioning and generating ideas for improvement. And it also means inspiring others in the business to do the same. |
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