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Business Owners: Are You Guilty Of Negligence?…

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If you’ve recently started a business, I’m sure you’re quickly discovering just how much goes into making it a success. Your big idea is just the start of it. From there, you need to think about your HR, marketing, IT infrastructure and a whole host of other factors. With so much going on, it’s essential to make sure you don’t neglect anything important. Here are some things that you simply can’t afford to neglect…

Office Data Backup

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Entrepreneurship | Business Owners: Are You Guilty Of Negligence?...
Photo courtesy of Torkild Retvedt via flickr

Office data backup is something that you’ll hopefully never have to use, but you’ll be glad you have it if and when the need arises. Backing up your office data is a great insurance policy against the unexpected. Files can be wiped from your servers, sabotaged by a disgruntled employee, or some kind of freak disaster could damage the servers beyond repair. By regularly backing up all your company’s important data, you’ll be able to get the company up and running again soon afterwards. Despite the massive importance of backing up, a lot of small businesses manage to overlook it completely. If you haven’t already, take a look at your options and set up a dependable system for backing up your files.

The Employee Handbook

Neglecting this part of your business is usually a side-effect of rapid growth. In the early days of your business, when there’s only you and a few employees, any kind of solid HR policies aren’t really that necessary. However, when your business starts to grow and develop as an organization, you’ll need to take on a lot more staff. This means you’re going to need some solid rules in place. A good employee handbook will introduce new recruits to the company’s core values, mission and culture, will tell them what’s expected of them, but most importantly, it will tell them what’s permissible and what’s not. By taking the time to draft an employee handbook, you’ll protect yourself from all kinds of costly litigation and disputes. Whether you do it all on your own steam or reach out to an employment law firm like Ellis Whittam, an employee handbook is an absolute must. Just a few printed words can make all the difference to your company’s future!

A Good CRM

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Entrepreneurship | Business Owners: Are You Guilty Of Negligence?...

CRMs, short for customer relationship management platforms, are great tools for managing your company’s interactions with both current and prospective customers. With one of these in place, your company will enjoy better workflow, will be able to automate various tasks, increase the number of sales leads you’re getting and generally increase productivity. Although these auxiliary programs were once considered a luxury, an increasing number of firms are using them, and they’re quickly becoming something of an essential resource for any modern business. Despite what you may have been led to believe, CRMs aren’t exclusive to big businesses anymore, and the packages on the market are getting more and more cost-effective all the time.

As you move forward with your business, make sure you’re not neglecting any of these and holding your firm back from what it can achieve!

7 Ways a Senior Concierge Business Can Help Senior Citizens

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article | 7 Ways a Senior Concierge Business Can Help Senior CitizensSenior Concierge businesses help senior citizens with some of their day to day tasks that are becoming difficult for them to accomplish alone. They aren’t home health aides or any other type of medical caregivers. Rather, they allow those who need in-home senior care to get many of the things on their to-do list checked off. Think of them as errand services or personal assistants.

There are many tasks a Senior Concierge can assist with. These seven are some of the most popular reasons to use a Senior Concierge.

A Senior Concierge Can Grocery Shop for an Older Person

Grocery shopping can be difficult for a senior citizen. Getting to and from the store as well as maneuvering grocery carts and reaching many items is more than some elderly people can manage.

A Senior Concierge can accompany an older person to the store, assisting them as they do their shopping. Or, the concierge can go to the store for their client, making sure to get all the items the senior has asked them to buy. A concierge can also help to put the groceries away.

A Senior Concierge Can Accompany the Elderly to Medical Appointments

While concierges aren’t medical professionals, they can take senior citizens to and from medical appointments when a family member or friend is unable to. Not only does this ensure the client gets to and from needed appointments, it gives the senior an extra set of ears to listen to the doctor’s instructions.

An important thing a Senior Concierge can do at these appointments is to write down everything the doctor says, making sure nothing gets overlooked. That written information is valuable to both the senior and to any family member or friend who would like to know what happened at the medical appointment.

Medication Pick Up and Organization Gets Done On Time with a Senior Concierge

Getting medications on time is important for senior citizens, and a Senior Concierge can ensure that prescriptions and over-the-counter medications are picked up from the pharmacy in a timely manner.

Another medication service a concierge offers is to organize medications. They can put medications in daily pill boxes to make sure the senior is taking the right medications at the correct times.

A Senior Concierge Can Make Sure Seniors Don’t Miss Face Time with Family

Many seniors delight in the chance to video chat with their children, grandchildren, and other family members, but sometimes technology can be confusing for them.

A Senior Concierge can come to the home to facilitate video calls between seniors and their loved ones so they don’t miss valuable face time chatting with them. They can make sure the chat gets started correctly and help if it becomes disconnected.

Pets Are Easier for Seniors to Manage when a Senior Concierge Helps

Pets offer senior citizens many benefits. They’re great companions and can decrease loneliness and depression in the elderly. It sometimes becomes difficult for an older person to take care of their pets.

A Senior Concierge can help manage pets. They can take dogs for walks or empty cat litter boxes. They can also take pets for their veterinary check-ups.

Seniors Can Continue to Send Gifts the Way They Love to with the Help of a Senior Concierge

When it comes to buying gifts for birthdays and holidays, many seniors would love to be able to shop the way they once could, but physically they are unable to get to the stores. Purchasing gifts from the Internet can be an intimidating task.

A Senior Concierge can help purchase gifts, either by going to the store to buy them or assisting an elderly person to shop online. They can also wrap gifts or address greeting cards. If gifts need to be mailed, they can take care of that, also.

The Elderly Laundry Gets Done Right by a Senior Concierge

Not all seniors have their laundry room on the same floor as their living area. Managing steps makes it difficult to do their own laundry.

Going up and down the stairs is something that a Senior Concierge can do for their clients. They can wash, dry and fold laundry, carrying the laundry baskets that might be difficult and dangerous for an elderly person.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Kelsey SimpsonKelsey Simpson enjoys writing about things that can help others. She lives in South Jersey and is the proud companion to two German Shepherds and spends her free time volunteering in dog shelters.

How to Build Customer Relations That Cannot Be Broken

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |build customer relations |How to Build Customer Relations That Cannot Be BrokenAre you a switcher?

Switchers are unhappy customers who switch from one company to another. Across the nation, businesses are losing close to $62 billion every year because of switchers.

As a business owner, you work hard to provide your customers with incredible experiences. However, sometimes things that are outside of your control are going to happen. Thankfully, business owners can learn to build customer relations that survive bad experiences.

Are you ready to find out how to create loyal customers? Read on to find out the secret to building resilient customer relations.

Build Customer Relations

The first step in learning to build customer relations that last is by knowing where you stand.

Here’s a short quiz to evaluate your company’s current customer relations:

  1. Are your customers recommending your company to family and friends?
  2. Are you attracting new customers regularly?
  3. Do you have a positive customer retention rate?

If you can’t answer yes to the questions above it’s probably because you need to improve your customer service in one or more areas. If you want to be a customer service expert, that means you want to build meaningful relationships with your clientele. Depending on the nature of your business and the budget you have at hand, you can achieve this goal by investing in phone systems for small business or training your employees to improve their customer service. Any of these strategies will require resources from your business, but as long as they’re implemented with consistency, these can serve as bridges for your business upon which to build customer relations.

The best way to lay the foundation for any relationship, whether business or personal, is with trust — and it’ll be very easy for customers to trust your brand if you prioritize their needs and provide excellent customer service whenever they reach out to you.

Be Real With Your Customers

Customers can’t trust you if they don’t know who you are. One of the biggest steps in learning to build customer relations involves learning to be yourself.

Customers want to know the real you. While it’s true you can’t come to work and behave the same way you might at home, this doesn’t mean you have to be fake. Authenticity will go a long way with each of your customer interactions.

If you want to be real with your customers, start by letting them know what your business does and what your brand is. Are you a business that prioritizes customer service? Or do you want to be known as a business that provides high-quality products and services? Regardless of what you want your business to become in the eyes of the public, it’s important that you communicate this message properly.

As a business, you should be real with your customers by setting their expectations and letting them know what your business can and can’t do. Transparency is always key when building customer relationships with your target audience.

Ask the Right Questions

One way you can be truly authentic with your customers is by asking them questions that matter. Let’s say for instance that you work in the hospitality industry.

As the customer is getting ready to leave your hotel, ask them, “Will we be seeing you again soon?”. After you ask the question, be quiet and give your customers a chance to answer. There are typically 3 answers your customer will give; Yes, Maybe and No.

Aside from building customer relations that can’t be broken, asking the right questions at the right time can also help your business improve its process. The information you can gain from your customers during this phase can help your business streamline its efforts, so you’ll end up providing products and services that suit your customers’ needs and wants.

Retaining Happy Customers

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. You can always ask customers if they’ll be bringing their business to you again.

If the customer says, “yes”, you’ll know you provided A-class service. However, just because a customer says they’ll return, that doesn’t mean you should end the conversation.

A happy customer is likely to want to share details about their interactions with your company and employees. Taking the time to listen to a customer talk about their positive experience, shows them you truly care. If the competition isn’t willing to really listen, you’ll instantly have a loyal customer.

You can also use the conversation as an opportunity to learn more about what you’re doing that’s working. Perhaps the customer loved the way you packaged their documents, or they enjoy your user-friendly website. The more feedback you can get from customers, the easier it’ll be to keep making them happy.

Winning Back Unhappy Customers

Let’s pretend you ask a customer if they’ll be returning to your business and they say, “maybe”, or “no”. When a customer feels comfortable saying they’re unhappy, you have a golden opportunity to win them back. However, it’s a delicate situation and you have to be careful to position yourself correctly in the conversation.

Contrary to popular belief, winning back unhappy customers is an attainable task. When you come across unhappy customers, take the time to listen to their concerns or complaints. Often, customers are unhappy about a specific business if they were unsatisfied with the products or services given to them. If this is the reason why your customer is unhappy, provide a guarantee that your business will do better moving forward.

Stop Saying Sorry

You never want the customer to feel as if you’re arguing with them or pushing them to choose your company. This is why you should avoid saying “sorry”, and instead show sincerity by actively listening.

Statements like, “I’m sorry to hear that”, can sound like an excuse to customers. It’s also a bad idea to say sorry since you don’t know what the customer’s experience was yet.

One of the best ways to have difficult conversations with customers, is by asking open-ended questions. An open-ended question is one that you cannot answer by saying yes or no. Instead, open-ended questions cause people to think, speak, and reflect on how they’re feeling.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

After a customer tells you they might not be returning to your company, or they’re not coming back, politely ask them why they won’t be returning. You can say, “I don’t want to bother you, we pride ourselves on the experience. Please tell me, why wouldn’t you come back?”

The main idea here is to ask an open-ended question that will help reveal the full story of your customer’s experience. After the customer explains why they’re unsatisfied, make sure you reply with a real response, not something fake.

To keep it real, avoid having employees use scripted responses. Instead, summarize and speak back the story you just heard to the customer. Now, they’ll know you were listening, and they’ll be able to offer any details they may have left out.

Express Genuine Interest

Chances are you’re super excited about the product or service you have to offer customers. Your excitement is contagious and people want to know that you care about your brand and your products. When you’re interacting with your customers, listen more than you talk.

Focus on Customers Life

When you speak with customers, the majority of the conversation should focus on things that have to do with the customer on a personal level. Ask the customer how they are doing, how their family is, what life goals they’re achieving, and so on. If you’re providing a service for their business, find out how their company’s doing.

The more you can learn about your customers, the more you’ll be able to find ways to provide value to them in your relationship. Oftentimes, companies fall into the trap of promoting their specials or deals or packages to customers that don’t need it.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Actively listening to your customers will help you avoid suggesting products or services they don’t need. Sure, a company’s package deal may be great for somebody looking to get a bundle, but what if the customer just wants to buy one thing?

If employees try to push the package deal on them, the customer may leave upset, or worse buy the product and not get enough value. A customer that doesn’t feel heard, or doesn’t receive value from your company, isn’t going to come back.

Small Words Big Sales

Listen to your customers, the smallest things they say can sometimes lead to the biggest sales. Not only will you get sales opportunities, but you’ll also be building meaningful relationships.

Another benefit of listening closely is you’ll create a work culture that cares about the customer first. When new customers see the way you treat your existing customers, don’t want to be a part of it.

Strengthen Every Relationship

Now you know how to use expert customer service to build customer relations. Taking the time to listen to what people have to say, is one of the strongest ways to show you care.

Remember, customer relationships aren’t static, they’re always changing. For more ways to keep up with your customers in the ever-changing market, check out the rest of the site.

Make Your Company Customer-Centric – and Increase Profitability by a Whopping 75 Percent

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article | Make Your Company Customer-Centric - and Increase Profitability by a Whopping 75 PercentTechnology has provided us with unprecedented advances, information, knowledge, instant access and entertainment. It has changed the way we communicate, behave and think. But it has also led to a dramatic decline in our people skills. In the business world, focusing strictly on a digital experience will eliminate customer loyalty and emotional connection to a brand.

While there’s no denying that technology has amazing advantages to make it easier for the customer in most cases. But businesses need to provide it in moderation and not at the cost of the human experience. Even in this digital age, personal relationships are critical to building trust and loyalty with customers. Despite all the tech advancements, the disruptive force happening in business today is relationship building.

Research shows that a 5 percent increase in customer satisfaction can increase a company’s profitability by whopping 75 percent. Furthermore, 80 percent of a company’s future revenue will come from just 20 percent of the existing customer base.

Business leaders striving to stand out from the competition need to reinvent their business model to marry digital and human experiences in the best way possible. They need to place their emphasis on customer service in order to dominate in today’s emerging Relationship Economy.

Use these strategies to make your company customer-centric:

1. Recognize the importance of customer service to the bottom line. Executives frequently focus on analyzing the company’s profit and loss to determine where the company is over-spending and being wasteful, and then figure out how to reduce expenses to drive more profit to the bottom line. However, a company’s biggest expense doesn’t show on a P&L, at least not directly. There’s no line item for poor customer service, but nothing may have a greater impact on your bottom line than dissatisfied customers. Poor customer service dramatically causes loss of sales, decline of company reputation, lack of new customers and referrals, increased discounting, lower morale, higher turnover — all further perpetuating a poor customer experience. It’s imperative that every person in your company understands that your biggest expense is dissatisfied customers.

2. Intentionally train employees. Customer service and soft skills aren’t common sense. Companies must intentionally train employees to avoid the traps of a low service aptitude and to embrace the customer’s perspective. The best companies teach their employees to educate customers rather than sell to them. Doing that requires real commitment on the part of a company and someone to make sure that it’s followed up by action.

3. Make customer satisfaction the driving force throughout the organization.  It’s clear that developing a customer-obsessed organization extends well beyond your customer service team. It has to be the responsibility of every single department: human resources, training, marketing, support, sales, IT, finance, operations and, most importantly, leadership. Employee compensation needs to be as focused on customer retention — delivering world-class customer service – as it is on customer acquisition.

4. Reallocate advertising and marketing dollars to customer experience. Traditional branding is an old paradigm. Today, marketing is no longer in control of your brand — it’s now the customer who drives public perception through reviews and referrals. Companies weary of spending exorbitant amounts on advertising and marketing are now acknowledging the role of the customer and placing the marketing department under customer experience. Those doing have found that investing in the customer experience has a better return-on-investment than advertising.

5. Work to build repeat customers. A shortsighted obsession with constantly bringing in new customers to your business is significantly more expensive than building an incredible customer experience. Start asking yourself if you’re constantly offering incentives to new customers only. What about rewarding the customers who’ve been loyal and who do business with you regularly, or refer others to your firm? You ignore them at your peril. This is because repeat customers spend more than new customers, give higher satisfaction scores and give referrals more often than new customers.

In the Relationship Economy the primary currency is made up of the connections and trust among customers, employees and vendors that create significantly more value in what you sell. These relationships and connections help make price irrelevant and make your organization the one that customers can’t live without. Companies that flourish in the Relationship Economy will attract a higher percentage of clients who value doing business with a brand that demonstrates not only expertise, but also genuine caring.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | John DiJuliusJohn DiJulius is president of The DiJulius Group and a sought-after authority on world-class customer experience, working with companies such as The Ritz-Carlton, Lexus, Starbucks, Progressive Insurance and more. In his new book, The Relationship Economy: Building Stronger Customer Connections in the Digital Age (Greenleaf, Oct. 8, 2019), he shows readers how to attain meaningful, lasting relationships with customers. Learn more at thedijuliusgroup.com.

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