It's important to know how to recognize and avoid online scams any time of year but especially during the holidays. Last week, one of my wife's closest friends called, concerned that she had fallen for an online scam. Earlier that day, a pop-up, supposedly from Microsoft, filled her screen, informing her that her computer was [...]
So, does your business move at the speed of change? I remember attending a management presentation promoted as being geared toward small businesses. It lasted more than 45 minutes. It was all over the place. The presenter shared several acronyms verbatim from a PowerPoint presentation. Don't get me wrong, most of the content had merit. [...]
So, where does great customer service begin? One of my clients is a niche retailer. They've been in business for more than 40 years, establishing themselves in the market. They've done this by serving their customers and meeting customer needs. Although they're known for customer service, they retained me to identify opportunities to improve their [...]
There are more than 4 keys to great customer service but it starts with these 4. Without these 4 basic keys you'll fail and the nightmares will begin. You were awakened last night from a sound sleep by a nightmare. In your dream, a disappointed customer posted a not too complimentary video on Facebook. It [...]
I've served on a vision team on three occasions, two of which I facilitated. The first was at a time when the economy had just kicked most companies in the rear. All three vision teams successfully focused the businesses on a future path. All three organizations have experienced record growth since. I'm not saying the [...]
Is it time to grow your business? Your business is stagnant. You're not growing, and yet you don't have enough hours in the day to get everything done. Your revenues aren't enough to afford more help, and you can't take on any more yourself. It's not that you don't want to grow—you do. You fear [...]
Is there too much on your menu? When my father was in his late 80s he didn’t get out much. However, one thing he looked forward to was our weekly Sunday morning breakfast. It became a tradition. We varied and rotated restaurants over the years, but usually stuck with the same staples. Dad always had [...]
So, do you company policies serve your customer’s needs? I read a phrase in an SBA (Small Business Administration) post titled Marketing 101 that struck a nerve, "All company policies and activities should be directed toward satisfying customer needs." Most of my career has been in sales and marketing. Customer service hasn't only been important to [...]
So far, you've done well growing your small business. You began as a solopreneur, grown your business, added employees, and continued growth. The problem is, it's becoming more and more challenging to juggle everything you do. Small companies often plateau because the business plan that got them there becomes ineffective. You can't manage a grocery [...]
Where Does Your Business Cause Customers Pain? Where does your business cause customers pain? Our internet at home was down Sunday evening. It took my wife over 30 minutes to fight through the maze of automated customer service questions to reach someone who could help us. Last week, I went online to buy a friend’s [...]
