Posts filed under 'Customer Service'
I just got back from a conference where I was facilitating the creation of a new organization for people who work in alumni relations. What struck me most about the meeting was the power of the group as we shared information about the work we do and brainstormed ideas for promoting our new organization. It occurred to me that if we use the power of the “group” in our gift basket businesses, and help our employees feel comfortable working as a team, we can probably be more successful than when we try to carry the burden alone.
In order to encourage teamwork in the workplace, it is critical that as business owners, we recognize and value the people who work in our companies. Each employee brings a unique set of skills and a special perspective to the workplace, based upon his/her past experiences. Author Ken Blanchard says it best: “None of us is as smart as all of us”.
Check out this article on Buzzle.com for many links to articles about teamwork in the workplace, why it’s important, and how we can cultivate a workplace that emphasizes it’s importance. Our employees will thrive if we ask them to share their perspective and utilize some of their ideas. In turn, they are likely to work harder if they’ve had input about the products and services you offer. Customers will be more satisfied and your business will profit. It’s a win/win for everyone!
June 6th, 2010
“Consumers are becoming confident about the economic recovery and their finances are on the mend, according to a new survey of consumer retail spending and trends”. Yet even with this increased confidence, consumers are still cautious about what they’re buying and where they’re shopping and they’re changing their buying habits. Full story.
According to this survey, consumers reported increased use of the internet to investigate products and prices before making a purchase. With easy access to the internet through our mobile phones, people are increasing comparing prices. So what does this mean for our gift basket businesses? If you were offering special pricing or products during the worst part of the recession, you may need to continue to do this. But take some time to analyze which gift baskets your customers bought, and what price points were popular for which occasions. It is unlikely that you will need to always offer a “sale”, but you may need to do that at certain times of year or on certain product.
Researchers also found that consumers are relying more on social media for reviews of products and to find out abut special pricing and promotions. If more shoppers are checking out the web before they make purchases, this might be the time to “spruce up” your web site and make sure that it is appealing and easy to navigate. Consumers won’t stick around too long on a web site where it is difficult to find information.
Although consumer purchasing may be on the upswing, be sure to continue to monitor your business practices and be responsive to your customers’ buying patterns and habits.
May 21st, 2010
A newsletter can help you create a distinctive identity for your business. It’s a way to communicate regularly with your customers; let them know about special promotions, new products, and share other interesting information with them that will make them want to visit your web site or store.
I recently read an informative blog post about the importance of choosing a name for your newsletter. The writer suggested quite a few great tips for making this determination:
- Determine your focus. What do you want your customers to think about your business? What image do you want to portray?
- Think about a name that’s friendly and inviting. Keep it short, but concise so that it’s easy to remember and if emailing, so that it will fit into the subject line.
- Set your expectations for delivery. How often will you publish your newsletter.
While you’re thinking about your newsletter, check out this publication from SCORE. Author Roger Parker lists 12 steps for a successful newsletter and makes several suggestions about stylist things such as layout, spacing, columns, color and more.
May 14th, 2010
Many of us believe that email is the only way to communicate with our customer. Pick up any marketing magazine or go online to check your email and you’ll see articles about email marketing, and using social media to promote our products. There’s no doubt that we need to use new technology in our advertising and marketing efforts, but maybe we shouldn’t forget about direct mail so quickly. According to Denny Hatch, a marketing consultant who writes for Target Marketing Magazine, “direct mail is alive and well”. Full Story.
Market research conducted in 2009 indicates that approximately “75% of 18 – 34 year olds have made at least one purchase resulting from direct mail”. Author Hatch postulates that the overwhelming number of emails that we receive, including lots of spam, is actually decreasing the effectiveness of many email campaigns. And, if you ask someone over 62 years old, you’ll probably hear that they too prefer the old days: newspapers, magazines and direct mail!
I did a quick google search on “using direct mail” and found an article in INC. that while written in 2000, still conveys some good advice.
- Make sure you have a “good list”. Double check addresses and try to make sure that your mailings are going to customers who will be attracted to your products and services. “There are many ways to compile a qualified list, as simple as putting it together yourself from all your contacts and prospects. You can also buy lists from a mail house or list broker, your local chamber of commerce, and other professional groups.”
- Craft a good message. Make sure you have a strong offer (10% off is not usually enough incentive to attract new customers). Make sure your presentation matches your message (if you’re selling upscale gift baskets, a plain post card probably won’t send the right message about the quality of your products). Don’t forget to list your hours, contact information, and address.
Read the full article for more suggestions about your next direct mail campaign.
May 10th, 2010
“Lean Start-Up”. It’s a new term being bantered about Silicon Valley and it applies to any new business venture. “If it works, it will reduce failure rates for entrepreneurial ventures and boost innovation”. Full Story…
The concept of “lean start-ups” was taken from Japanese business ventures and “focused on eliminating any work or investment that doesn’t produce value for customers”. It emphasizes an early and constant focus on customers. It assumes that the product being offered is something consumers really want. It requires regular feedback regarding customer satisfaction and constant tweaking of the product. Then, more analysis of customers’ responses to product alterations. In other words, it is a dynamic, organic, process.
So how does this concept apply to your gift basket business? First, you need to make sure that the product you’re offering is something that your customer base really wants. Have you surveyed your customers recently to learn for what occasions do they buy gift baskets, and what they to hope to convey when they send a gift? Have you asked your customers about their favorite products? Then, take a look at your basket designs. Does your product offering match what they want? Use social media such as Facebook or Twitter to send mini “surveys” to your customer base and get answers to these questions.
Next, once a gift basket is purchased, do you follow up with your customer and the recipient? This is a perfect opportunity to use social media technology. Did the recipient like how it looked and enjoy the products that were included? Was your customer satisfied with the delivery time and overall service? Based upon this feedback, what could you do differently? Take the time to personally call your customer and the recipient, use text messaging, or email the recipient to get this feedback. Then make the changes you need to make to “do it better” next time!
In this competitive market, where consumers have hundreds of options for their purchases, it is critical that we run our businesses in the most cost effective and efficient manner. We can do this by making sure we are selling the products that consumers want, then making adjustments necessary to keep the customers satisified.
April 25th, 2010
Too often, when we’re trying to tackle the everyday problems in our businesses, we immediately start thinking about solutions and strategies before clearly understanding the questions. Nick Burkholder, from First Resource, suggests that a good strategy needs to be based upon a clearly defined mission for your company. Full article…
So why is this important? And how might this play out in your gift basket business? Imagine that two business owners, Jane and Martha, meet for coffee to discuss a common issue: both want to increase their sales by 10% in 2010. Jane’s mission is to provide an extraordinary selection of baskets through on-line promotions and she receives most of her orders through her web site. Martha’s mission is to provide the exceptional customer service and personalized gifts and her business is most often based upon referrals from satisfied customers.Based on this understanding of these differing visions for success, Martha and Jane will choose very different strategies for reaching their goals to increase business by 10%. Jane will spend her marketing dollars on making her web site more user friendly, and designing an email marketing campaign that will target her specific buyers’ preferences. Martha will hire an experienced sales person and gift basket designer who can bring a new “look” to the baskets that she already offers to her customers.
Before choosing a “solution”, make sure that you and your team have a concise and precise idea of the company’s mission. Check back for the next blog post about how to conceptualize and write a mission statement for your company.
April 9th, 2010
In the January / February issue of Specialty News Magazine, author Ari Weinzweig offers eight tips for successful business management. According to Weinzweig, good energy leads to good business. There are many self help books and programs that teaches techniques about how we can use our “personal” energy to create good circumstances in our lives. The popular book and movie “The Secret” is a perfect example.
What you’ll learn in this article is that positive energy in your business, which starts with personal positive energy, can create a responsive, collaborative, vital organization where employees are excited to come to work and customers are anxious to visit and do business.
If you can get your hands on the January / February issue, read the full article to learn how to:
1. differentiate between good and unproductive energy.
2. lead with good energy
3. build good energy
4. protect good energy
5. monitor and mentor others’ energy
6. project your energy
7. manage group energy
8. renew energy
Increase company morale and increase sales by injecting positive energy into your life. As Weinzweig says “the more good energy you and I put out, the more we manage it well in ourselves and others, the more it will attract customers….When energy is better, sales go up, stress goes down, tensions decrease, fun goes up, everything just works better”.
March 28th, 2010
You’ve designed the perfect gift basket! You’ve packed it carefully, and are ready to ship it to the lucky recipient. These days, the cost of freight requires that we charge our customers for these shipments. So what can you do to make sure that you are getting the best freight rates for your customers?
- Check out this blog: Freight Savings Tips. You’ll find weekly updates regarding all aspects of shipping.
- Did you know that USPS offers “same day” and “next day” pick up services? Go to USPS to learn more about pick-up options. You can also learn about the USPS Shipping Assistant®, “a free desktop computer program that combines all the functions you need to create a variety of barcoded USPS shipping labels”.
- Compare services offered by UPS and FedEx freight companies. Call your local offices and ask that a customer service representative come to your business to discuss their freight programs and services they offer. Depending on the number of packages you ship each day, you may be able to negotiate shipping discounts with one of these companies. Don’t be afraid to ask!
Last of all, control your own freight costs by looking for freight deals from your suppliers. Through March 19th, you can save up to $50 on your next shipment of gourmet food components from Apex Gift Foods. Go to Apex to get details about this special offer and learn more about Apex’s everyday, free shipping program.
February 27th, 2010
Are you trying to attract a new customer base to your gift basket business? Think about using direct mail advertisements. I just read an article that suggested while we may believe that the younger generation is only interested in all things electronic, direct mail may still offer a good way to deliver a message to the younger generation about your gift basket business.
Read the full article “Reaching Younger Generations in the Mail” for author Ethan Boldt’s ideas. But here’s one interesting idea from the article that caught my eye: “According to Keith Goodman , vice president of corporate solutions for Modern Postcard, seniors and boomers are more receptive to the more traditional letter-type formats, while Gens X and Y are more receptive to postcard and other self-mailer formats.”
So if younger buyers may still be attracted to direct mail attempts, I started to think about sending postcard promotions. This led me to check out the United States Postal Service where I found a link to the “Premium Postcard.com”. USPS now provides a way for businesses to create and send postcards to promote products or special events. Check out this web site and find out about all the options that are available including a variety of postcard sizes, many different template designs, design and graphic services. You can use your own mailing list and buy new mailing lists. Be sure to look into this great service offered by USPS and use direct mail to attract many new customers to your business.
February 7th, 2010
In the January, 2010 issue of Target Marketing, author Denny Hatch points out the internet, and social networking in particular, has made all businesses more vulnerable in terms of customer satisfaction. Nowadays, customers can voice their delight and displeasure with a particular company in an instant through Facebook and other social media web sites.I just heard a story on National Public Radio last week about something similar: ski resorts, that used to advertise about “great conditions on the slopes” have to now be very careful about their reports…anyone on the slopes can transmit real-time ski conditions to their friends and millions of others! If the “real experience” doesn’t match the advertisements, skiiers will stop showing up!
So what’s this have to do with loyalty? When we hear about “loyalty” in the business arena, we most often think about whether our customers are loyal to us. Recently, I overheard a business owner talk about how a long time customer had “left them” to buy a product for a nickel less from a competitor.
But according to Michael Schrage (Financial Times, May 1, 2007), maybe we shouldn’t be talking about whether our customers are loyal to us, but if we are loyal to them. Are we doing the best we can to offer the best value, product and price? Have we gone the extra mile to resolve a problem for a customer? Based upon research conducted by a hotel chain, it was found that “their most persuasive ‘word of mouth’ support comes more from individuals who have had an unpleasant problem happily resolved than those who simply enjoyed ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ service. The willingness and ability to see a difficult situation through to success despite cost and risk is what defines loyalty.”
So maybe we need to stop talking about how loyal our customers are to us and concentrate on what we can do to demonstrate our loyalty to them. Providing consistently good service (which includes such simple things as being polite and respectful), offering products at a fair price and taking care of problems in a timely, positive manner would be a great place for us to start.
January 17th, 2010
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