Angela Megasko.com » Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience http://www.angelamegasko.com Helping You Create the Ultimate Customer Experience Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:13:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: Unforgettable You! http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-unforgettable-you/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-unforgettable-you/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:13:13 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=776 “Unforgettable, that’s what you are.

Unforgettable, though near or far.”

These are the first two lines of the song, “Unforgettable” – one of Nat King Cole’s greatest hits. For those of your reading this blog who may not be familiar with him, Nat King Cole, was a musician who arrived on the music scene as a jazz pianist who also became know for his soft, smooth baritone vocals.  He was popular between 1935 and 1964, with a career that included a television show hosted by Cole in the late 1950s – a controversial move by NBC since no other television shows were hosted by African Americans at that time.  Nat King Cole died in February 1965 from lung cancer. His daughter, Natalie Cole carries on the music tradition and is a star in her own right. “Unforgettable” is one of my favorite Nat King Cole songs. No matter where I am or what I am doing, when I hear it, I stop and listen.  His voice, his grace in dealing with adversity, and his incredible talent made Cole an unforgettable entertainer.

I was waiting to meet with one of my clients the other day and as I sat in the lobby of his office, “Unforgettable” was playing in the background. The thought occurred to me of how nice it would be if all of our customers thought of us as “unforgettable” – encouraging repeat business that translates to profitability.

In order for us to be unforgettable to the customer, we need to make sure our customers are unforgettable to us.  As a CEO, it is your responsibility to encourage your staff to (1) call the customer by name, especially if he/she is a repeat client, (2) know something personal about the customer – a favorite hobby, pastime or interest,  and (3) know the preferences of your customer in terms of the products or services they buy from you. If your organization keeps a customer relationship management (CRM) database, getting and retrieving this data should be easy. If you don’t capture and store your customer data, perhaps it’s time to consider doing so. There are too many options out there for customers today and if you’re not developing and maintaining a relationship with your customers, I guarantee you…somebody else will be.

So the next time you engage with your customers, clients, patients, or members, make the transaction not only memorable, make it – unforgettable.

]]> http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-unforgettable-you/feed/ 0 Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: Celebrating the American Workforce! http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-celebrating-the-american-workforce/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-celebrating-the-american-workforce/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:47:27 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=890 As we get ready to celebrate this last big holiday weekend of the summer, here in the United States, consider for a moment your place of importance in the world of business and commerce. Like the first Labor Day, celebrated on September 5, 1882, our observance of this special day should be about celebrating the strength and esprit de corps of the business and industry organizations of our nation. Now, more than ever, we should celebrate and recognize the dedicated teams of men and women who serve our customers and support our great nation with their skills and talents.

The Labor Day Holiday is all about our workers. Anyone who has ever flipped a hamburger, stocked shelves in a grocery store, written copy for an ad agency, driven a delivery truck, worked on a customer service hotline, led a corporation, or done any of the thousands of jobs out there, is a part of this holiday celebration. As you budget for next year, consider instituting a “Labor Day Picnic” or company celebration at your place of business to bring staff together and remind them of their importance, not only to your organization but, to the success of our nation.

Happy Labor Day to the American Workforce!

]]> http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-celebrating-the-american-workforce/feed/ 0 Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: So Many Choices, So Little Time http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-so-many-choices-so-little-time/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-so-many-choices-so-little-time/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:50:28 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=775 As a consumer, do you ever remember a time when you had so many choices? There are options for everything! Think about how many grocery stores are within a 10 mile radius of your home. How many drug stores or pharmacies are nearby? Is there a bank or credit union on every corner? Advertising messages are coming at us from every angle and the “noise” in the marketplace is deafening.

Now go from the macroscopic view of the marketplace to the microscopic view of the brands we have to choose from. The last time I needed to buy laundry detergent, there had to be dozens of choices for me, as a consumer, to consider. Laundry detergent isn’t the only product that sends the consumer into analysis paralysis! Seems every product and service on the market has its share of competition – and lots of it!

The point of this line of questioning is to get you to stop and think – as a consumer- about what it is that makes you loyal to a business or brand.  What do they do that keeps you coming back for more? For most of you, the answer will be service since little else differentiates businesses in today’s marketplace.  The businesses and brands that strive to keep the customer at the center of their focus will be the ones capturing the lion’s share of the business out there. Providing a service oriented approach – in other words, constantly asking yourself – “Is there anything more I can be doing to make my customers’ lives better (easier, simpler, etc.)?” – will create an environment of doing business with your customers that will make them eager to engage in their next transaction with you.

As a business leader, take the lessons you learn from each of the companies you patronize and the brands that have captured your loyalty and begin to transfer their customer retention strategies to your business. Keep in mind that it’s important to have a solid customer service plan in place that is clearly communicated to each member of your company and don’t forget to mystery shop several times a year to ensure that your plan is being followed. Your customers will be sure to let you know if you are on the right track when it comes to getting their repeat business!

]]> http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-so-many-choices-so-little-time/feed/ 0 Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: You Are Only As Strong As Your Weakest Link http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-you-are-only-as-strong-as-your-weakest-link/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-you-are-only-as-strong-as-your-weakest-link/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:39:18 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=774 Companies are the chains that link customers to the products or services they want or need. Consider that each department in a company is a link on the chain. Now think of the departments in your own organization and the number of times a customer may encounter someone working in that department. Thinking of your organization in this way can only drive home the point that your company, franchise, store, practice, or organization is only as strong as its weakest link.

I am often called in to organizations to consult on customer service. Many CEOs will ask me to analyze what’s going on in their customer service departments and suggest fixes for the most common complaints about that department – employees with surly attitudes, the inability to manage angry customers, employee disinterest in the customer to name a few. What I am always amazed to discover is that quite often the problems have started long before the customer even gets to the customer service department. The problem has occurred with the weak link in the chain – the department or departments that are operating according to their own set of standards and policies.  The customer service department is usually the last resort for the customer who couldn’t find satisfaction elsewhere in the organization. Customer service is usually the dumping ground for all the unmet expectations of the customer, who has tried their level best to guide themselves through your process using the chain you have provided for them.  The customer often arrives in the customer service department annoyed, frustrated, confused, or angry. They rarely arrive here happy and  singing the praises of your organization.

Knowing that this department is the last stop for many customers, why is it that so many organizations are unwilling to invest in the recognition, training, and support of the people who handle the less-than-happy customer?

Here are a few key things to think about as you plan for the next quarter/year:

  • Spend time listening to your customer service department. They know which departments are the weak link in your chain. Most organizations have several weak links.
  • Do a thorough audit of your inter-departmental policies.  Pay close attention to those policies that require help or support from other departments in the organization.
  • Coach your managers to be collaborative. Too often, passive aggressive behavior and sabotage ruin organizations that allow this type of culture.
  • Mystery shop or survey your customers on a regular basis. Ask your customers how well you  deliver on all aspects of your operations – from marketing to customer service!

Do you have a plan in place for auditing your “chain”?

]]> http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-you-are-only-as-strong-as-your-weakest-link/feed/ 0 Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: Hit the Ball. Drag Charlie. http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-hit-the-ball-drag-charlie/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-hit-the-ball-drag-charlie/#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:26:12 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=772 This post is for all you golf lovers out there! Unfortunately, I don’t have a whole lot of time to spend on this sport, but when summer rolls around, I often think of a good friend of mine who is a scratch golfer. Now, for those of you who may not be interested in, or know much about this sport, suffice it to say, my friend Jim is a very very very good golfer. He practices daily. When he is not playing a round of 18 or 36 holes, he is at the driving range or putting green continuing to perfect his swing and his short game. Jim is so intent on this sport that it is actually painful for him to play with someone who is not as good as he is. If I happen to be talking to Jim and I know that he played that day, I’ll often ask him how his game was. If Jim had been playing with someone with only meager ability but a huge love of the sport, he will often say, “Any day playing golf is great but today, I hit the ball and then…I had to drag Charlie.” I guess it’s tough for some people who are really good at what they do to tolerate those who struggle.

As I think about good golfers and the lesson they have to teach us, I am reminded that in our own corporations, we have people like this. Most of our staff, for example, is performing adequately. They do their jobs, no more – no less. Then there’s that smaller percentage who struggle. They may have been selected to do a job for which they are not prepared or in which they have no interest. And then finally, we have our “Jims”, the superstars who seem to excel no matter what we throw at them by way of a task or challenge. I really worry about this group, because the superstars, like my friend Jim, have a tendency to get really frustrated when they see management accepting less than the best from their employees. We run the risk of losing this group if we are not managing all three areas of the skill set spectrum. Superstars, in particular, do not want to spend their day “hitting the ball and dragging Charlie.”

As managers, know that you have tools available to you to help you with the skill set management task. Mystery shopping, for example, is a great tool to use to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the performance of individual staff members. It will allow you to recognize and reward your superstars and at the same time, it will give you the information you need to identify those who may need more training or coaching. It is also a useful tool to help you determine if you have the right people in the right positions on your staff. You may need to consider moving some people to jobs that better suit their skills and talents. Your mystery shopping reports will help you determine this.

How do you keep your superstars from getting frustrated?

]]> http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-hit-the-ball-drag-charlie/feed/ 0 Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: The Library and Cell Phones! http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-the-library-and-cell-phones/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-the-library-and-cell-phones/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:01:31 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=789 I am so mad!! What has this world come to that we don’t seem to be able to live without our cell phones for even brief periods of time?

I was in the public library the other evening returning a book and borrowing two more. (Yes, despite the Kindle craze and the ability to download a book onto my Smartphone, I still prefer the feel of a good book in my hands.) So there I was, walking among the stacks and browsing the titles when I was suddenly jolted into an environment that made me very uncomfortable. The man next to me took a call on his cell phone and launched into a loud conversation with an individual who was his soon-to-be ex-wife. How did I know this?  He was ranting and raving about her lawyer and what he thought about the unfair settlement. I was embarrassed for him and uncomfortable to the point that I stopped my browsing and moved to another area of the library to get away from him. He was oblivious to my departure.

I was always under the impression that libraries were places that were quiet, where one could go to think, study, contemplate, explore, and focus. What I have found recently is that these quiet places may be disappearing. The libraries I have been in lately allow cell phone usage as long as the conversation is being conducted in hushed tones. What? Now, when was the last time you heard someone talking on a cell phone in a hushed tone? They also seem to allow people to yell to each other across the room. I’ve recently witnessed parents yelling to their children to “hurry up and pick out a book because it’s time to go home!”  I guess the  days of the librarian holding her index finger to her lips and shushing us are over. Maybe it’s politically incorrect to shush these days?

But what about me? What about my rights and those like me who want to read, browse, relax, or enjoy customer experiences without the intrusion of people talking on their cell phones? Have we come to the point where we are placating one group of customers at the expense of another? Maybe it’s time for me to spring for a Kindle!!

Here is my question to all of your subscribers:

Should libraries be “No Cell Phone Zones”?

Let me hear your thoughts and there’s no need to whisper!

]]> http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-the-library-and-cell-phones/feed/ 2 Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: Generational Motivation http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-generational-motivation/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-generational-motivation/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:12:57 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=780 Have you ever wondered what it takes to get and keep a staff motivated? We are hearing from more and more clients that it is becoming a challenge to keep individuals interested in their jobs and motivated to achieve high levels of performance. Your customers know which employees are motivated and which aren’t, so from a customer satisfaction perspective, it pays to focus on this issue.

Many of Market Viewpoint’s clients ask me how to keep their staff, especially their superstars, engaged and excited about their work. Most managers, if they truly see themselves as coaches, will take responsibility for motivating their staff. But this can be a difficult task. What works for one individual doesn’t seem to work for another. When I am asked why this happens, my question back to the manager is, “Have you ever really considered who you are trying to motivate?” Employees come from different generational groups – all inspired to achieve by different things. Is it possible that you are taking a “one size fits all” approach to motivation?

Consider these steps. Segment your staff into generational groups (Traditionalists, Baby Boomer, Generation X, or Millennial). Know that the motivational hot buttons are different for each group, so be prepared to be flexible with your approach.

The Millennials on your staff are motivated by tangible and intangible rewards that represent immediate satisfaction. Think gift cards and free meals.

Generation X values rewards that give them freedom. Think relaxed dress codes and flexible leave policies.

Baby Boomers, on the other hand, are motivated by financial rewards and job recognition. Think bonuses and corner office space for this group. While the Traditionalists, or World War II generation are motivated by things such as abbreviated work weeks and alternative work schedules.

All of the generations are motivated by recognition. That pat on the back that lets someone know they are doing a good job is important for all.

Meet with your employees on an individual basis to understand what they value and where they are at this phase of their lives. Use your mystery shops to determine the things people are really good at and explore these areas in depth.

To find out more about how Market Viewpoint can help you motivate your employees, contact us today. A motivated staff is just a phone call away!

]]> http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-generational-motivation/feed/ 0 Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: Do As I Say…Not As I Do! http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:35:17 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=754 I bet some of you can remember the days when we were kids and we “caught” our parents doing something they specifically told us not to do. It might have been using colorful language, smoking cigarettes, or telling a white lie. When we asked them about it, or called them on it, they would say, “Do as I say, not as I do!” But actions are so much more powerful than words. We looked up to our parents and emulated their behavior. They were our role models. We wanted to be just like them, didn’t we?

Now that we are all grown up, some of us have become parents and we take that role very seriously. We understand that children model their behavior after ours. But here is the challenge I want to throw out to all of you. Think about how your employees look up to you as their manager. It’s similar to the parent/child relationship in that our subordinates are looking to us to provide them with the road map for how to be successful. You, as a manager or supervisor, are shaping your corporate culture each time you greet a customer by name and with a smile, straighten stock, pick up trash in the parking lot, or seek creative ways to manage difficult customers. You can have all the training manuals in the world available to your staff but if your actions don’t back up what your training manuals teach, you might as well just burn the manuals. Other areas of influence might be arriving at work on time or early, punctual start and stop times for meetings, always telling the truth, being positive and upbeat, and speaking well of the company and its management team. Actions speak louder than words. Walk the walk and talk the talk. And remember…the employee is always watching!

]]> http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do/feed/ 0 Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: Enjoying a Little Time Off http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-enjoying-a-little-time-off/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-enjoying-a-little-time-off/#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:19:31 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=759 Since this post is coming to you during a holiday week, we at Market Viewpoint are enjoying a slower schedule intended to give our staff time to enjoy their families and friends. Abbreviated schedules and vacation time give us the chance to relax and consider how fortunate we are to work with such great customers and enjoy free commerce in the land of opportunity -

The United States of America.

]]> http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-enjoying-a-little-time-off/feed/ 0 Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: Existing Customers- The Forgotten Bunch http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-existing-customers-the-forgotten-bunch/ http://www.angelamegasko.com/creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience-existing-customers-the-forgotten-bunch/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:48:00 +0000 Angela Megasko http://www.angelamegasko.com/?p=734 It happened again the other day and it drives me crazy! I bet it drives you crazy too. I saw an ad on TV for a company I do business with. I was thrilled to see them advertising but I was annoyed to see that they were offering new customers a special deal for signing up with them. What they were offering was a wonderful package aimed at showing the new customer how grateful they were for the business.

What?

Hey, what about me -the customer that’s been with you through thick and thin all these years? Is there no reward for my dedication and loyalty to your firm?

Why is it that companies reward new customers but forget about the customer they already have? A firm’s greatest profitability lies in repeat business, so why wouldn’t a company reward me for my loyalty? I am baffled by this phenomenon and I know a lot of other customers are too.

Here are some things to consider when it comes to your existing customers:

1. Treat them like gold. It costs less to keep this group engaged with your product or services than it does to find brand new customers. They already know and trust you and probably want to buy from you again. You just have to give them a  reason.

2. Find ways to reward existing customers. Quarterly coupons, discounts, free services, and recognition are ways to say thank you to that group of dedicated loyal followers.

3. Mystery shop on a regular basis to ensure that existing as well as new customers are being treated fairly and consistently.

4. Survey your existing customers to give them a chance to give you feedback on your performance as a corporation. Even if you don’t get a high response rate, giving people the forum to contribute their opinions counts.

5. Take a day each week and set aside an hour to make client appreciation calls. Each manager should be responsible for making a certain number of calls each month. You’ll be amazed what you learn from your customers.

What do you do to show your clients/customers/guests/patients/members that you care? Please send us your ideas and comments!

In the meantime, remember to thank your existing customers. They’ll love you for it!

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