Ever wish you could come up with the next big, brilliant idea, the 21^st century equivalent of the light bulb, or even the Post-It note?  Or when you hear of something clever, you think, “Wish I’d thought of that.”  Especially at this time of year, when our brains often feel as frozen as our toes, the warmth of a bright idea seems as appealing, and elusive, as a sunbeam.

Don’t try so hard, berating those gray cells to get creative— just walk away from it. Physically, if you can.  Head outdoors for a moment, take in a gulp of frosty air, scan the sky, whether it’s the color of slush or sapphires.  It’s like mentally clearing your desk, leaving it open to new project or a fresh approach.

For a bigger boost, go for the unfamiliar: a museum or gallery.  Gaze at the paintings or sculptures, letting your mind glide over the hues and shapes and even the quiet surroundings.  Or if you’re in too much of a hurry to absorb culture, check out a place that’s outside of your own interests.  A tech-minded friend claims her creativity pops when she walks into—a fabric store! “It’s so outside my world, that all the different  textures, displays, items I don’t even know the names of, will start my mind clicking,” she says.  “Color especially will ‘speak’ to me.”  If you’re skeptical, just pick up a shade card in any paint department—Meadowbrook Mellow, Birdhouse Blue, Picket Fence.  The color roll call that runs from prosaic to pure poetry may tickle the start of an idea just waiting for an invitation.

Add to the experience by bringing a colleague or friend along, for a parallel but new view of the same horizon. You’ll also double the chances of sparking a new idea. “What if we did that?” your colleague might say, noticing a museum’s collection of informational brochures, or a gift shop’s limited-hours sale.  Even borrowing an idea is okay—it’s new to you.  And it’ll lead to an improved version, customized with your unique take, and fitted to your own customers’ hopes.

For some new ideas and approaches to your customer service plan, consider calling Market Viewpoint for a consultation. We’re always happy to share the great ideas we collect from the various industries we serve. Who knows? Maybe meeting with us us just the spark you need to take your service to the next level!

What are some of the new customer service ideas you’ve come up with recently?

Freedom—it’s a truth we all take way too much for granted.  Freedom to___ : Fill in your own blank. It’s what we all want, at some level.   Freedom to book a vacation anywhere, never mind the cost.  Or just to take a midweek day off, no questions, no guilt. Freedom from a specific corporate mindset has been the goal of everyone who ever started a business. Your cubicle-bound friends sigh in frustration / admiration, wishing they could be free to do whatever THEY want, too, using their own splendid ideas instead of answering to the Boss of the Year, Evil Variety.  YOU have the freedom to be your own boss and answer to no one.

As they say in New Jersey, yeah right.  Freedom in business means you’re at the epicenter, but you’re often answering to a hundred bosses, better known as customers. The freedom to pursue your own instincts has to balance with that demon bottom line. You already know that if you really want that day off smack in the middle of a workweek, you’ll do more work in advance, and endlessly check emails or messages while you’re ‘off.’ That freedom comes with a price tag.  If you crave some extra freedom, in the form of family time, or taking a class, how much responsibility are you willing to bear in exchange?

Reba McEntire, the entertainer, once told an interviewer that although she loved skiing and riding horses—she’d been a rodeo champ as a teen—she no longer indulged in either hobby. “I’m responsible for too many people trying to make a living,” Reba said. “If I get injured, it’s not fair to all of them.”  Instead she’s chosen a new freedom from routine: designing business casual clothing for women. Her outfits are aimed squarely at those who buy her CDs or watched her TV series. She’s responsible—there’s that word again!—for choosing the colors and fabrics, calling it more fun than she imagined.

Seeking some freedom from your routine? Sometimes the price tag comes with the bonus of new creativity. Worth its weight in responsibility.

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Creativity. Where is it in today’s corporations? Why do we all seem to be so afraid of innovative thinking? Is is fear? Laziness? Disinterest? Too much TV, Internet, or other shallow data pools? Whatever it is, American businesses are losing out.

I was in a retail store the other day when I overheard a customer making an impassioned plea to the sales associate to help her with an “out of stock” situation. The customer was desperate to obtain this item for her son’s birthday. She asked the sales associate if there wasn’t something he could do to help. His response was that the store was out of the item and they weren’t expecting any more until the holiday season. He explained that the economy has slowed down their shipments with corporate controlling inventory levels on a much tighter basis. The customer was frantic and near tears. I could relate. I’ve been there myself. Rather than the sales associate offering to check other stores in the area, he simply terminated the interaction with the  customer by muttering an insincere “sorry” and walking away. The associate missed a prime opportunity to create a customer for life. He could have been so much more creative at solving this problem. What a dumb move!

What are you doing to encourage creative problem solving in your place of business? What should you be doing? As you budget and plan for the upcoming fiscal year, consider some training workshops on creativity and innovative thinking. It may be one of the best things you’ll ever do to foster greater levels of customer retention.

Now let’s get out there and be creative!

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