Customer complaints can be turned around!
Ever-changing consumer expectations necessitate that service providers continually reassess their product offerings, marketing tactics, and customer service. Even companies that boast minimal complaints from unhappy clients recognize that they need to regularly update their customer understanding to keep the process streamlined. They also need to identify fundamental changes in market environments and customer preferences if they are to avoid falling into the complacency trap of ‘business as usual’ in the face of dynamic change. However, even if a company makes every effort to market quality products and deliver exceptional customer service it’s not possible to please everyone all the time. Eleanor Roosevelt said it best with her quote,“Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” When faced with challenging customer complaints a company’s first reaction is that their public image will be irreparably damaged. Although this might be a real possibility, negative feedback from customers should be viewed as a welcome wake-up call, an opportunity to renew their brand, maximize customer service, revamp their image and market focus, implement an annual employee-value survey and an ongoing staff training program, monitor consistency between departments, identify needed improvement in policies and procedures, keep senior management and stakeholders informed, explore new business opportunities, build customer loyalty and reinstate company ethics. In a bid to protect their reputation and maintain a competitive edge, many companies pinpoint what differentiates their products and services relative to their competitors in terms of price, product packaging, multiple product options, and quality of service options. Common sense tells us that customer service is important to any company’s survival. We are hearing more and more complaints from customers about frontline staff who are surly, ill-informed, and unable to resolve a query or return; complaints are met with resistance and excuses, and worst of all, customers are accused as being technologically inept or ignorant about how the company in question operates. Surely customers, the lifeblood of any organization, should not get the short end of the stick if sales and service people are agitated from an unrelated issue or have poor people skills. With so many buying choices today managing customer expectations in a polite and constructive way can make a huge difference to whether a customer remains loyal to a company or not. Bear in mind that satisfied customers might tell 3 friends about their positive business experience, while disgruntled customers have the power (especially using today’s social media tools) to ‘spread the word’ to at least 3-thousand other people. When a company receives a customer complaint its staff has two options: dismiss the problem as trivial or pull out all the stops to rectify matters. When dealing with a difficult customer make sure you stay calm and polite. Allow the irate customer to vent; just by listening will dramatically improve their mood. Take notes of what the complaint is about; when the customer is done explaining go through your notes to verify the complaint. By discovering the root cause for the complaint the company can then work to fix the problem as deemed appropriate. Aspire to develop exceptional CRM by keeping the lines of communication open between you and your customers. Make it easy for unhappy customers to tell your company what their problems are. Keep records and analyze why complaints occur. (originally published on imagi-nation.co.za) Words by Theresa Lutge-Smith. Contact Theresa (ecottage@gmail.com) for any writing and...
Read MoreDo You Dream of Writing a Book?
Many people dream of writing a book, particularly those who are of an age where they have collected wonderful memories and a good perspective of life. How would you advise such a first-time writer to proceed practically? Set up a workstation in a corner of the quietest space in your home. If domestic time constraints limit free time it might be preferable to write when everyone else is still asleep (an hour or more before the rest of the household starts their day) or when they are away. If you do write when family members are about, make it clear that you do not want to be disturbed while you are at your computer. It might help to play soothing music on a headset to block out noise. An alternative to a home office is to rent a small office or studio. Carry a notebook and pencil with you to jot down notes and ideas. Spend time browsing magazines and newspapers. Browse the Internet to keep abreast of emerging trends. Become an avid reader; expand your general knowledge on diverse topics. Talk to people and ask what they are interested in. Writing a compelling story or non-fiction is hard work and it helps to have a reliable PC or laptop with an ADSL connection at your disposal. The sheer range of information and opportunities on the Internet to help writers is staggering. Once you are clear about what your proposed book is about, create a framework by making up a list of the various areas you will explore; this will help keep you focused when gathering information. Try to maintain a set routine for working on your manuscript, for instance, from 5 – 6 in the morning and from 8 – 9 in the evening. You will achieve a sense of personal accomplishment as the manuscript develops. Are there trends and tips on getting publishers to read your manuscript? Publishers are generally very busy people and receive piles of manuscripts on a daily basis. However, instead of submitting the entire manuscript for review rather forward a concise synopsis/proposal, which is much quicker to read; make sure the content has the power to ignite an editor’s imagination and get them involved in what you are trying to convey. Editors commonly define a book proposal as “an outline and at least two random sample chapters” but what they really want is anything on paper that will give them some sense of how you write and some reason to believe that your subject, when developed, will interest a large group of readers. Since salability is a vital consideration, direct an editor’s attention to several possible markets and suggest ways of reaching them. Talk realistically about similar books in the marketplace and how your book is different. Indicate the breakdown by chapters and sketch your primary sources of information (with whom you will talk, what statistics you will gather). Explain your credentials. Cite publishing credits as evidence of your ability to write, and any experience or training that qualifies you especially well for the chosen subject. Enclose a sample of your text (twenty pages are about the norm) that reflect your book’s content and style. Express any passion you may feel about the project. What about self-publishing: what are its advantages and disadvantages? More and more writers are opting to self-publish their books mainly because they are unable to find a commercial publisher interested in contracting their work. This is often because the topic is aimed at a small niche market; a commercial publisher looks at a large group of readers. Yet, some...
Read MoreIdeas to promote your business
Promotion is an important element of the marketing mix of any business. There are thousands of ideas to promote your business, whether it is a new start-up or an established concern. Revise your marketing plan; Revisit your research and development strategy; Refine your target audience and unique selling proposition (USP); Expand your product and service offerings; Update your business cards, website, brochure; Write an elevator pitch; Rent a booth at a trade show; Launch a direct mail campaign; Expand your social media management; Set up Google Analytics on your website and blog; Start a customer relationship program; Write a book; Design an innovative logo that compliments your business and builds your brand; Design branded letterheads, envelopes, business cards and office stationery; Design an illustrated brochure or pamphlet that looks professional to explain the benefits of your product or service. Ensure that the print quality is superior Register a domain name and create a Web site that draws attention. If possible, include e-commerce capability; Get listed on all major search engines; include carefully selected words in your Meta tags that prospective customers might enter during a search when looking for the type of goods or service you provide; Advertise in the type of magazines or newspapers your target customers are likely to read; Print handbills (leaflets printed on size A6 sheets) and place on car windshields and in mailboxes; or hand out at traffic lights; Customize your marketing to niche customers. Talk to potential customers to find out what their needs are, their likes and dislikes, and what they are prepared to pay for a product or service like yours; Build a client database to collect information about clients, such as their comments about the product or service, regularity of orders, complaints, etc.; Design branded promotional items such as t-shirts, mugs, pens, balloons, calendars, fridge magnets, etc. that can be distributed to customers in your area, at a trade show, etc.; Run a special offer on your Web site and mail a complimentary (branded of course) promotional item with each order; Sponsor a community event, which will give your business exposure in your immediate community and is a great opportunity for word-of-mouth advertising; Consider donating branded t-shirts and caps to an underprivileged sports team; contact the editor of your local community newspaper to request media coverage; Build solid relationships with suppliers. Being on friendly terms with them will encourage them to promote your business to other clients; Send out a monthly newsletter to highlight new products and specials on offer. You can also send out e-mail messages to locals to visit your store or to place an order online; Create (or have a graphic artist do it for you) an attractive point-of-sale display or an eye-catching poster. This will attract the attention of pavement traffic and get them into your store; Initiate a telemarketing campaign. Write a to-the-point opening and rehearse it well so that when you make a call the words are spoken from memory (and come across as sincere) and not read like a robot. Even when making cold calls, just be yourself; start with a friendly greeting and introduce yourself and your company. Briefly describe your product or service and relevant benefits, and where your store is located; Identify cross-promotional opportunities by seeking other businesses that are not direct competitors, but whose products or services compliment yours. The idea is to combine products or services from various sources to make up a comprehensive package that customers want and offers them convenience; you can do a promotional deal that will benefit all participating businesses. An example is a Pizza Take-Away...
Read MoreFrugal people enjoy life!
It is apparent that frugal people enjoy life because they are not burdened by debt; they pay their bills and have some money left over for savings. Living frugally does not mean doing without; it’s about not accumulating unnecessary material possessions. It’s about deciding what you want in life, and making the most of what you have, instead of complaining about what you don’t have. Frugal living is a very rewarding way to live. An effective way to start saving is to deposit at least 10% of your income in an interest-bearing savings account. Get rid of debt and trim your expenses. Can you save on petrol? Can you restrict eating out? Can you live without DSTV? The basis of Frugal Practicality lies in re-thinking life choices up to this moment to embrace a lifestyle that is more financially responsible and organized. This does not mean adopting a “poverty” mindset but rather maximizing what you have got. Create a budget plan and stick to it; don’t waste money on things you don’t need or buy things on credit, but don’t skimp on things you do need. Be alert when grocery shopping; opt for the generic equivalent of brands you normally choose or store specials. The same applies to clothing; avoid expensive brands when you can buy similar items of equal quality for less. Adopt a habit of recycling and reusing. We all know that we should become debt-free but many of us don’t know where to cut corners. Initiate a frugal lifestyle one step at a time; prepare a healthy lunch box at home to take to work; organize a lift club to commute to and from work; plan shopping outings to avoid random trips. De-clutter your home; sell or donate items you don’t use. Hold a yard sale; auction items online; sell to second hand shops. Small lifestyle adjustments can make a big difference in your bank account. Cutting expenses allows you to save money for an emergency, pay off credit cards faster, or grow your retirement fund. Run your washing machine on cold. Avoid using the tumble dryer. Turn down the thermostat on your geyser. Make inexpensive healthy meals; according to the “food pyramid” many of the things we should be eating the most of — grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables – are affordable; it’s often the stuff that’s bad for us (at least in large quantities) like red meat, dairy products and processed foods that are expensive. Grow your own fruit, herbs and veggies; a personal favorite of mine is upside down tomato planters. You’re probably thinking why anyone would want to grow tomatoes (or anything else) upside down. Well, there’s no need to stake the vines, no weeding, fewer soil diseases, overall healthier plants, and you can grow year-round. All you need is a 5 gallon bucket, a plant, and a bag of potting soil. Drill a big enough hole in the bottom of the bucket to fit the stalk of a full-grown tomato plant. Cover inside of bucket with a layer of shredded newspaper. Insert the plant in the hole (from the outside); wrap paper around the base of the plant and hold in place while filling bucket with soil. Hang bucket in sunny spot, water well. Peppers, chilies, cucumbers and eggplants also grow well upside down. Spray plant with a solution of 1 teaspoon Epsom salts dissolved in 4 cups warm water (mixed in a spray bottle); repeat 10 days later – it produces more fruit due to the boost of magnesium, especially for tomatoes, peppers and roses. Words by Theresa Lutge-Smith...
Read MoreStarting a Green Business
Starting a green business means you will be running a business targeting a growing market while making a valuable contribution to making the world a better place. It’s also a practical way to help create a more environmentally friendly and sustainable economy. Ideas for a green business: Eco-friendly Dog Shampoo Commercial pet shampoos, both cat shampoos and dog shampoos, contain a startling amount of chemicals and non-natural ingredients; some include artificial scents and colors, and even sodium laurel sulfate! Why not mix a shampoo that is gentle and natural. Ingredients for a Natural Homemade Dog Shampoo: a cup of all natural organic liquid soap; a cup of pure organic apple cider vinegar (the best way to treat ringworm, fleas, ticks and helps rid the coat of any and all skin conditions); a third of a cup of glycerin; and a quart of water. Mix these four ingredients together, pour into a bottle. You now have your own all-natural dog shampoo. Give your bottle a good shake before use to mix the glycerin thoroughly. Design a creative label for the bottle; attach a tag that lists the ingredients and method of use. Sell to pet stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, veterinary clinics or by mail order. Organic Gift Baskets Buy a selection of earth-friendly items wholesale, such as teas, soaps, shampoos, facial scrubs, organic snack food, a biodegradable flower pot and a packet of culinary herb seeds; plus baskets and natural raffia to create gift baskets. Create several themes for your gift baskets. Gift baskets are sold as ready-made gifts. Sell them to pharmacies, hotels (to give to guests), gift shops, corporations (as gifts for their customers), health shops, hospital kiosks and by mail order. Package miniature gift baskets containing small-size items such as waterless hand sanitizer, hand lotion, and a toweling cloth to market as promotional hand-out’s at trade shows/conferences/seminars/filling station kiosks. Want to start a green burial business? Use seed-embedded handmade paper to construct a cremation vase (pillow box or pyramid box) ideal for water or land burials. The seeded paper is made from 100% recycled paper, which is biodegradable and environmentally safe. The vase will disintegrate when buried in soil; the paper is embedded with Marigold flower seeds (bright yellow and orange blooms) or herb seeds and will yield a patch of flowers/herbs in your garden to commemorate the loved one’s memory. Unseeded handmade paper is used to construct the cremation vase for a water burial; the bio-degradable box begins to sink within 10-15 minutes and will fully degrade within a day. These are more valued options to simply scattering ashes in the wind. Contact Theresa (ecottage@gmail.com) to order pre-cut and scored templates of the pillow or pyramid box for quick and easy assembly (flat packed). The paper vases (boxes) are suitable for adult, infant and pet ashes. Read More. Contact Theresa (ecottage@gmail.com) to write a Business Plan for your green business....
Read MoreFamilies in Crisis!
We live in a country that is becoming increasingly diverse in cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Yet despite significant development milestones South Africa still generates enormous waves of negative energies attributable to poverty, indifference, resentment, corruption and greed. Many families are in crisis; family members live in fear of violence, assault and robbery, and are constantly watchful of their safety. Similarly, the pace of our capitalistic existence has become almost unbearable, with many families hopelessly entangled in a continuous cycle of debt and poverty. Accordingly, stress has for many households become a recognized and socially destructive illness in South Africa, affecting citizens of all ages in different ways. While raising and educating children is a challenge for most parents, the situation is especially difficult for families experiencing social and economic hardship, particularly single-parent households. The traditional two-parent family has by and large been replaced by the single-parent (usually the mother or grandmother) family; the percentage of female-headed households with children has increased most rapidly among our black population. The downside is that female-headed households become overburdened and struggle financially to make ends meet; juggling work, limited resources and family life impinges on quality time devoted to children’s basic education, family values, and other important family obligations. Statistics show that males are inclined to have little reverence for the females that raised them; and instead of gratitude and respect develop contempt for females in general. Some blame the escalating level of delinquency, depression and aggression in the country on the ever-expanding norm of fatherless homes, where children are raised by mothers and grandmothers and have no father-figure to impose constructive discipline. Without discipline and boundaries children lack the tools necessary to navigate relationships and challenges in life such as self-discipline, respect for others, and the ability to cooperate with peers. Failure to discipline children often results in kids who are unhappy, angry, and even resentful. This often leads to drug and alcohol abuse and violent crime such as sexual assault; these children grow up with deep emotional scars because they feel forsaken. I don’t believe a parent intentionally neglects their child; they may simply be in the midst of their own traumas and chaos, such as an addiction, an abusive situation, poverty or disease. It may be that they don’t have the tools to be a dependable role model. The African proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ succinctly articulates the powerful notion of collective responsibility towards our youth, but children raised in a healthy, two-parent home fare best. A low-income parent is more likely to engage in inconsistent parenting practices; the economic well-being of the family rests on the mental and emotional health of the single-parent since financial strain intensifies stress, anxiety and depression. Yet despite these overwhelming disadvantages, the birthright of every person is access to constructive opportunities devoid of discrimination to gender, ethnicity, socio-economic backgrounds and disability. Words by Theresa Lutge-Smith. Contact Theresa (ecottage@gmail.com) for any writing and...
Read MoreAbout Theresa
I’m a published author of four business books and have written a number of self-study tutorials [creative writing; editing and proofreading; business writing; and self-publishing] and an eBook [Workplace Harmony]. I am an experienced writer, editor and publisher. 
Infographics
Bizculture
