What is your customer service strategy?
Most companies will let you know they have an excellent customer service strategy. They talk about being the best at it. This is one of those areas of a business that can be very biased and it is difficult to measure exactly where your business stands.
Qualifying each and every opportunity, from the first inquiry to the long-term client, ensuring you fully understand the scope of the request is one of the keys. When you understand, you have a better chance of providing a solution to meet and surpass their expectations. Asking more questions leads to better customer service.
Requesting feedback on a consistent basis with all your clients is a good strategy to adopt. It takes several questions in some discussions to uncover some of the items your client may share as a minor concern. Listen. Stop and listen to what they are saying. Responding, addressing and taking action to these items will go a long way for your strategy.
Some metrics to help gauge your customer service level include your client retention, client acquisition and referrals. If one of these metrics is stagnant or declining, it is a sign to immediately improve is your customer service strategy.
Things do not have to be perfect and you we all make errors at times. It is the communication and relationship building processes you have in place that will result in very happy clientele. Don't forget to always offer the three golden steps in customer service: follow-up, follow-up and follow-up.
Mix your communication with e-mail, social media while adding more phone calls and more face time whether it is in person or video conferencing. Going "back to the phones" is an interesting and proven concept that actually works in building those strong relationships which result in excellent customer service.
At AlphaKOR, we are always aiming for "Exceptional Service When You Need It Most" and the AlphaKORians are doing a great job in delivering this strategy.
What is your customer service strategy?
Connecting business people to share stories of making new business relationships and creating opportunities.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Entrepreneurs take calculated Risks
Do you play it safe or do you take calculated risks?
If you always play it safe then you have made the choice of not being an Entrepreneur. When you take all the time necessary to explore all the options and know the end result to guarantee practically zero risk then you are not an Entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs take risks, however, most of the time, they take calculated risks. Time is usually the essence and have to take a snapshot, make some presumptions and calculate worse case/best case scenarios. Make a decision to proceed or not to proceed.
The key is to make the decision. Entrepreneurs know the pendulum always swings. If it stops, you know when you get comfortable, or if it swings backwards, in both cases you are going in the wrong direction. The pendulum must at all times be swinging forward. Calculated risk decisions will keep the pendulum moving forward.
Entrepreneurs are also vulnerable. By taking on the risk, they know the decision to move forward may result in not achieving the desired result. Accept the facts, learn from it, add it to your knowledge base to avoid making the same error and keep moving forward.
Don't forget to stay focused even when those around you may fall into the "nay-sayers" category. OK sometimes they may be right and your instinct and experience will train you to be aware when to listen to them.
Last weekend we witnessed a playing it safe decision three times for the Greenbay Packers. The end result by making these decisions played a role in missing out on reaching the Super Bowl. What if they risked scoring a touchdown instead on one of those three plays?
Do you always play it safe or do you take calculated risks?
If you always play it safe then you have made the choice of not being an Entrepreneur. When you take all the time necessary to explore all the options and know the end result to guarantee practically zero risk then you are not an Entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs take risks, however, most of the time, they take calculated risks. Time is usually the essence and have to take a snapshot, make some presumptions and calculate worse case/best case scenarios. Make a decision to proceed or not to proceed.
The key is to make the decision. Entrepreneurs know the pendulum always swings. If it stops, you know when you get comfortable, or if it swings backwards, in both cases you are going in the wrong direction. The pendulum must at all times be swinging forward. Calculated risk decisions will keep the pendulum moving forward.
Entrepreneurs are also vulnerable. By taking on the risk, they know the decision to move forward may result in not achieving the desired result. Accept the facts, learn from it, add it to your knowledge base to avoid making the same error and keep moving forward.
Don't forget to stay focused even when those around you may fall into the "nay-sayers" category. OK sometimes they may be right and your instinct and experience will train you to be aware when to listen to them.
Last weekend we witnessed a playing it safe decision three times for the Greenbay Packers. The end result by making these decisions played a role in missing out on reaching the Super Bowl. What if they risked scoring a touchdown instead on one of those three plays?
Do you always play it safe or do you take calculated risks?
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
How do You Manage Your Time?
How do you manage your time to be more effective?
We have our habits that fit our style and some are good while others are not so good. How do you change and adapt to be more effective with your time?
First thing every morning is a review of the task list and create a new one starting with the most important task first. Having the discipline to complete task one and then move onto task two and so forth down the list is difficult because everything new becomes an instant priority.
This was one of toughest habits to break. At first it felt so wrong to stick to the priority list, however, the results over the years have proven to be successful for time management.
One of the keys to managing your time is to schedule your priorities and not to prioritize what is in your schedule. Go back and read this sentence again. Try it!
Using the three D's every time information is received has become a very good habit. For example, when I look at my Inbox, each e-mail is opened and one of three things happen: Delete, Do/Defer as in schedule this task or Delegate with clear direction and deadline.
An interesting and effective tool is creating a Do Not Do List. Seems strange however reviewing this list helps to remain focused on the priority tasks.
Setting agendas for meetings has helped manage time more effectively. How many meetings to do you attend and find not much was accomplished or no action items to take away?
Learning to say no. Very tough. Sometimes the right answer is to say no. Set your criteria on what you are going to add to your plate and simply say no to the others. This is a work in progress and will admit some days just cannot seem to say no which just goes against the grain!
What are your time management tips?
We have our habits that fit our style and some are good while others are not so good. How do you change and adapt to be more effective with your time?
First thing every morning is a review of the task list and create a new one starting with the most important task first. Having the discipline to complete task one and then move onto task two and so forth down the list is difficult because everything new becomes an instant priority.
This was one of toughest habits to break. At first it felt so wrong to stick to the priority list, however, the results over the years have proven to be successful for time management.
One of the keys to managing your time is to schedule your priorities and not to prioritize what is in your schedule. Go back and read this sentence again. Try it!
Using the three D's every time information is received has become a very good habit. For example, when I look at my Inbox, each e-mail is opened and one of three things happen: Delete, Do/Defer as in schedule this task or Delegate with clear direction and deadline.
An interesting and effective tool is creating a Do Not Do List. Seems strange however reviewing this list helps to remain focused on the priority tasks.
Setting agendas for meetings has helped manage time more effectively. How many meetings to do you attend and find not much was accomplished or no action items to take away?
Learning to say no. Very tough. Sometimes the right answer is to say no. Set your criteria on what you are going to add to your plate and simply say no to the others. This is a work in progress and will admit some days just cannot seem to say no which just goes against the grain!
What are your time management tips?
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
7 Things Successful People Do Quietly
Recently read an article and jotted down these 7 things successful people do quietly. How many of these are you doing?
1. Network - OK so some of us do not do this very quietly. People Like Us love to network and meet new people on a regular basis to grow our Circle.
2. Start New Projects - Interesting to note there are many good ideas and only a few materialize to actual projects. Enjoy being instrumental in new projects and like the sense of accomplishments when successfully complete a project.
3. Deal with Challenges - This is a good! How many challenges do we deal with on a daily basis and how many do we simply ignore or avoid? It is easier to deal with each challenge sooner than later. Remember to "Eat That Frog First"
4. Incubate Ideas - Ideas are abundant. Quietly think about great ideas and then convert them into action.
5. Interact Socially - Very important to be able to network in a business environment and to know how to interact in a social environment. It is amazing how many new people and new opportunities arise on a daily basis by interacting socially. Try it!
6. Manage Employees Ethically - Part of our Core Values and part of who we are: to be ethical in all we do all the time.
7. Invest - Interpreted this to mean invest in ourselves and in others as in quality time, mentor, increase our knowledge and the like. Investing by giving back is a great way to lead successfully.
What are you quietly doing to be successful?
1. Network - OK so some of us do not do this very quietly. People Like Us love to network and meet new people on a regular basis to grow our Circle.
2. Start New Projects - Interesting to note there are many good ideas and only a few materialize to actual projects. Enjoy being instrumental in new projects and like the sense of accomplishments when successfully complete a project.
3. Deal with Challenges - This is a good! How many challenges do we deal with on a daily basis and how many do we simply ignore or avoid? It is easier to deal with each challenge sooner than later. Remember to "Eat That Frog First"
4. Incubate Ideas - Ideas are abundant. Quietly think about great ideas and then convert them into action.
5. Interact Socially - Very important to be able to network in a business environment and to know how to interact in a social environment. It is amazing how many new people and new opportunities arise on a daily basis by interacting socially. Try it!
6. Manage Employees Ethically - Part of our Core Values and part of who we are: to be ethical in all we do all the time.
7. Invest - Interpreted this to mean invest in ourselves and in others as in quality time, mentor, increase our knowledge and the like. Investing by giving back is a great way to lead successfully.
What are you quietly doing to be successful?
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