Why not play the “Mall Parking Lot Game” and lower your stress this season. Feel free to share this blog.

Thought I would have some fun with this, given that I just went to the mall. The next time you are in the mall parking lot this season, and looking for that perfect spot, I guess any spot, turn it into a game and see if you can uncover and “name” the personality style of your competitors. I’ve also given you a tip on how best to adapt so you can keep your sanity and maintain the holiday spirit.

Just drive through any mall parking lot this season and I bet you can tell the different personality types already. There are those who hesitate; the kind of people who are frozen in making a decision because they don’t want to be too pushy – but then they hold everyone up and the honking begins. There are those who rush in and “steal your spot”. There are those who even park strategically assessing the best time to go, the area that would most likely have a spot, and then there are those who just don’t care, they just go and hope for the best and keep driving around until one appears you may pass them several times.

I’ve taught the personality styles programs and how others can adapt for years now. I think it is even more critical at this time of year, where we have to really adapt due to the never ending lineups. Everywhere from restaurants, to malls, and even FEDEX ™ and the postal service – there is a crunch happening. January can’t come fast enough some days.

Understanding your personality and those of others is a critical skill for both those who are face to face with customers but also with internal customers and teams so you don’t cause any further cog in the wheel (or touch-points).

Here are the four styles: See if you can see your personality, then have a look at how you can best adapt to that person who is driving you crazy. I guarantee it will be heightened because of the frenetic pace of the holiday season.

The Dominant Driver (The Chief)

This person typically drives more aggressively. They make decisions quickly and if you hesitate, they’ll take your spot. Their main personality is seen in their need to get things done. They are the “doers”. If they have a task, they want it checked off the list.

Best way to adapt to “The Chief”: Be purposeful.

The Hesitant Driver (The Friend)

This is the opposite style to the Chief. They are much more patient, friendly and considerate. Their main goal is to keep people happy. They are great at including people, and sometimes they are too nice and cause delays. Their main personality trait is to get along. They are the “friend” and want to keep peace at all cost. (The Chief won’t hesitate to take your spot though – so try not to get resentful if you are not more purposeful in your driving).

Best way to adapt to “The Friend”: Be patient.

The Happy Driver (The Enthusiast)

This person is normally talking, can be distracted, and not always focused. They will near miss you, or miss a spot as they drive past. They may appear way too happy for this time of year. However, if you tick them off – they’ll get demonstrative and may over react to the situation. Their main goal is to stay enthusiastic and optimistic about the holidays – so they will get over it quickly as they move on to their next quest.

Best way to adapt to “The Enthusiast”: Be nice

The Intentional Driver (The Problem Solver)

This person normally orders online, has completed their shopping months in advance due to their amazing talent of planning and organizing. In fact you may not even see this person in the parking lot at all. If you do, it is because their plans have changed (and by the way – it is not their fault). They may have parked at the back of the mall or gone at off-peak times. Their main goal is have things planned well enough in advance, that they don’t get involved in the chaos.

Best way to adapt to “The Problem Solver”: Let them drop you off at the front-door and then let them go park. They will meet you in the restaurant, which is probably a win-win situation.

Happy Shopping! ….and all the best to you this season!

Elaine

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Customer Service today is now all about “Reputation Management”. As many get ready for the seasonal rush this fall, it is time to also do a check on your customer service, your reviews and consumer “touch-points” to make sure your organization is ready. Think for a moment, have you ever written an on-line review, especially when you were upset? Ouch! These poor reviews sting for a business owner, customer service department or CEO, and can demoralize those who work or volunteer for your organization. It can kill a “brand” that you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Or on the other hand, positive reviews can ensure that you are the trusted source. With just a click of a button at the end of everyone’s fingertips – the customer now has the power firmly in their hands.

The top 5 Reasons why online reviews really count?

1. It used to be that only customer service departments actually saw or heard the complaints (and most of the time they were just the really serious issues where a customer took the time to write or call). Now even minor service breakdowns, in addition to more serious issues can end up all over the internet. No longer can a company keep their challenges behind a closed door in a customer service department while they deal with a customer and resolve complaints.
2. 80-90% of consumers check out online reviews before making a purchase.
3. 88% of people “trust” online reviews.
4. Customers are likely to spend 30% more if reviews are excellent.
5. Losing a Customer to bad reviews costs too much. If you have not done the math lately, click on the link and download this FREE ORGANIZATIONAL Assessment to calculate the costs:
   https://elaineallison.com/blog/online-learning#gifts

The goal of the future will be to ensure everyone in an organization is prepared to avoid, avert, or fix service breakdowns before, and after, they happen.

As we come back from the summer months and begin to prepare for a busy holiday season, take a moment and check out your On-line reviews by doing a search on the Internet. Just type in your organization’s name and the word “reviews”. Remember, these are only the reviews you can see – many more may be out there on consumers’ own personal social media that you may never know of.

Online Reviews really count, because the cost is just too high. Everyone is responsible now for Customer Service and the skills are universal. Get training today, anytime, anywhere from any device for everyone. To learn more; go to www.elaineallison.com and click on ONLINE LEARNING.

Also, if you want to continue learning and have not done so already, sign up for the newsletter and watch for upcoming issues on best ways to handle online reviews.

Elaine

Most companies have always focused on capturing the “next generation.” However, you need to keep your eye on serving the ever evolving market in an “age friendly” way. The market is not actually growing, but how this customer is served needs to be adapted.

10 things you need to know:

1. In the US, statistics show that 10,000 people per day are turning 65 years old.
2. Canada is following suit at a similar rate: 1/3 of the population is charging towards this demographic change, and Europe is already well into this.
3. In Japan, the sale of adult diapers for the first time will surpass baby diapers.
4. This age demographic is not going to grow old invisibly: they have saved well, and many will have paid of all or most of their mortgages. They are spending on travel, their kids, and grandchildren and even going back to school.
5. They also don’t see retirement the same way their parents did, and most likely will be bored with the patio life. No longer does retirement mean long days to relax, convalesce or just play golf.
6. They may not want to retire completely but offer their skills in a part-time or philanthropic way either through cash or time.
7. Workplaces may have to not only adapt to the aging customer, but also their older “internal customers” (think employees) and adapt to accommodate their workplaces. For example, BMW set up education and work groups to brainstorm new ways to help their aging workforce keep up with productivity. They eventually found that their older workforce started outpacing their younger counterparts. They also make great “intergenerational mentors” in the workplace.
8. This demographic does not want to be known or seen as “old”. Any terms about being “Grey”, “Senior”, or even the term “Senior Discount” causes a shiver down their spine.
9. Age 60 is the new 40, and this demographic state they don’t feel their age. Due to advances in health sciences, they are living longer, healthier lives than ever in our history. Some studies have even shown that when someone turns 50 today, they state they actually feel 10 to 15 years younger than that.
10. Many will seek out an “encore” career, exploring new areas to build experience and continue learning.

How will your organization keep your customer service eye on this pie? Which of the following responses will be on your radar?

• Any Customer Service Manager, to fully understand the breadth of this shift, should be grabbing the book The Upside of Aging: How Long Life is Changing the World of Health, Work, Innovation, Policy and Purpose, by Paul H. Irving, President of the Milken Institute.
• Continue to learn as much as you can about this group.
• Analyze your current locations or spaces, website, marketing collateral, even your business cards for fonts and lighting for wherever your customers go or meet.
• Understand the aging issues that typically arrive, which are:
  • Vision loss (think lighting, fonts and colors).
  • Hearing loss (think minimizing excessive noise or offering signage or visual aids). Have you noticed how a bus or public transportation does this multi-sensory approach to aid those with disabilities? Both audible and visual signals are used for “the next stop”.
  • Mobility loss (think location, location, location or offering transportation or easy to use websites, larger aisles, places to sit, lower counters to accommodate mobility devices such as walkers or scooters). Even a bad hip or ankles can stop someone from booking an airplane trip if they think it’s too much work. Think shorter trips: tour groups could reduce 20-mile bike rides to 5 miles to accommodate families who vacation together. Ask yourself: Where can our offerings adapt?
  • Taste buds also change (go from 288 to 88 taste buds by the time someone is 80+). The aging tend to want more spice, sugar or salt to recapture some of the memories of their youth. If you are in the food industry, you’ve already seen the rise in diagnosis of diabetes, Celiac and Gluten allergies or other intolerances. Don’t forget loss of teeth and softer foods as the denture market will grow too.
  • Cognitive loss (memory, confusion). As we age, memory is affected by not only the big risks of Alzheimer’s or dementia, but even more simple life changes such as menopause. More patience and empathy will be needed.
• Plan how to adapt every aspect of your business to ensure you are assisting this demographic whether they have aging issues or not. More training may be required.
• Review your demographics for both internal and external customers.
• Review all your marketing materials and strategies to ensure you can and will keep pace.

Customer Service has not just evolved online, and hopefully companies have caught on to the value of social media and keeping Customer Service top of mind (especially because of instant reviews). HOWEVER….

Adapting to the “silver tsunami” IS the next big challenge or opportunity.

If you are not ready, others will be. The need for “age friendly” customer service is here to stay, and taking advantage of it is a matter of simple math and adapting to the demographic.

= = =

Ask about my new Keynote, Breakout sessions, Training Programs, or Strategic Planning sessions to get your teams focused so you can ignite ideas, share concepts, review research, or devise your next big plan to ensure you are offering “Age Friendly” products and service.

Contact me for your next meeting at: info@elaineallison.com

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By now most organizations are using some form of social media platform. Whether managed by one person or a whole department, it is critical to know why and how you use it, and then measure results. I have written before on managing service levels by watching and responding to comments. But now that we’ve had years to observe how social media can be used and how it can behave, it is critical to know a few important areas to incorporate Social Media into your Customer Service Strategy.

What is a Customer Service Strategy?

A customer service strategy is watching how your customer finds you (think brand and fit) and how they build trust in you at every single touch point before, during and after they part with their money to purchase and experience your product or service.

Social Media has not changed the game, just how the game is played.

Uses for Social Media

Social Media should be used in the following ways to:

• Drive traffic and awareness (Before) – know your keywords and the ones you can compete with for SEOs (i.e. Search Engine Optimization, which is another topic unto itself)
• Build loyalty and ensure you are a trusted source (Before, During & After: think influence)
• Convert traffic into a customer (Before, During & After)
• Communicate to customers during the use of your product or service (Before, During and After: think Google+ or SlideShare if you are managing large groups)
• Convert customers to raving fans (After: invite customers to share their positive experiences)
• Allow you to manage positive and negative feedback so you can react quickly (set up Google alerts, and Google Analytics – Advanced Segments, and follow alerts on all your accounts)
• Measure your effectiveness (e.g. Google Analytics: traffic Sources, conversions, Klout)

Common Social Media Tools

Each social media tool has an ideal purpose. Get to know which will suit your business and purposes best and how to use them in combination. The most common tools to drive traffic and awareness to your website and track comments are (no particular order):

1. Twitter
2. Instagram
3. Facebook
4. YouTube
5. LinkedIn
6. TripAdvisor (for travel industry)
7. Pinterest
8. Google+
9. Blogs/Newsletter (think great content)
10. RSS Feeds

Learn how each one can be used. Here’s a Marketer’s Guide to Social Media Tools http://www.slideshare.net/PaolaCceresOmaa/a-marketers-guide-to-social-media-tools, then design strategies to improve your current use or develop a new strategy. The options seem limitless; get your team involved in a brainstorming session.

Social Media Policies

Set up or update social media policies for your staff. Here are great examples;
http://blog.hirerabbit.com/5-terrific-examples-of-company-social-media-policies/

Common Pitfalls and Guidelines for Social Media

Although the options seem limitless, there are “land mines” to avoid, so proceed with caution and a well thought out strategy that everyone can adhere to.

1. When feeling emotional, AVOID social media! Never post or reply to anything when you are mad. You may need to stay away from social media for a while (this is even a good rule of thumb for teenagers when things flare up).
2. Don’t breach privacy. The effects may haunt you (or sue you).
3. Be careful to stay neutral with upset employees and speak directly with employees and investigate how things can be improved. This requires great leadership to handle correctly and can create a culture of care. Reply using neutral comments to convey that the situation is being looked into. (You may want to make it part of your policy to remove posts if they are offensive, use profanity, racism, sexual, politically charged, sensitive company information, improper use of copyright or references.)
4. Don’t use “bots” to reply to customer problems; they come across as cold and impersonal, despite being “efficient”.
5. Check that your #hashtag is not trending elsewhere at the same time. Watch news headlines carefully and prepare to quickly pull down your post if there are any missteps.
6. Avoid humor or satire that might offend. Do not get creative during tragedies; it usually backfires.
7. Post only positives, not negatives (even though your outside voice wants to shout out, leave that to the comedians to make a late-night segment out of it).
8. Monitor your post afterwards: there are “snarks” everywhere – you may need to pull it before it gets on National News.

A business of any size — even one-person entities —can make use of social media. How do you compare and compete? Have you refreshed or learned something new lately?

You’ve been thinking of how to make better use of social media, so now it’s time to book one of my “Social Media Customer Service Power Workshops”. Your people will be taken through a series of directed exercises and given the chance to update, refresh or create their next big social media campaign. Visit https://elaineallison.com/blog and email me today to see how I can help.

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Re-Release of “the Velvet Hammer” POWHERFUL LEADERSHIP LESSONS FOR WOMEN WHO DON’T GOLF

Just thought I’d let my readers know about this offer! It is a press release I sent out this week.

(Vancouver, BC)….At 19 years old, Elaine Allison was one of Canada’s first female correctional officers supervising inmates in an all-male maximum security prison. It was there she learned first hand that there were distinct differences in how men and women lead or manage others. Her life depended on it! What worked for a man, was not working for her. She needed new strategies.

Women are continuing to move into managerial positions and leadership roles, yet most leadership books and programs have been written by men. Often the tactics don’t work for women. Elaine says, “What about the large percentage that are not getting access to methods of leadership from a “Women’s Point of View” in entry or middle management? This causes confusion as a man may be perceived as commanding, whereas a woman might be called the “b” word and alienating the very team she is supposed to be leading. Elaine says, “Women are realizing acting like a man doesn’t work.”

Elaine feels it all comes down to science such as; brains, hormones and cultural expectations. For example when using MRI’s and PET scans, it was found that in men’s brains, only one hemisphere lights up when they are tasking, for women both sides light up. This can easily answer the question why so many men are great at vision and focus (a heralded leadership skill) while, women are masters at multi-tasking, but often can be perceived as scattered, when in fact they can get a lot done. Secondly, we know when a man is under stress they produce adrenaline – the fight or flight hormone and we have now found that women actually produce more oxytocin than adrenaline, when under stress. For example, this is the hormone that women secrete in high levels when they give birth to a baby, making them want to bond with their child. In the boardroom if a crisis hits, a woman may want to call a meeting (bond), while the man in the room will want a decision (fix it). Lastly cultural expectations won’t allow in most cases a woman to act like a man – they often get called a – “Hammer” only to alienate the very team they need to get things done. If they resort to getting “too velvety”, nothing gets done. Throughout Elaine’s book and programs she continues to teach actual leadership skills all from a women’s point of view with real life strategies – that work amazingly well – for women and also interest men.

Elaine Allison is now a successful owner and co-founder of multiple businesses, and winner of the “Visions of Excellence” Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She is a corporate trainer, international speaker and author of the newly re-released book and now available in ebook format; The Velvet Hammer “PowHERful Leadership Lessons for Women Who Don’t’ Golf. She has presented to thousands of audiences on a variety of management practices and leadership skills for over 25 years. Among a variety of front line roles, executive positions and Co-Founder, Elaine has also managed 1400 unionized flight attendants which provided her with many more excellent examples of leading people while at 35,000 feet with no one to call.

Free on Kindle, March 8 & 9th, 2015 http://www.amazon.com/Velvet-Hammer-PowHERful-Leadership-Lessons/dp/0973906502/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1424977003&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=the+velvet+hammer

or Visit; www.thevelvethammer.com or call: 1-877-364-8500 for more information.

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I had to investigate what went wrong with Target’s launch into Canada. I had been so excited when they were arriving here, delighted that there would be no more line ups at the U.S. border for me. I really enjoyed shopping at Target in the States — in fact, I even looked up the closest location whenever I traveled there, knowing I would find a deal and some things I could not always find in Canada.

So what happened? Customer Service is so much more than smiling and friendly staff. Customer Service is understanding your customers, and executing on that promise. Target may have broken some basic rules of customer satisfaction.

Top 5 Rules for Customer Satisfaction

1. Identify customers’ needs (from psycho demographics to demographics). Canadians did not want American flag bathing suits on Canada Day long weekend. Also Canada is multi-cultural and not only a fairly tolerant nation, but if you check out large grocery chains here, you will see they try to deliver and stock items for all different cultures, traditions and religions. Rule of thumb: “Know thy Customer”.
2. Anticipate those needs (think supply chain and software or systems to manage those needs). If your shelves are empty, you lose money. Keep your order entry and transaction process running smoothly and look at the multiple options that YOUR customers want. Try to make sure you’ve got a system and appropriate software to track and fulfill this. If you go International, watch what holidays are different from your and their potential tastes? Also, shipping can be a nightmare when it gets delayed because you forgot certain holidays: for example, BC Day is every February on a particular Monday (it is only a provincial holiday but can wreak havoc on supply chain processes).
3. Remember the WOW factor. It is always about creating “buzz” and then keeping that “buzz” going. In a matter of months, you become boring unless you can think of something new to introduce. The coffee industry has it right: introducing Candy Cane Frappuccino’s to “Flat White Espresso”.
4. Don’t expand too fast and manage risks. Test market products, promotions, pricing. Learn and adjust. Plan for dollar fluctuations, snowstorms, blackouts, think “what could happen” and what is our backup plan.
5. Create a “Culture of Care” starting with the leadership. Leaders have to have high emotional intelligence along with competence. They are sincere, transparent and have the capacity to understand others. They look for resolve. They track, investigate, ask questions, brainstorm and facilitate others to help fix problems from back end supply issues to front line customer service complaints. And by the way, if something is breaking down internally (you can easily identify the issues by going to any meeting and hear your staff complain), I guarantee your customer is getting “whapped in the face” with the problem – and they will go elsewhere. The top companies admit their problems and work on fixing them month by month, year by year.

It is with sadness that I see Target leave Canada, the job loss that this creates, and the impact to our economy when a business goes out of business. I went into developing customer service programs globally because I know if we can keep our customers happy, they keep coming back, and if they keep coming back we can keep more people employed. If we can get and keep more people employed, more money gets re-distributed and a town, city or country gets lifted into a decent or higher standard of living. Money is a current (currency) and it has to flow; poor service internally and externally stops the flow. I hope you care about your customers today, inside and out.

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