Customer Service

What’s A Successful Connection On Social Media

What’s A Successful Connection On Social Media

Garth Beyer

Helicopter Leaves Complaint

Does responding to complaints, peeves and criticism establish a successful connection? Does it build brand loyalty? Does it lead to a developed friendship. Does it equate to a sure future positive interaction?

A successful connection on social media is when someone shares their dreams, their stories, their hopes and memories and jokes with you. It’s when you can engage in conversation, knowing you’ll converse again in the future. It’s when you look forward to interacting again.

A business who only responds to complaints on social media isn’t building their brand, they’re just keeping it still, stagnant, stationary.

And you know what I say about standing still.

 

Stay Positive & Suggestion Time

If I tell you how much I hate having helicopter leaves stuck to my car? How can you turn that into a successful connection? Tweet at me @thegarthbox 

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I Fought The Law And The Law Won

I Fought The Law And The Law Won

Garth Beyer

The law always wins, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose when it does. I’m using “law” in a very, very broad way. Synonymous with system, business, campaign, art, etc,.

Concrete Wall

I ran a program that didn’t allow any exceptions to a deadline. It was law!

Illiteracy, family death, wrong mailing address, whatever the reason, it would never lead to an exception in the deadline. During the program’s conception, the strict deadline seemed like a good idea; it put the pressure on those applying and made them aware there would be no exceptions. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop them from calling with their sob stories asking for exceptions.

I’ve learned pretty quickly if you’re going to push something out before it’s near perfect, be sure to allow for changes, for flexibility, for exceptions. Write in the law that you have the power to change the law. No fine print. No contact forms or application sheets. There are always exceptions. Always. You don’t have to define them ahead of time, but you need to be prepared for them when they arrive. And they will arrive.

Sadly I wasn’t there when the program’s statute was being written. I had no say, no power to change it, to suggest a clause that would allow exceptions. It was too late. This was troublesome for me because I’m a person who would rather find a way to say yes than to say no, regardless if it’s an extremely rare case or a simple courteous plea for an exception.

I once read about a CEO who gives each of his customer service employees $900 a month to spend on making things right with customers. If people expect you to make things right, then you have to tap the unexpected by making them more than right. The expected and unexpected is what divides a one-time-purchase and a loyal customer.

The program was doomed from the start and has since been sunset, discontinued. Had there been provisions for flexibility in the statute, authority to make exceptions with those running the program, and a budget to make things more than right, the program could have grown into something remarkable, instead it’s over, done, kaput.

Never ship a concrete block, concrete business, concrete program unless you can chisel away when someone pleads for a round block, an exception, a refund.

Better yet, why not ship concrete mix instead?

 

Stay Positive & Versatility And Malleability Is Essential For Business Longevity

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How Far Can You Bend

Garth Beyer

There’s one guarantee about what you plan for, be it your PR strategy, product idea, design service or life in general: It won’t happen the way you planned.

Planning is essential, what’s more so, though, is flexibility. It’s no surprise the businesses that make the most profit also offer the most discounts, provide the most leeway on expectations and kick ass at customer service.

Flexibility is the foundation to a successful business. Why? Because at some point, you’re going to have to change the way you do things. Better to have the space to bend than to remain dormant, only to be forgotten.

It’s those who think of “what could have been” that never spent time incorporating flexibility into their business.

 

Stay Positive & What Doesn’t Bend, Breaks

Sellers Need A Lesson

Garth Beyer

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I went to purchase a motorcycle over the weekend. While I wasn’t as knowledgable as the salesman at the motorsports store, I knew as much about the specific bike that I wanted as he did. Because I researched it and knew as much as him, he couldn’t upsell it.

The flaw with knowledge equilibrium between salesperson and customer is that the only connection remaining is price. There is nothing he can say to make me purchase the product other than giving me a number I want.

The catch is that if a customers knows more, they will pay less.

Dealers of all kinds need to spend the morning before work reviewing what has been posted online. The beauty about information when it comes to selling is that if the motorcycle salesman were to know as much as me, but told me they just read something about the bike online earlier that morning, I would certainly be more interested.

At the most simple form, it just shows the salesperson cares about the product, not just about selling it to anyone without half a mind to research before making a purchase.*

 

Stay Positive & Consider Buying Privately

Garth E. Beyer

*The internet is now the salesman. While there are still people with that title, their duties are much different. They are there to make a connection, show they care (about the product and you), and be the liaison of trust.

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Earlier The Better

Garth Beyer

I took the bus today and asked the driver if the bus he was standing by was the bus to Rockford. Without looking at me, he said, “yea, we’re just waiting on a passenger to get seated.” Now I’m on the bus waiting for it to take off and I’m nervous that I’m on the wrong bus. I don’t have trust in the driver.

Not because I think he’s lying but because he didnt’ convince me, he didn’t make it personal, and he didn’t take the time or attention that a passenger (equally, a customer) deserves.

I paid for the ride, but I also paid to be assured I would reach the destination I need to in the time I need to. It just so happens that I wasn’t.

Update: 20 minutes into the ride and he just got on the speaker to make an announcement for where we will be going, thanking us for being passengers, and filling us in on what we need to know while riding (safety procedures).

My question is: why not make the connection before a passenger gets in, not after?

I sat with slight anxiety thinking this may turn into more of an adventure than I had planned. While I have that attitude, many do not. When you have customers paying for you to keep your promise, it’s better to show them that you’re keeping it as early as possible. Saves them worry, anxiety, and nervousness (no matter how little).

 

Stay Positive & If You’re Customer Is Early, You Better Be Too

Garth E. Beyer

How To Cope With Criticism

Garth Beyer

At one of my current occupations, I get to give kids money to go to college. It’s a pretty enjoyable time when I look at it like that. However, part of what I do is handle hundreds of phone calls and emails a week, call it customer service if you will.

Of course, those contacting me are doing so because of a problem they have, whether it’s from a lack of information, understanding, or what it sometimes feels like, they just want to blow up on someone.

This means I’m using a special kind emotional labor from day-to-day. I have to disassociate my personal feelings with every interaction while still keeping an open heart and willingness to help.

In other words, I continuously work on not taking anything personally.

To put it in more perspective, I seldom get a call to tell me I’ve done a good job or get an email just to tell me, “Thanks for all your work, we really appreciate it.” Occasionally I get a thank you letter from a student, maybe two a year on average.

I’m human, but even if I wasn’t, doing what I do without any pat on the back or thanks could still bring me to resent my work. Of course, it doesn’t. And for one simple reason.

Each day I remind myself that while I may receive 30 calls in one day, there are 90,000 students and 200,000 family members of students who don’t call, that things are going smoothly for, that have no problems. 30/290,000 is a pretty good ratio, wouldn’t you say?

Another current occupation (in which I am most artistic) is Writer. The majority of the time when I produce an article, when I get published, when I deliver, I get criticized. Similar to my work as a Grants Specialist, those who agree, who understand, who have been given the intended message, rarely leave feedback.

It’s not often people read to connect, but to learn and understand. I don’t see it, but there are hundreds (hopefully thousands?) of people nodding their heads in agreement and understanding while reading my work.

The few people who I hear from are those who disagree, who have a different opinion (that they would rather share in relation to my article rather than doing the hard work of writing one themselves), and yes, also those who just feel like trolling.

I once told a friend that if there was a point to complaining, they would call them com points, but they don’t. However, here is a point. (two actually)

We are criticized for two reasons. One, to broaden our minds, to self-evaluate, and to be aware of possible mistakes. In other words, to learn. Two (and most important), to be given a ratio. Not having a ratio doesn’t mean you’re doing everything right, it means you’re doing something seriously wrong.

Counting the number of critics you have is meant to remind you of all those who aren’t. I’ve never been one for math, but this is one ratio that makes it easy to cope with criticism.

 

Stay Positive & No Critics Usually Means No Art (and that’s on you, not them)

Garth E. Beyer

The Types Of People Who Tip In A Coffee Shop (Starbucks)

Garth Beyer

I’m spending my 4th of July observing and writing in Starbucks. This post is about all the observations I am making about Starbucks, customer service, behaviors and types of people.

The people who feel they are really cared for and given friendly service, not just customer service. These people will, after they have already walked out the door, come back in just to put a dollar in the tip jar.

The people who understand that the little adds up and are the predecessors of change. These people will not just toss change into the tip jar, but thank the coffee connoisseur for their effort.

The people who I call jingle haters. They can’t stand the spare change in their pocket so they toss it in the jar, doing their hardest to ignore the last clink of change they will hear until they make another purchase and get change back from that. I doubt any Starbucks employees complain about these jingle haters, they account for 3/8 of the tips.

The financially conservative people who treat themselves from time to time don’t tip. They also don’t just keep the change, they keep the receipt too. More power to them I suppose. Everyone’s gotta make a living.

Want to get tips? Make a game out of it? There are two registers and two tip jars, which person at which tip jar can serve remarkably enough to get larger tips? One wins but both have fun.

What I love about Starbucks Barista’s really is that they have fun. They really do live the Starbucks motto of “Rewarding Everyday Moments”. They don’t care about tips, it’s just a bonus, it’s not something they actually work for, serve for or slave for. It just so happens anyway that the more fun you have making and serving Coffee, the more tips you get. Starbucks understands the essence of relationships, not just between customer and coffee but between customer and barista.

 

Stay Positive & You Get Tipped For Having Fun Outside Of Starbucks Too

Garth E. Beyer