Connecting and engaging people in the workplace with LEGO® … just one of many fascinating topics shared in my video discussion with Smart Women Conversations’ host Yvonne DiVita, respected blogger, serial entrepreneur, and my former publisher who remains a dear friend. Yvonne launched Smart Women Conversations to “inform, educate, create laughter and share stories of
To hold on to your customers amid strong competition, it’s important to provide a positive customer experience. But where do you begin? You start from the inside out with the employee experience because the way employees feel is the way customers will feel – and if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers.
This is the story (more of a tribute, actually) about my beloved father. He was a tailor by trade who ran a small alterations and dry cleaning business. I used to visit his shop to watch him work on a treadle sewing machine surrounded by rainbows of thread neatly stacked on shelves. Sometimes I would
In many organizations there are employees who not only serve customers, they ARE customers. These “internal” customers are employees who rely on the information and resources provided by fellow employees who work in support functions such purchasing, HR, accounting, IT/information, etc. The level of quality service and support that “internal” customers receive from them impacts
Need to have your employees better understand and improve the customer experience? Here are three simple approaches designed to do just that. Each one can be applied to engage employees in sharing their experiences and building on their ideas to take care of customers. 1. Consider the customer perspective “Smart people walk in the shoes of
[Note: this special guest post is by Chip R. Bell, renowned keynote speaker and the author of several award-winning, national best-selling books. See more about Chip at the end of this post.] Audubon Magazine features annually their photography awards. This is the magazine of the National Audubon Society, the oldest conservation organization in the world for the
One of the most amazing clients I’ve had the privilege and joy of collaborating with for 25 years recently retired. I wish there were more managers like her because it would mean more engaged and productive workplaces. Let me tell you why. Peg helped grow a successful university distance education department, having started at a time when
Not that it doesn’t matter, because it does. But you can forget the customer experience IF you neglect to take care of the employee experience. Here are several favorite quotes that capture the essence of the employee-customer experience connection. “Paradoxically, to achieve an emotionally connecting customer experience, employees come first, ahead of the customer.” Tom
Your brand is conveyed in everything you do to communicate and deliver your product/service offerings; i.e., what and how people think about your brand is based on the experiences they have with your business. This story illustrates how a business manager formed her impression of a company’s brand when seeking a new payroll processing firm.
In honor of National Customer Service Week (observed the first week in October), here are three amazing stories told by customers — all marketing professionals — who experienced and analyzed them. They represent different situations that share a common theme. Customer experience #1: “I walked into an Eckerd Drug Store to buy a sympathy card. Before