Business Must Walk the Talk!
As consumers we’ve seen all this before. A slowing economy creates higher prices and as companies struggle with profitability they reduce their costs. Usually the first victims are employees. Their work hours are reduced, or eliminated all together. Then marketing takes a hit. Why should you promote your company when no one is buying, right? On top of all this, customer service erodes. No surprise there. Why would employees worry about satisfying customers when they’re now thinking about a second or third job to make ends meet? What is an employer to do?
No doubt some costs need to be reduced in difficult times. If employee hours are to be cut now is the time to eliminate the deadwood. You know who they are! The employees who continuously call in sick, are forever late, never wear work-appropriate clothes, or are just plain lazy. Chuck’em! Save the hours for your loyal, consistently hardworking employees. Besides, customers would rather deal with an associate who really wants to be there and enjoys their work. As well, employers need to keep their staff engaged. What do I mean by that? Respect their opinions and concerns, challenge them in finding better ways to do their job, ask how to reduce costs and save money, continue training them, and let them represent your company 24/7. It doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money to keep your valuable employees engaged. Listen to them.
If you reduce marketing to save money you risk losing your customers. One way to maintain marketing is to use social media to talk with your customers. Your kids do this everyday with great success, why shouldn’t your business? Invite customers to post a comment on your corporate blog to ask questions or discuss customer service issues they experienced. Their feedback gives you the opportunity to maintain customer loyalty. Most customers want to give the company a chance to respond to their concern. Your silence in such situations will cost you their business, perhaps permanently. You could even get your engaged employees involved to provide exceptional service to these customers.
Engaging employees and social media are just two methods to maintain your exceptional customer service levels. Don’t fool yourself either. Your competition is out there in your community and online. Think outside the box when it comes to improving your business. Your answers could be standing right in front of you!
No doubt some costs need to be reduced in difficult times. If employee hours are to be cut now is the time to eliminate the deadwood. You know who they are! The employees who continuously call in sick, are forever late, never wear work-appropriate clothes, or are just plain lazy. Chuck’em! Save the hours for your loyal, consistently hardworking employees. Besides, customers would rather deal with an associate who really wants to be there and enjoys their work. As well, employers need to keep their staff engaged. What do I mean by that? Respect their opinions and concerns, challenge them in finding better ways to do their job, ask how to reduce costs and save money, continue training them, and let them represent your company 24/7. It doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money to keep your valuable employees engaged. Listen to them.
If you reduce marketing to save money you risk losing your customers. One way to maintain marketing is to use social media to talk with your customers. Your kids do this everyday with great success, why shouldn’t your business? Invite customers to post a comment on your corporate blog to ask questions or discuss customer service issues they experienced. Their feedback gives you the opportunity to maintain customer loyalty. Most customers want to give the company a chance to respond to their concern. Your silence in such situations will cost you their business, perhaps permanently. You could even get your engaged employees involved to provide exceptional service to these customers.
Engaging employees and social media are just two methods to maintain your exceptional customer service levels. Don’t fool yourself either. Your competition is out there in your community and online. Think outside the box when it comes to improving your business. Your answers could be standing right in front of you!
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