In this post I’m going to revisit something that dominated the media, blog posts, youtube, twitter, facebook and just about every conversation for many, many weeks. Numerous articles have been written on this one topic alone. I am referring to the life and death of Steve Jobs.

Apart from  listening to so many people speak of Steve Jobs and his immense influence, in addition to reading countless articles about him, owning a Macbook Pro meant every time I went online a photograph of Steve Jobs appeared on my screen seemingly as a constant reminder.

Instead of immediately wading into the communication I made a decision to watch, listen, read and absorb what was going on.

It’s not unusual to hear good things said about people after their passing. Yet in this instance there was such a strong thread being woven, with genuine passion involved rather than a mere politeness, that it’s obvious the comments were incredibly heartfelt. Steve Jobs has impacted the lives of millions, changed technology, he altered the way we interact and communicate, and had a level of creativity most of us can only dream of. Since I am absolutely passionate about effective business and the need, regardless of size or type of a business, to provide a defined vision and culture with a consistent memorable customer experience, this was another ‘lead your by example’ instance.

If anyone reading this has been into an Apple Store in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne or Perth, you will understand just what it is that is different about this particular culture and service to any other computer store.  They live it, love it, show it, share it. If only my local Apple stockist would immerse itself in the ambience, culture and service standards demonstrated with such passion in these stores, because here they seem to miss the point entirely.

Rarely in history has one individual made such a profound impact on the world, especially someone from the corporate world.

A Poll I read somewhere at the time asked what people admired most about Steve Jobs, what characteristics of his they would like to have. The results were:

19% His intelligence

65% His Creativity

15% His money

What can each of us learn from such a visionary businessman and creative genius?

Passion – sell dreams not products and do what you love

Purpose –  Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture, whatever that may be for you

Persistence -  Don’t give up, even when others around you lack your faith or knock you down

Vision – have clarity, think differently and dare to be different

Integrity – stand by your beliefs and values

Culture – be clear, lead by example and don’t compromise on quality or service

Values and vision – Have your values stand in harmony with your vision

Think about how many leaders you know who would place the launch of their latest product above themselves, especially if they knew their time in this world was limited, such as was the case with his final launch?

To take just a portion of a quote from Steve Jobs; “It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” .

We don’t need to be an organisation the size of Apple or, if we take the three points from the poll, we do not need to share his level of creativity, have his intelligence, or his money, in order to follow his example in our own business. Just taking note of each of his lessons and applying them consistently will bring amazing results.

If we want to learn, why not learn from one of the best.

Early this morning we took a walk enjoying the sights, sounds and fragrances of a beautiful summer morning, although it’s entirely possible that the fragrances that attract Coabi are a little different to the ones that attract me!

During this walk many things crossed my mind and one of them was an interview I listened to recently. There were three points made about questions every business should ask themselves which I would like to share with you.

1. What exactly is your business

2. How is business

3. How would you like to do better business

Good questions and ones I suspect we don’t often ask ourselves, apart from the seemingly constant discussions around the second one.

Have you noticed the tendency at the moment for a constant stream of negativity in the media, with business owners, managers and employees more inclined to comment on how difficult the circumstances are instead of  looking at how they can improve the things that are within their control? I am not saying that businesses do not have  their fair share of challenges, as that would not be accurate. What is rarely focused on is that there are organisations of all sizes and types who are not just surviving, they are thriving.

The reason for their success, despite other external influences, has a common theme.                                                                                                               They have all defined their internal culture, which is aligned with their values. They value and train their staff and see customer experience as a priority over a singular focus on profits, knowing profits come when customers rave about their experience. They also understand that the term customer means everyone they deal with both externally and internally. How you treat your suppliers, staff, colleagues, business associates etc reflects on how you are spoken about – marketed – to everyone those people come in contact with. Whether you think you are or not, you are marketing your business at every turn.

Have you considered why two similar businesses can have entirely different outcomes? It is in their approach and attitude where the differences create alternate outcomes.

There is a Facebook group called Positively Tasmania, which was set up to note, comment, reward, and generally bring to the fore, businesses embracing a defined service culture and consistently providing exceptional service standards. This has turned the tide of a negative focus into a positive approach around living and doing business in Tasmania. It is proving extremely effective and is growing at a rapid rate. The saying, we get what we focus on, comes to mind.

Sometimes we are too close to see things from an unbiased perspective, or too busy just doing it all to be able to take the time, so consider bringing in a professional viewpoint to assess your situation and see where some tweaks may just make the difference.

To a successful week.

Kind regards, Christine

Proof… Not Promises

One of the major cosmetic houses has this statement in their advertising for a particular product, however is also stands for the sequence in which we should offer our customer experience.

Harvard Business School lecturer, Theodore Levitt said: “The primary business of any business is to stay in business – but to do that you have to get and keep customers.” Customer service isn’t about simply being available to serve someone who is ready to buy your service or product, or responding helpfully to a request, it’s about so much more. Done well, it is about offering an exceptional customer experience with a dedicated consistency.

All too often businesses state they provide good customer service and then leave it to chance, assuming (or hoping) the proof will be in the delivery. Promises not proof. Since touchpoints are the small moments of interaction that leave lasting impressions with a customer or potential customer, it would be far more effective if your customer service was defined through each touchpoint, with an emphasis placed on the delivery of a series of exceptional experiences. Proof not promises.

Times have changed. If numerous research, customer feedback through social media and customers increasingly moving into alternative purchasing options is anything to go by, it seems so many business owners or managers are seeing marketing and sales as a priority, with customer service considered a given because they say that’s what they offer. What is often missed is that each of these should ideally be a progressive part of their business strategy if solid growth and brand reputation is the desired outcome.

If you surveyed organisations, large or small, about the importance of their customer experience, virtually all of them would identify it as important to their success. If however, you asked for facts and figures on what initiatives are used, how they monitor their success and how future customer service strategy will be designed and implemented, you would find less certainty in their responses.

Word of mouth marketing is the most cost effective, most relied on, most valued form of marketing communication, yet so many companies don’t consider using it and certainly don’t have a strategy for it. Word of mouth marketing relies on your customers and staff being raving fans and advocates for your business, which doesn’t come about if they are simply satisfied.

Would you be emotionally connected enough to go out of your way to recommend a business because your experience was just a satisfactory one? It’s not by accident that all the successful brands aim to increase customer loyalty and utilise the power of word of mouth. They all have a strong vision,  clear values, a positive workplace culture, and defined service experiences amongst their  operational strategies.

Think carefully about why your customers should give you their money over your competitors, online or off?

Define your purpose, remember your passion and increase profit.

Warm regards

Christine

Aristotle said, “Excellence is not an act…it’s a habit” Creating brand loyalty is about developing positive habits consistent with your values. Business owners, managers and leaders determine the good habits that will drive the success of their organisation. Once the desired habits are identified, effective training and continual reinforcement are critical in making them a permanent part of your organisation’s culture.

It’s important to plan for the opportunities of tomorrow rather than simply focusing on the problems of today. With that forward focus and plan for tomorrow, strategies can then be designed to get you to where you wish to be. When you have your strategy in place, it’s also important to infuse it with genuine emotion if you want to truly touch your customer. We must remember to touch both their hearts and their minds.

Consumer habits have drastically altered. We can’t continue to do what we have always done if we wish to thrive in today’s competitive market.

A recent global survey reveals Australian consumers place a greater premium on service than most. Australia had the highest number of respondents (46%) believing companies are “helpful but don’t do anything extra to keep their business”.

25% of Australian respondents believe companies take their business for granted. 10% think companies don’t care about their business – double from a year ago. Only 2% of Australian consumers believe companies “generally exceed their expectations.”

By focusing on the experience your customer has with you, your business will profit.

Identify your core values and those of the people working in your business. It’s easier to deliver your brand vision if your values and behaviours are authentic and if the values of those working with you in your business are aligned with the organisational ones. Most businesses would say emphatically that they have values however, if asked, how many can identify them immediately. Stop here for a moment and write down yours. Can you do it in five minutes or less?

Using those values, take the time to define your business culture – This is your brand, so everything you do and everyone who represents you represents this brand. Know it, feel it, share it, live it.

Focus on serving your customers and serving each other – with a 100% total commitment, treating everyone the same whether customer, staff, colleague or supplier. To say that you care is easy; to demonstrate you do is necessary.

Simple common sense, yet how often it is simply not done?. Come on, we can all do this and create an enviable reputation for service excellence.

Raising the temperature of water by just one extra degree takes it from simply hot, to something that generates enough power to run an engine. If we take the same approach with everything we do, raising our efforts by just one extra degree, we can move from ordinary to extraordinary.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does!” William James

Some time ago Earl Nightingale created a program  called, “The Magic Word.”  The entire program was designed to help you discover what the magic word was.  When you finally discovered it, you had power. The magic word was attitude.  When you finally understood the power of your attitude, you understood the power you held.

It may not be a game, yet our attitude in business is the key to success in so many areas. For that matter, our attitude impacts our relationships in life as well as our health. Regardless of the circumstances in our life where we may not have choice, we have a choice over our attitude.

Think of how many people inspire you.  Think of your mentors in life and business. Do any of these people lack passion for what they stand for, do they lack vision, and is their attitude a questionable or half hearted one? I suspect not one of them would fall in to a category of lack in any of those areas. We are not inspired or attracted to people with a poor attitude, nor is it a pleasure to spend time in their company.

I have listened to speakers who have endured horrendous circumstances in their lives, either physically or mentally.  The books I have read on life stories have provided the same awareness of the one thing that sets each person apart. What has inspired and remained with me has not been their circumstances, it has been their amazing attitude and spirit.

When faced with a choice of doing business with an individual or an organisation, for me the deciding factor between them or their competitors would be their attitude. Whether that business is offline or online, small or large, I want to feel they care about me and value my business. Isn’t that what we all ultimately desire?

Now think of the businesses you admire, regardless of size. What are the qualities that stand out for you? I imagine they are the same qualities as those that stand out for most of us.

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labour and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which.  He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he’s always doing both”  James A Mitchener.

Enjoy whatever it is you do and pay attention to your attitude when doing it.

Warm regards

Christine

With the official  start to a new financial year, it is time to reassess our progress for 2011, and consider how we can make the most of the next six months in order to meet our business and personal goals.

Once again there is a focus on the service excellence awards, where nominations for individual exceptional service are submitted and eventually judged after an extensive process. One would be forgiven for thinking this would bring about a heightened concentration on providing a standard above and beyond the expected. Obviously not so with everyone.

Last week I was told in a very blunt manner to, “next time come in earlier”, when I needed a service that would take approximately 10 to 15 minutes. My arrival was three quarters of an hour prior to closing and I was the only customer needing assistance, with five staff members that I could see. This particular staff member expressed her reluctance to do the job and quite clearly thought her priority was stacking shelves over providing a service that is clearly advertised as being available up until a certain time each day. In other words I was an annoying interruption to her day. Not a good start, middle, or finish.

When placing this attitude against  the attitude of another business I encountered the next day, where everything from the beautifully printed invitations to their clients for a professional development evening which created an aura of anticipation, plus concentrating on every detail right through to the end of the night, the two could only be worlds apart.

Although different industries, they both provide services and sell products which not only keeps them in business, it keeps the staff in a job. The huge difference is that one business has defined their service culture and customer experience, leading by example, the other employs people to provide a service and sell products, without thought to how their customers may be experiencing their service and the inconsistency in those experiences. Another difference is that the business with the poor service advertises customer service is a feature they provide, yet fails to do so consistently, whilst the other business lives and demonstrates it consistently.

The attitude of staff to the organisation they work for is reflected in the way they treat their customers – in both instances.

If our goal is to not only survive, but to thrive in the next half of this year, it is essential to have our customers feel valued, to build relationships and earn their trust.

Go out tomorrow and be exceptional – every day, every time.

Kind regards

Christine

This cruise alone would have been a breathtaking experience, yet was enhanced by the staff and crew of World Heritage Cruises. A family owned company where at every point, from booking to disembarking, it was clear they were passionate about what they do and engaged with each person in their care. We could not tell the cruise that day was just another one in the thousands they had taken out. Disney is famous for the same approach where their ‘cast,’ as they call their staff, each day  treat every inane or obscure question with genuine consideration for their guests experience.

Another cruise would still have given us the identical extraordinary environment to explore, yet the feelings left after the event would be vastly difference without that same quality of total engagement.

Every interaction in your business is an experience, with the difference being exactly how that experience leaves your client or customer feeling. The other impact the experience has, is in how hard your business has to work in order to attract or retain customers.

It’s rare to hear a business not mentioning customer service as a part of their processes. Yet, extensive research I conducted across Australia and New Zealand, identified just 17% have defined their customer experience. Only 70% of those 17% offer staff training in that customer experience.  The rest are leaving the end result to individual interpretation and chance.

We can’t miss the media focus showcasing customer frustrations as they spend their hard earned money, how essential it is to provide an exceptional level of service.

How often do you walk away from any business feeling WOW that was amazing? On the other hand, how many times do you leave experiencing annoyance or frustration?  Also, there is simply satisfied, not consciously thinking of that business again. In fact we often experience these extremes across one day.

Word of mouth is the most inexpensive and powerful form of marketing. Use it to your advantage. People don’t talk about satisfaction, just poor or exceptional, with the ability to share experiences when their emotions are at the highest through instant communication such as twitter, facebook and smart phones.

Although competition is strong research shows consumers will pay for quality service even in difficult economic periods. We have an innate need to be respected, valued and appreciated. It’s also clear that in the absence of an exceptional experience, consumers will choose price.

Once again, my research identified that from the customer’s perspective, the main reasons for businesses not providing an exceptional experience are:

• staff attitude

• lack of training (knowledge and service)

• lack of interest in the customer

• lack of consistency

Regardless of what we think, it’s what the customer thinks that becomes reality. Good or satisfied isn’t enough. At the very least, our customers should expect satisfaction when paying for any product or service.

With one business it was a superb customer experience throughout, and one that made me happy to spend more than I had originally intended. It was completed by my receiving a card expressing their appreciation for my business. This was balanced by another experience elsewhere that left me feeling completely frustrated.

Regarding the second experience, I am not sure why a large sign stating ‘customer service’ is in place, when it could more accurately just say ‘cashier’. There is certainly nothing remotely resembling customer service about someone chewing gum, wriggling a tongue stud with her tongue, being focused on the transaction and what is going on around her rather than on the customer, handing over my receipt at the same time as dismissing my questions and telling me that it will be easy to follow the process at home.

It wasn’t easy to follow the process at home by the way. It required a telephone call where I was transferred three times until someone could actually assist me because no one knew what to do!

Having said that, the staff member was not unpleasant, so I imagine if asked the question, she would consider she was offering good customer service by the simple fact of seeing a transaction through.

This particular organisation has recently been promoting their renewed focus on customer service in order to reduce a poor customer perception, along with an attempt to retain customers and  increase market share.

Waiting in the queue to be served, it was easy to observe each staff member and how they interacted with other customers and each other. My assessment would be that leadership and training would not be their strong suit, leaving it to each individual staff member to interpret how they provide their customer’s experience.

As we know, this variance in interpretation can be a broad one, with a lack of personal commitment the result when clear guidelines and expectations aren’t set and appropriate standards aren’t led from the top.  A disconnected staff was what I observed.

The first business I mention here is one I will happily recommend, therefore doing their marketing for them, not to  mention using them again myself. The second organisation I will tell many people about – with the completely opposite effect  to their stated objectives.

Instant communication with easily available social media, text messages, and mobile calls, offers a customer an immediate opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings about any business when their emotions are at the highest. Can any business afford that if it is a mediocre or negative experience being shared?

For me, when I am training or speaking, I now have two new experiences to share as examples sending the messages wide and clear.

As a customer, do you have similar stories as these to tell?

Have an exceptional day and a wonderful Easter.

Kind regards

Christine

One is to note that the region is very much alive, beautiful and ready to welcome business and visitors, regardless of a general perception of broad devastation held by many people from the southern states.

I had the privilege of being invited to speak at the first Cairns Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) event for the year. Meeting a number of business leaders and owners during my visit to the area was an associated bonus.

In a region where they have experienced extremes in weather conditions, on top of challenges with tourism through world disasters which has affected some of their major interstate and overseas markets, it is obvious there are clear leaders in being proactive to overcome these circumstances. There are also some who are struggling, yet each business is exposed to the same set of circumstances.

The second point is that acknowledgement, attitude, and action, are common attributes in those businesses and organisations thriving in these difficult times. It highlights the fact that you get what you focus on.

My host, Wendy Ackland of Burnt Toast Marketing, has an approach and commitment to providing an exceptional experience for her clients, fellow members of AMI, and the broader business community. This was clearly demonstrated in every action from the first contact we had, through the organisation and detail provided.

BurntToast® Marketing is an independent agency based in Cairns. The business was established in 2007 and specialises in market research and marketing planning. While they work across all mediums, the firm’s expertise lies with online business tools, which – when used correctly – can enhance and drive your overall business strategy and become a valuable source of research, straight from your customers. A perfect partner to providing an exceptional customer experience.

Wendy is a qualified marketer with more than 12 years’ experience in her profession. She is skilled in consumer behaviour, measuring marketing activity, and in harnessing analytics to create effective marketing campaigns.

She is passionate about her industry and as such, is a strong advocate for the AMI in Cairns where the marketing profession is often overlooked as a serious career opportunity.

Anyone who knows me, or knows of me, is aware of my passion for the importance of a memorable customer/client experience culture and the overall benefits to any business when they apply a defined customer experience model.

Jason Greenhalgh, the Queensland President of the AMI, who flew to Cairns to support the event, also fosters his belief in the connection between effective marketing to bring clients in the door, then valuing those clients by providing an exceptional customer experience to ensure you remain their preferred place to do business.

The third point is, we can’t expect consumers to support local business without businesses being prepared to invest in creating a culture of service within each organisation and continuing to strive to do better in order to earn their custom.

Mahatma Gandhi said: A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.  How true!

Even the taxi driver, who at 4.25am arrived with more than a smile to deliver me safely to the airport, made my final memory a positive one. It was his attitude toward his customer, his company and his region that was the element that stood out for me. A true ambassador!

Service is the one key element that is completely within our control. How we treat our customers and the overall experience that the customer receives will ultimately dictate our success or failure.

Not only is service within our control, research shows that service is the one thing that can, and will, set us apart from our competition. For better or for worse. Effective customer service training is about developing both skills and attitudes.

People are not your most important asset. The RIGHT people are. Jim Collins “From Good to Great”

A little about AMI (from their website): The AMI represents professional marketers throughout Australia, including practitioners from all marketing functions and industries. Through a unified voice, the Institute has established strong links with business, academia and government to become the voice of the marketing profession.

The AMI’s leadership role in advancing the marketing profession has resulted in the emergence of Certified Practising Marketer (CPM) accreditation as a practising benchmark, the establishment of a Code of Professional Conduct, and the move towards defined practising standards for marketers and marketing metrics for organisations.

A final word. Take a trip north and enjoy, especially with those businesses who practice acknowledgment, attitude and action.

Have an exceptional day.

Kind regards

Christine

How will they attract and retain clients or customers?

Have they defined their competitive edge?

I know quite a number of businesses in the Circular Head region of Tasmania who keenly consider these questions, then take action to ensure they remain customer focused.

As the guest speaker for the Circular Head Progress Group ‘Night of Excellence’, I shared in a wonderful evening celebrating the amazing achievements for quite a number of businesses and individuals. In what would be considered a reasonably remote area by people from other parts of Australia or overseas, these businesses demonstrate daily how exceptional they are to continue competing in a much larger arena. Many of the awards they have been recognised with are national awards, often against much larger organisations located in major cities.

Many people may be able to copy the service we offer or the products we sell, yet they are not able to copy how we do it. A major lesson here is being clear on what we offer our customers, valuing them and ensuring we consistently do it better than anyone else. Regardless of our size or location.

Congratulations again to each of the award recipients from Friday evening, and to the Progress Group committee for being passionate about supporting and valuing local business in your amazing area.

Thank you to the hosts of Sheer Pleasure, Heather and David, whose website states, “not just accommodation, it’s an experience” and who obviously live by that statement.

It is often the people who understand the key message who are always open to hear ways and a perspective on how to continue doing even better. They understand we can’t rest on our laurels, we must continue to raise the bar. They understand it is necessary to develop a service culture within their organisation. Thank you for your warm welcome and open minds.

Interestingly enough, today people expect more from us than ever before, yet they have come to expect to receive less. Experience has been teaching them that complacency is more normal than exceptional when experiencing customer service, so they are searching elsewhere to spend their hard earned money. We are craving that sense of being valued by people we do business with.

Stand out from your competitors, consistently offer an exceptional experience and earn the loyalty of your customers.

Have an exceptional week

Kind regards

Christine