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How to Build Interest (Part 2 in a Series): Honesty

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By James Ellis

(This is Part 2; you can find Part One here.)

I recently flew to NYC (in a plane) and I was reminded of how bad air travel is. I used to be a full-time business traveler. I know plenty of business flyers. And the simple fact is that there is no such thing as a good airline.

Oh, there are people who work in airline companies who can, on occasion, do good things. But usually they don’t. They don’t care that your luggage went missing, that your guitar got smashed, that your child traveling alone never met the airline rep you paid to make sure your child got somewhere safely. On time means pushing off the jetway, not getting where you want to go. Customer satisfaction means you only feel semi-violated getting somewhere.

But I have a way of fixing modern airlines: Honesty.

The worst part about flying is the lying, the lack of understanding how passengers/cargo are treated, the gamesmanship, the arbitrary and hidden rules. You spend a few hundred dollars to be told you will be treated like kings and then get treated like traitors.

Marketing teams think that if they tell us the truth, no one will book tickets. But I disagree. I hate being told that two airlines are merging “for my convenience” and not to lower operations costs by 0.2%. I hate being told that it is time to board passengers in Group 3 when no one actually looks to see if I’m in Group 3. I hate that we all pretend that my iPad will cause the plane to crash if I turn it on during takeoff (um… the entire plane is an electronic device, people).

My new airline will simply be called SucksAir. At no point will any of the marketing lie. I will flat out say that the seats are cramped, there’s no food for free, the air as healthy as your average flu vaccine, the drink cart will mug anyone with an aisle seat, the pilot will always sound hopped up on Valium, and the in-flight entertainment will always be commercials. At no point will anyone who works at SucksAir ever treat any paying customer like a human being. Flights will be coming and going on a schedule closer related to a Roman orgy than a German train station.

Being honest is the unique selling proposition. You know that SucksAir is a crappy airline that just happens to get you where you want to go. No more, no less.

What if you were equally honest? Painfully honest. Brutally honest. About your industry, your customers and yourself. If you can’t be stand-up comedian honest in your blog, you should stop blogging.

What’s the fear? That everyone will realize that you’re making it all up as you go along? That you think some of your customers are idiots? That there are shysters in your industry who make a pretty good living? Trust me, we already know that. It might just be enlightening to hear you say it.

Author’s Bio: James Ellis is a digital strategist, mad scientist, lover, fighter, drummer and blogger living in Chicago. You can reach out to him or just argue with his premise at saltlab.com.

What to do when you are dealing with Humans?

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by Shashi Bellamkonda

I have been in the people business for many decades. First in the hospitality industry and now in the small business technology space. Some of the companies I love are for their ability to make every employee of theirs “human.” I find it odd that I have to use the term “human” to describe living things that are already human. Such is the cost of the pressures of economy, technology and pressures of the world we live in.

We hear that mobile is the next big thing. Of course the effect of it is that a pair of otherwise loving human beings now take walks and instead of holding hands, hold their phone feverishly typing as they walk. Family dinner outings become shorter, with dad’s addiction to checking in to every possible location app and show the virtual world that he is alive and well while kids and spouse lovingly tolerate crazy dad ( Guilty here!)

How does this apply to business?

Rule No 1: The Human in front of you is better than a Byte

When I worked for the hotel industry we learned to give preference to the “Human” who was in front of us rather than the one on the phone. Are we now driving away “humans” and making them communicate with us virtually? I don’t know if you agree or not but face to face is still the best way of communication unless you are talking about a couple breaking up.  Train your employees in thinking of customers as humans and communicating with the same friendliness that they would expect. Assign clear rules to follow when faced with situations where your staff may be faced with a face to face customer versus one on email or the phone.

Rule No 2:  The Human needs help not your computer

This is an incident closer to heart when a few months ago my 10 year old niece was flying back from India and was travelling 3 legs of the journey on different airlines. In Bombay she is told by Swiss Airlines that the computer shows that she has already flown the flight which has yet to take off. How ridiculous does this sound? Luckily she was with her parents, but they were forced to buy a ticket for that part of the journey even though they had already paid for it. So in this case this was a total failure of making the situation human.

An experience that was nice was when I was flying back to DC on SouthWest and realized that I had made a mistake and my return flight was to Dulles instead of Baltimore where I had parked my car to take the flight in. Thinking about the horror of trying to get to Baltimore from the Washington Dulles Airport and the time I would waste making the journey, I approached the SouthWest counter  and the lady listened to my story, called a supervisor and changed my booking to Baltimore and did not charge me for it. I will always remember SouthWest fondly. I could give you countless examples – the ticket counter at Silja Line in Helsinki where to my horror I had booked a cruise the next day and had no hotel and they changed the booking without any fuss. The lady at the London Eye in the UK who agreed to let us take an earlier ride.

Humans have a good memory for both good and bad experiences. The important  thing to remember for companies when things happen is to “humanize” the situation immediately. Worry about the Human in front of you and how to help them rather than your computer that gives you an impossible answer.

Rule No 3: How to retain your customer even if you disagree with them.

A conversation with a customer should never be carried to an extreme. I fought my insurance company all the way to the State Attorney’s office and I lost. Yet  I still am a customer and think they provide the best customer service insurance companies can provide. I disagreed on a rate increase that I thought was not justified and the company stood its ground but always kept me in the loop, listened to me patiently looked for other ways to help me reduce my bill. All this comes from a inbuilt spirit within companies to help the customer and not engaging in a conflict that leaves the customer unsatisfied.

As your business grows , think about your customers as members of your friendly neighborhood. Think of them as humans first and not as 140 characters or bytes in an email. Your business will flourish when you “humanize” it.

What do you think? Do you have any tips for businesses to humanize themselves?

 

Author’s Bio: This guest post is by Shashi Bellamkonda, senior director of social media and public relations — employees call him Social Media Swami — at Web.com, a company that helps small businesses establish an online presence and conduct online marketing. He is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.

Were you naughty or nice to your customers this year?

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As much of the nation enjoys Christmas and other cherished celebrations this month, many small business owners can’t help but think ahead to 2013.

With the clock winding down on this year, what are your business aspirations for the next 12 months. Simply put, how will you and your customers work together in 2013, making it the best relationship yet?

If you were the small business owner who maybe did not spend as much time as they should have coveting their customers these last 12 months, how will you improve upon that task going forward?

Among the things to review:

* Did you go that extra mile for your customers in 2012?

* Did your employees (where applicable) return customer calls promptly, answer any and all questions, and solve problems when necessary?

* Did you gain referrals from many of your customers because they appreciate the products and/or services you provide them? If not, do you think doing a little more for them may have helped you in gaining the trust of their family, friends and co-workers?

* Did you do the little things like send them a year-end holiday card or email?

These are but four of the items that you should be asking yourself, more importantly, answering without hesitation. Remember, without your customers, there is no small business to run.

Many people make New Year’s resolutions on a yearly basis, but how many truly keep them?

In a day and age when customers have a variety of shopping options, what will you do in 2013 to stand out from the competition?

Among the things to consider:

* Offering online shopping (if you do not already), delivery services (where applicable), mobile payments, and providing follow-up service with each and every customer;

* Utilizing social media to the max. If you are not currently using SM, why is that? You are essentially passing on free advertising when you are not social;

* Surveying customers from time to time on what they like about your business, what they do not like, and how you could improve things.

Lastly, use the coming year as the chance for a fresh start for both you and your small business.

In the event you could have done more for your customers over these last 12 months, make it your gift to them to make 2013 an even better year.

Photo credit: teamaltman.com

About the author: Dave Thomas covers small business topics for a variety of websites.

 

8 Ways a Human Business Takes a Holiday

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by
Rosemary O’Neill

Working All the Time?

Last week, I was out to dinner with my 7 year old daughter, and while we were eating, I got a ping from a customer that I needed to answer. I pulled out my iPhone and told her, “I just need to do this one thing and then I promise I’ll put it away.” She looked at me, cocked her head, and said, “so Mommy, you’re pretty much working all the time, then, right?” (Cue video of knight being shot with 20 arrows through the heart.)

Whoah. That knocked me back on my heels a bit.

Days later, her question is still pinging through my brain.

8 Ways a Human Business Takes a Holiday

I spend a lot of time writing and talking about the human-centered business, really trying to promote the idea that customers should be spoken to like humans, and employees should be treated with respect.

But there’s another human inside the equation. You are a human too. So am I.

And humans need sleep, daydreaming, play, quiet, contemplation, singing, and time to enjoy their fellow humans (both small and grownup).

If you’ve decided to run your small business with humans at the heart of it, here are some things to think about:

  1. Have you declared any “office shutdown” days over the holidays?
  2. Can you hold any necessary meetings by Skype of Google Hangout instead of going in to the office?
  3. How about flexible time during the week to allow for shopping or ice skating, as long as the work is getting done?
  4. Don’t forget the folks who make your office life bearable—how about some cookies for your FedEx person, or a video message for your favorite vendors?
  5. Regardless of which holiday you celebrate, take some time to be frivolous. Wear reindeer slippers under your desk, give someone a surprise day off, go caroling in your office building, hide chocolate coins in desk drawers.
  6. Consider stockpiling some content this week so that you don’t even have to stress out about blog posts going up over the holidays, or invite some guest posters.
  7. If you’re the boss, try not to schedule time-sensitive tasks during this time.
  8. Use the holiday downtime to recharge, and be ready to tackle the beginning of 2013 with gusto!

Next time I go out to eat with my daughter, the iPhone stays off.

And here’s a virtual cup of egg nog, from me to you.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Thank you, Rosemary!

You’re irresistible!

ME “Liz” Strauss

Is Your Small Business Dialed Into T1 Lines?

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As technology continues to evolve, the small businessman or woman should know how to most effectively run their business with the right technological products and services in place.

The simple truth is that a number of programs and processes can not only make things easier for the person who owns a business, but it can also help increase their revenue stream if implemented properly.

One such option is a T1 line, something that has been around for more than two decades, yet still remains a mystery to some business owners.

In the simplest terms, T1 lines (T is an abbreviation for trunk, 1 stands for a particular level within the trunk) offer reliable bandwith when it comes to accessing the Internet, using multiple telephone lines, or data communications. Unlike high-speed cable, T1 lines are focused business Internet connections that are not shared by a number of companies.

For the business owner who runs an operation where multiple lines of communication are needed such as a customer service center, T1 lines (offering 24/7/365 service) can be very beneficial to performing a multitude of operations. They help the company dealing with large call volumes, proving less expensive and more efficient than those that have regular old phone service in place. Given the fact that numerous services can be mixed together on a single T1 line, business owners can actually end up saving money over time.

When shopping for a T1 line for one’s small business, take note that an integrated T1 line is one of the top selling T1 solutions, due primarily to the fact that it offers local phone service, long distance, and bandwith all on a lone connection and one bill. Business owners also have the option of bonded T1 lines, consisting of up to four 1.5 Mbps T1 circuits that in reality act as a lone circuit, providing speeds up to 12 Mpbs.

As you shop for a T1 line, consider:

1. Location – This is the major factor as to what you pay for a T1 or greater bandwidth line. The further distance your operation is from the carrier, the more you pay. Places further away from sizable metropolitan areas oftentimes pay more;

2. Hardware – Look at the expense for hardware that includes routers, PBX boxes, switches, and any installation fees among other items

3. Contract – The terms (length) of the contract can have a big impact on what you will end up paying.  Typically, it will cost more on a per month basis for a one-year contract than you would for say a three-year deal;

While newer technologies have hit the market over the years, decreases in price for T1 lines, along with the reliability of such circuits, has permitted the volume of T1 lines in use nationwide to keep growing at a solid rate.

For those small business owners who need the Internet, telecommunications and data connectivity now and going forward, T1 lines are definitely something to dial into.

Photo credit: ehow.com

With 23 years of experience as a writer, Dave Thomas covers a wide array of small business topics.

Are Your Customers Giving You Anxiety?

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They are the backbone of being a successful small business person.

Yes, you may get irritated with them at times, you may wonder why they are so particular, and you may go home at night shaking your head as to why you deal with them in the first place. Yet, they (other than your employees) are the reason that you have a small business in the first place.

For the man or woman who runs their own small business, their customers can be their greatest joy or their biggest nightmare. And why can they be the latter at times?

Among the reasons:

* The customer who undoubtedly complains about their service or product. No matter what you and your staff do for them, they are never fully satisfied;

* The customer who comes to your store at the last minute. Let’s say your store closes at 9 p.m. and you are tallying up the receipts and other bookkeeping for the day. Then, much to your chagrin, here he or she comes at 8:59 p.m. and wanting to make a purchase. You or your employee put on the fake smile and tell them of course it is okay that they waited all day to come in;

* The customer who takes to online forums and social media sites to chastise you and your business. Unlike the “old days” when customers would call or write a letter to complain, many now take to the web to vent their feelings. Instead of possibly a few people finding out, they literally tell hundreds and thousands of people about your company. The end result is you could lose out on potential customers who find the comments less than flattering;

* The customer who you have to bill over and over again. While many consumers are good about paying off their bills either right away or in a prompt manner, there are always the stragglers that make life miserable for you or your accounting folks. Several invoices and reminders about their payment being late can take up valuable time that can be spent elsewhere. While some customers may truly be in a tight financial situation, others undoubtedly decide to make paying you less of a priority. As a result, your books are never up to speed.

Yes, many customers are the kind of folks you would like for neighbors, work to promote your business by telling their family and friends about it, and make you want to get up each day to go to work.

Others, however, can make your business life downright miserable.

At the end of the day, is there a certain way that you handle your customers? Is there any advice you would offer the new businessman or woman who is just about to launch their own company? Finally, what would be one thing you would change about your customers if you could?

As mentioned earlier, your customers are as important to the survival of your business as anything else.

Without them, you might as well find another line of work.

Photo credit: invistics.com

About the author: With 23 years of experience as a writer, Dave Thomas covers a wide array of items from cleaning your home gutter for winter to starting a home business.