SEASON 5 | EPISODES 209-260

HOW TO PROTECT AGAINST TELPHONE MISTAKES

Imagine a well-intentioned phone call that gets really ugly in 20 seconds? 

This happened to me recently. Why? The answer is simple…I let my professional guard down. I initiated the call in a casual manner, while I multi-tasked in the background. Twenty seconds into the call I ran into a POW!!! Why? I made two mistakes that I have been avoiding since 1985. For a large part of my career, I paid the bills by making 40-50 phone calls per day. Now, as a former trainer, phone specialist, and experience consultant, I fell victim to being out of phone practice. It was me who led that call to go awry! Today, we reacquaint ourselves with a trio of guardrails designed to keep our calls healthy and productive in customer-pleasing ways. 

FYI: This podcast couples up with E213.

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

Artist: Al Kooper & Mike Bloomfield

Track: “Green Onions”

Released: 1968

DO WE NEED A TRIP TO THE TELEPHONE GYM?

For many of us, phone conversations are happening less and less compared to 10, or 20 years ago. The same trend is happening in business. Is it time to rebuild those verbal muscles?

Today we look at this evolution, and ask ourselves some relevant questions. Are we ready to receive, or make difficult phone calls? What happens when a simple business conversation takes a quick turn, and then suddenly things get heavy? Should business owners and operators look at telephone engagement as a trainable skill set, almost like an athlete who trains for the game? Would role-playing help our customer-facing associates? We layout vital questions that connect to Podcast E214, which airs on 11/23/23.

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

Artist: Joe Cocker Mad Dogs & Englishmen

Track: “Feelin’ Alright”

Released: 1970

USING THE NEW "NO" TO OUR ADVANTAGE

No reply has now become one of the favorite ways for buyers to say no.

As business owners and operators, this style of saying “NO” may seem inviting for our own use. After all, we can avoid confrontation by never having to explain our decisions. However, this trend could also be packed with a trailer load of negative effects on our business! True, trust-building partnerships will not be healthy with vendors who cannot take the time to explain the "why." On the flip side, ghosting from a current customer is firm indicator that a business relationship is probably a one-way partnership in disguise? Join us as we discuss how business owners can use this shallow, and weak trend to our advantage.

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

Artist: Allman Brothers

Track: “Done Somebody Wrong”

Released: 1971

DO WE DEPLOY SERVICE PROCESSORS OR SERVANTS?

Do our customers see us as true client-success partners, clinical processors, or servant stewards of their time and money?

What kind of customer service experiences are we delivering to paying customers? It is incumbent on ownership, executives, and managers, to fully understand the impact service departments have on buyers. The buck stops with those three capacities of the corporate machine. The current business climate will bury companies that deliver unacceptable transactional care. Customers deserve to engage with CS Reps who have servant hearts, and they deserve CS departments that are built on the cornerstone of quality stewardship. Anything less will lead to a merry-go-round of new customer acquisition, just to replace recent defectors! Join us for a fast show that asks some transformative questions.

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

Artist: Poco

Track: “Company’s Coming”

Released: 1976

ARE SHORTCUTS REALLY WORTH IT?

The question for this show is an age-old chin-rubber. Are business shortcuts really worth it? 

What are the typical end results on the backside of vendor claims that the four-hour job can be completed in two hours, or that four-day job can be wrapped up two days? In my life, the results are mixed, with the highest percentage leaning towards low quality of work. Reality dictates that rapid job completion is often associated with a host of unwanted problems for customers. So, the various questions for today center on how we value quality of work, versus speed of work? Where do our customers weigh in on this? Are there ways for vendors to deliver both speed, and quality? Join us for a fast show designed to facilitate healthy thoughts and ideas about making customers happy.

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

Artist: Spooky Tooth

Track: “Waitin’ for the Wind”

Released: 1974

CHASING WHAT CUSTOMERS ARE NOT TELLING US

Learning the mathematical power of customer defection rocked my world in 1988. For 35 years I have been chasing the reasons, and solutions.

Season 5 continues our hunt for ways to make customers happy, and to keep them coming back. The headwinds of the Experience Economy beckon the necessity to change our go forward coordinates. If we don’t change, the dreaded Silent Business Killers (SBKs) will overshadow our efforts. The business graveyard is full of companies that refused to, or did not know how to embrace the new metrics of customer satisfaction. We invite you to join us on this weekly chase where we ask important questions, pursue reasons, and look for simple solutions. 

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

Artist: Five Man Electrical Band

Track: “Signs”

Released: 1971