brand promise Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

04
Feb 19
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Customer Satisfaction May Start With a Promise

Tags : brand promise customer satisfaction expectations loyalty

An easy question to ask but a harder one to answer is what promotes customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is based on an expectation, a perception, and a feeling during or after an interaction. What is your promise?

The Promise

Brands have promises. Cadillac, BMW, or Jaguar may have a brand promise. So does Hyundai and Kia.

A dinner out at an Outback Steakhouse carries a different expectation from McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s.

An employee earning $90k annually has additional expectations when compared with the employee who earns $35k.

Similar expectations exist for a cup of coffee, a bottle of wine, or pair of shoes. Price sets precedence for the expectations and it elevates the factor of risk for customer satisfaction.

The lower the price, the lower the brand promise, theoretically making it easier to satisfy.

Are more people satisfied with a low-price experience as compared with a high price experience?

It would be hard to guess with so many factors conditioning any potential outcome. However, most would agree that a big price with poor outcomes is remembered long after the experience is over.

A low price with a bad experience is easier to forget. We may think, “I didn’t get much, but I didn’t expect it either.”

What is your commitment? Are you making big promises? Are you commanding a higher price?

Customer Satisfaction

It seems that is easier to give less, do less, and provide less because the expectations are lower. On the flip side of that, if we are always providing less is our customer satisfaction truly high or are we short changing the customer experience?

Does a $75 per hour employee work harder than a $14 per hour employee? Theoretically no, both should be 100% effort for one hour of work, but the expected value of the $75 per hour employee is much more.

What are you doing about customer satisfaction? Taking big risks with big promises, or just delivering the easy stuff.

It’s a choice and a mindset. It’s your brand promise and it starts with culture.

-DEG

Our actions, behaviors, and outcomes are driven by culture. So is customer satisfaction. It is why I wrote this book:

customer satisfaction

Buy now on Amazon

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

05
Nov 18
-

Consistency May Be Exactly What You Need

Tags : brand promise consistency expectations focus self-improvement

People spend a lot of energy being persistent. They also spend a lot of energy being persuasive or influential. Those ideas are important but is consistency what you’re really missing?

For the marketer, the pizza shop, and the career builder, being consistent may be the most important factor you are overlooking.

Consistency matters in nearly any profession. It matters for your personal brand. It certainly matters for product quality and reputation.

Importance of Consistency

Why is consistency so important? Here are three of my favorite reasons:

Trust. Consistency builds trust. When people know what to expect and when they are more trusting. It is one example of why surprises aren’t necessarily fun. It is also why the boy who cried wolf got in trouble.
Accomplishment. When you have a confirmed path for a solution, consistently applying the process will allow you to achieve the goal. It is the deviation from the process, or a lack of consistency, which often slows results or creates a less desirable outcome.
Promises Kept. Connected with trust, but not always the same, is keeping your promise. Your brand has a promise. You make a promise to complete the work, have high quality, and deliver on time. Insisting on consistency means expectations and perceptions become reality.

Not Scattered, More Focused

For your business or for your personal brand, consistency is sometimes overlooked or underrated. Being too scattered or lacking a focus may be exactly why your product is not chosen or the job opportunity is missed.

Consistency helps everyone understand and identify exactly what is in the box. It builds confidence. Confidence is connected to our emotions, so is the choice that buyers or hiring agents make.

Is consistency exactly what you need?

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

26
Oct 18
-

Are You Keeping Brand Promises?

Tags : brand promise growth keeping timely trust

What is the promise of the hotel, the airline, or the convenience store? What have you come to expect from brands you trust? Is your business, department, and team keeping brand promises?

It is what business is all about. The idea of the product and services that you would expect. Do you expect filet mignon at McDonalds? Will you find business suits for sale at a quick stop convenience store?

The answer to either may be, “Not yet!”

Setting the concept of changing marketplaces aside, what is your brand promise and is it being kept?

Features of the Promise

It is easy to take for granted and often misunderstood. How your customer base interprets your brand promise may be exactly why you’re growing or slowing.

While it may vary from sector to sector, here are a few important promises to consider:

Timely. Is what you offer timely? Is it cutting edge? Fresh fruit may be similar to fresh styles, new features, or updated offerings. Keep things fresh and always be on time.
Personal. Many buying choices come down to an emotional decision. This is too often overlooked in B-to-B transactions. In a connection economy think about how you are keeping it personal.
Generous. Much of American culture thrives on generosity. Generous portions of food, large drinks, and bottomless pots of coffee. What are you throwing into the deal? What are the special discounts that give more?

These apply to nearly every business or organization. Do they apply to you? Likely, yes!

Keeping Brand Promises

Product offerings or service providers, your brand is a promise. Ask your team, “What is our brand promise?” You may be surprised with the answers.

Your brand may be exactly why you are still in business. Of course, it may also be exactly why the business is growing exponentially or falling behind.

The team cannot deliver on promises that they don’t understand or are unable to keep.

Are you delivering? Keeping promises?

-DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

26
Oct 17
-

How To Keep Your Brand Promise

Tags : average brand promise customer service marketing memorable

What is your brand promise? People, stakeholders, employees, or owners; how often are you reflecting on your brand promise? The most important work you do every day should be connected with keeping your brand promise.

What is in the quality of your product? What is important and valuable about the service you provide?

Exceed Expectations

Many organizations put plenty of effort into exceeding customer expectations. It is common to see it written in the mission statement, be included in value statements, or contained in guiding principles. Can you always exceed expectations?

People often talk about touch points or moments-of-truth and they are part of understanding the service process. However, one of the most important aspects of exceptional customer service is what you do that makes the service moment memorable.

Can you do it every time? Each and every transaction? It is unlikely. Even when you can do it often, every time may be unrealistic. Besides, every time may also imply average and so it starts all over again.

Keep Your Brand Promise

When your brand promise includes delivering excellence, keeping that promise may not require exceeding it. What makes you memorable is often being better than average, it may not always be a surprise.

Memorable moments are, well, priceless. When you are consciously committed to the habit of making the moment memorable you’ll likely have more success at achieving excellence.

The magical part about memorable moments may be that they are often random. An opportunity is there, and taken. When the culture seeks priceless memorable moments a whole lot more of them will occur, but they’ll never occur every time.

Average is Easy

Consistently trying to achieve the higher mark is a behavioral habit that separates exceptional results from the average. At some point, average becomes too easy.

Performing at the level of delivering just of enough service is not the same as delivering just in time. People might be delighted with just in time, but just enough sets the bar for average.

If your brand promise includes delivering at the highest level, remember that it is a moving target. You’ll need to keep showing up and you’ll need work outside of the averages.

Make it memorable. Keep your promise.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

10
May 17
-

Responding Shows You Care

Tags : brand promise culture customer service reputation

Have you thought about how often you hear, “He/she never got back to me.” Responding shows you care. Is it respectful professional etiquette?

In a fast paced world of highly competitive markets where costs (prices) are constantly being driven down or minimized the difference for any organization becomes more about service. Often we label this, customer service. Do people get it?

It’s not uncommon for me to talk with my clients about the challenges they face.

Typically somewhere along that path I’ll ask them about customer service. Their mindset often connects customer service with the sales team, post sales team, or a low-budget call center.

Here is a news flash. In an economy where price often wins for products that are available everywhere, your entire organization or business is (or should be) built around service. This means that every person who is a touch point for any kind of service, internal or external, needs to be responsive.

Reputation

Your organization is building a reputation and a brand, or else you’re tearing one down.

What people say, think, share, type, and click with others will condition future interest to buy products, services, or give positive recommendations. People suggest that they get it, but what are their behaviors and habits?

Do the people who make up your team or organization respond appropriately?

Here are a few basics:

What are your communication guidelines? Does every person return all calls and email (internal or external) within 24 hours? If you have respectful guidelines are they published to the team? What are your cultural behaviors and habits? What does the boss do?
Use silence strategies sparingly. Business-to-business with clients and vendors might sometimes feel like dating but purposely delaying a response because you want to seem busy is not a healthy foundation for business relationships.
Error on the side of giving a response. Much of our communication today involves email. If someone sends you a quick note and you read it but need more time, say so. If your response is going to be delayed, say so. Sometimes just indicating you’re in receipt of their communication is helpful.

Shows You Care

Chances are good if you are being paid to just show up, or to work your tail off, professional etiquette will have a direct impact on your image and the organization that provides your pay check.

Customer service is not a department, it is a culture.

Responding shows you care. Be the example. Lead.

The most responsive team wins.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

28
Apr 15
-

Make a Promise

Tags : brand promise reputation

Marketing materials, a website, or resume, your brand is not what you say that it is, it is what other people feel that it is. Many believe their brand promise is a statement, or their reputation is their resume, they attempt to illustrate who they are through references, customer testimonials, or achievement awards. All of those help, but ultimately what people feel and experience for themselves, will solidify their opinion.

Your brand promise or reputation is what other people think will happen next. Consciously or subconsciously, for them, your past performance will represent the single best predictor of future performance. It’s more about what they know and less about what they’re told.

The best part of all is that we control our promise. Even when we sometimes feel that we have no control at all, and especially when we think no one is watching, we make a promise. The actions of you, your work group, or entire organization, over time, will become that brand promise, it will be your reputation.

I promise.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and consultant that specializes in helping businesses accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. Reach him through his website at http://DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Photo Credit: Flickr, Flazingo Photos

Tag Archives: brand promise

Feb 19

-

The Promise

Customer Satisfaction

Nov 18

-

Importance of Consistency

Not Scattered, More Focused

Oct 18

-

Features of the Promise

Keeping Brand Promises

Oct 17

-

Exceed Expectations

Keep Your Brand Promise

Average is Easy

May 17

-

Reputation

Shows You Care

Apr 15

-

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