employees Archives - Page 2 of 2

25
Aug 17
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Why Your Brand Should Be Trusted Not Cheap

Tags : brand employees marketing price trust

We live in an era where price is often the first question. Driving down costs is an important consideration, but to the manufacturer, distributor, or web sales kingpin is price what matters? Should your brand be trusted not cheap?

People often take pride in working hard for the lowest price. Drive to the cheapest gas station, shop at the store with the best coupons, and insist on free shipping. Society seems to like cheap and convenient, there are even bragging rights for those who achieve the lowest price.

We can argue about smart, but what about the business who offers cheap?

Owners, Managers, Employees

If you own a business, manage a business, a department, or team, or even if you place high value on your job or career you may want to consider the cost of cheap.

Businesses offer sales pricing, issue coupons, and even promote what they often call loss leaders. Does this work? Sure, sometimes it does. Is this how you want to build your brand?

Buyers respond, often in big numbers, the thought is that it is working, but for how long? How long will it be until there is a lower cost replacement? How long will it be until the buying opportunity for the customer is closer or on-line with free shipping?

At your job or in your career how long until the work that you do can be performed with a lower cost solution? Are any of these situations trusted?

Be Trusted Not Cheap

Many people and businesses push for the lowest price when with the lowest price often comes low trust.

Easy come, easy go, may be the best way to describe these actions. When there is no investment in the customer, there will probably be little investment in the employee, and when there is no investment in either of these the lowest price will win—until it doesn’t. Then everything changes.

The next time you’re shopping for lowest price, when you find it, ask yourself, “Do I trust this product, service, and the people?”

Trust your answer.

– 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+

30
May 17
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Have You Forgotten About Internal Customer Service?

Tags : culture customer service employees internal

Ask nearly anyone in business, “Who is your customer?” You’re likely to receive an answer that is connected with the external customer. Absolutely the external customer is important, but don’t forget about internal customer service.

Taken for Granted

People tend to take a lot for granted. Family, friends, and relationships of any kind are often assumed to be both willing and able to withstand disappointments, setbacks, and forgiveness.

Sure, some relationships can withstand nearly anything. Can workplace relationships endure it? Are some organizations missing their mark with internal customer service?

I doubt I’m alone when I suggest that they are. How we treat each other, even those that we’ve worked around for years is reflective of the vibe we deliver externally.

Sometimes at first thought it is difficult for people to connect the dots with co-workers being customers, but it is important. Direct report to boss, peer-to-peer, or many other combinations exist both up and down the organizational ladder. Does your organization recognize this?

Internal Customer Service

Here are a few simple questions to ask yourself about your delivery of internal customer service:

How do I greet my co-workers? Greetings set the stage for everything that happens next. It doesn’t matter if it is Monday, Friday, or any day in-between. If you’re dragging yourself around and commenting about how terrible it is to be at work good luck with having an exceptional customer service culture.
What are the needs of other employees? It is not always about reporting relationships. Just because someone is not your boss doesn’t mean that you don’t go the extra mile to help. Instead of saying, “It’s not my job.” consider how you can pitch in. Offer to help.
Do I give as much as possible to help support their needs? It might seem easier to let it be someone else’s responsibility, and it is true that it might be. It is also true that sometimes it is important for everyone to do their own part. However, when you think about their needs you might find there is more room to give.
Do I leave the door open? Do you offer your assistance? I hope that you do. Always be sure to close the communication in nearly the same way you might have opened it. Offer to always be there to lend a hand. Leave the door open for them to get your willing assistance in the future.

Always Remember

If you’re culture supports being rude, uncommitted, and lackadaisical in the approach to helping each other internally, what do you think will be reflected externally?

Have you forgotten about internal customer service?

Who is your customer?

– DEG

Improving your internal and external customer service is why I wrote this book:

customer service book

Buy 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+

Originally posted on May 30, 2017, last updated on November 10, 2018.

11
May 17
-

Helping Employees Change Bad Habits

Tags : bad habits change coaching employees leadership

The articulate manager wants to help convert bad habits to good. They wish to be viewed as a mentor, a leader, and a role model. How do you help employees change bad habits?

There are a couple of fundamental guidelines when you are hoping to make a difference as a good manager, mentor, or coach.

The first is that you can’t tell people what to do, and the second is that fear is only a temporary fix.

Fear Doesn’t Stick

Driving or leading with fear doesn’t stick for many reasons. One reason is that the consequences often don’t really matter to the employee. If they did, you probably wouldn’t be recognizing a need for change. They would already have changed the bad habit on their own.

If an employee is chronically late for work, doesn’t achieve reasonable goals, or creates a lot of drama in the workplace fear probably won’t change much.

positive change

That is because fear or concern is not the root cause. The root of the problem is that they are not connected with their job. In a nutshell, they don’t care enough.

So the work of the manager is not so much about informing the employee of wrongdoing or threatening their existence within the organization. Those things might heighten the awareness and serve as a temporary patch. It’s not the fix.

Contributions Matter

Helping employees change bad habits likely begins by connecting them with why their work and contribution matters. It isn’t always about why their contribution matters to the organization. That is a good start and makes a big difference. Ultimately though, why does it matter to them?

People who don’t like dogs and cats probably aren’t going to connect much with volunteering at the animal shelter. They might do it for pay, but they still don’t care much.

This is fundamentally true for any person in any organization. You have a lot of people doing things for money, but they still are not engaged. Being late, short on goals, or causing other problems and the associated consequences just don’t matter enough.

Change Bad Habits

So our work as a manager, mentor, or coach might not be about the education of right, wrong, or consequences.

Our work is about the education of purpose and why things matter. It’s an emotional connection. It’s about values and beliefs.

Everything else is just a rule.

– DEG

Are you interested to change bad habits? This book may help, it is why I wrote it:

pivot accelerate

Buy on Amazon

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

This article was originally posted on May 11, 2017, last updated on November 10, 2018.

23
Sep 14
-

Both Ways

Tags : employees potential employer worker loyalty

In many ways it seems like the rules for work are changing, at least for those organizations that are serious about their success. Rules for work once included following the crowd, personal sacrifice, and doing what the boss says not what the boss does.

Even when unemployment is high, the best organizations report challenges in finding and hiring the right talent for their team. Potential employees and employers are searching for each other, but despite their shouts for a connection, they often miss.

It is hard for employees to commit to organizations. After all, they’ve learned that when the going gets tough, they get going, but not to the executive suite, to the street.

Fear isn’t an effective motivator long term. Employees who are worth it want to work with organizations who are far sighted and encouraging, financially sound and progressive, and perhaps most of all, loyal and committed.

If you’re not where you want to be, or lack a feeling of belonging, it may not be your effort, knowledge, or skills, it may be that you haven’t found the right one, or perhaps one of the right ones, found a wrong one.

It works—both ways.

– DEG

Photo Credit: Iain Thompson

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Newer posts→

Tag Archives: employees

Aug 17

-

Why Your Brand Should Be Trusted Not Cheap

Owners, Managers, Employees

Be Trusted Not Cheap

May 17

-

Have You Forgotten About Internal Customer Service?

Taken for Granted

Internal Customer Service

Always Remember

May 17

-

Helping Employees Change Bad Habits

Fear Doesn’t Stick

Contributions Matter

Change Bad Habits

Sep 14

-

Both Ways

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