Too Legit?

Your reputation is always visible.We are in a new age of customer service.  Things are changing.  I may not go so far as to say we're at a "zero tolerance" level, but businesses now have to live to a higher standard.

The online standard.

Yelp is a smartphone app/website review tool for restaurants. Edmunds.com? Same thing for cars. Rottentomatoes.com is this for movies. Consumers are armed with a wide array of options with which they can review, complement or bash your business.  Just about everyone has a Facebook account, many have LinkedIn and a growing number use Twitter.  Some have set up partnering between the three social tools so one posted message goes to multiple social media sites. And once they do any of the above, it sticks, it gains traction and it gets noticed. It becomes searchable on that system and also on the web with Google, Bing and Yahoo. Gone are the days of a person leaving disappointed and silent about a poor experience. People can access their apps and the web via smartphones to issue a product or service review instantly! Uh oh...

If your service isn't A+, be prepared to hear it. If your products aren't high quality, fasten your seatbelts.  The costs to your business in "acquiring"a dissapointed customer just went up. You know the truth, so many people do their homework with the Internet before making a purchase. Imagine someone finds your business online due to your shiny and polished website, your SEO efforts and your pay-per-click expenditures. Then they see a Better Business Bureau posting with a customer complaint or rant. How likely is it that they'll use your business with that information staring them in the face? Studies used to claim that one bad customer would tell 11 or so other people about your businesses' ineptitude.  That's changed. Today, many more than just a dozen word of mouthers will discover an online complaint about your service.  And think of this - because its online, the issue in question will remain long after the bad taste leaves the customer's tongue. Almost like it happened yesterday, everyday, for years to come.  Franchisees need to realize this and go double-scoop on all customer service issues effective immediately. When we deal with customer complaints here at our office on behalf of hundreds of franchisees wearing our brand names, we see both sides. The franchisee has a business to run and need to be profitable.  The customer expects service, quality and a fair price. Thankfully we don't get too many that aren't handled at the store/franchisee level. Those that do make it to our office are usually disagreements where both parties have already taken a shot at a resolution and they look for us to be the deciding voice. Conflicts are best handled where they started however, between the two parties directly involved, each with a stake in the outcome. 

If you can't avoid a service-related disagreement, then what? Before we look at the options and the possible outcomes, some questions to ponder. How much do you pay to get a customer, to begin a business relationship? How much do you pay to get just a sales lead? What does your advertising and marketing cost? Knowing these answers and considering them prior to resolving issues is important. Here's why.  If you pay $50, $75, $100 to get a customer, do you choose to argue about a job that's value is $35?  It sounds crazy, but I've seen people do this! They can justify bickering with a customer over a logo charge, which was $35 (and cost the store $15-20!).  The customer, after this experience, is not only less likely to come back, he or she is very likely to spread the word about their dealings to others. And trust me, their assessment of the incident will be 101% one-sided. How do you stand to fare in this situation? Having paid more to earn the customer than the issue at hand is worth, it is CLEARLY beneficial to please the customer, bow on the charges you'll incur, and most importantly, keep and satisfy the customer.  You have options. You can do nothing and allow the customer to rail on your business online. You can compromise and come to an "in the middle" solution.  This may work. There is some risk that charging the customer more money for the resolution could prompt he or she to post negative comments anyway, soured on his or her experience.  In general, customers will wait longer for a suitable remedy and pay you with their time, but they are less likely to pay you more money for a perceived "mistake."  Here's where excellent customer service practices should surface.  Number one is being accountable and owning the issue. You may not (in your mind) be wrong, but swallowing hard and making things right is imperative.  Recommit to a new deadline. Offer delivery, a discount on the next purchase, or something free that will sweeten the customer's experience as you mend a torn relationship.  Raised voices and bravado will not help, nor will washing your hands of the issue and sending the customer out among the masses dissatisfied.  You exist because customers choose to give you their choice, their loyalty and their money.  Don't let this "business basic" elude your consciousness!

Not everything on the Internet is true.  Another "Uh-oh" moment.  What if you're wrongly represented online as being unfair, uncaring and poor in service standards? If every consumer has a button that can launch an online barrage at your business post-sale, what to do?  Prepare beforehand for this possibility by bolstering your online presence with positive, satisfied customer reviews. Your best clients keep coming back for a reason - do you know the reason? Let them review and represent how you've helped them on your Facebook business site, post as many testimonials on your websiteas you can, link to their online assets that may positively mention your contributon to their success. Have customers give you LinkedIn recommendations, the new digital "thank you" card.  In doing this, you're preloading the online scene with good, sincere and truthful information that speaks well of your efforts.  If a maligned review appears, it will now reside among many good experiences shared by your advocates. No company has 100% satisfaction across the board, as a result it is not uncommon to read of instances where a customer would not be contented. Look to keep this to a minimum, especially online.  Do not be tempted to arguing online and offering rebuttle after rebuttle for the world to see.  These discussions are best held in person and offline.  Remember that it's easier for someone to be courageous in their attitude and demands online, a bit tougher on the phone (where a voice gives clues as to intents) and still more difficult in person, body language being what it is. Look to always employ the method that can best solve the problem. 

The online spectrum allows for so many new ways for a business to promote its high points. Customer reviews are a big part of succeeding now that everyone's voice can be heard.  Do your very best to build a culture in your business that is customer service centric and online aware. Everyone knows of amazing stories of how businesses redouble their efforts to keep and enamour their clients. You have to adopt that mentality towards the customers in your business. Your team has to become better than just "good" at surpassing customer expectations through their attitudes and their deeds. The "great" make it to the top of the list when it comes to online reputation management. To be great, you have to be uncommonly prepared to give when you may not feel like it, sometimes admit fault when you're not wrong, and send your customers away with an experience so dazzling they'll stop and tell others about you.  Years ago it would be enough just to be good at this.  It was sufficient to be simply legitimate. Now the game has changed. It's time to be "too legit" in your customer service efforts. Get started.

It should be called Mal-Aware!

When you think about or try to list things that you have to manage each day to be productive, you'll find they add up quickly!  Personally and professionally, each of us is responsible for so many items that we've somehow incorporated into regular life, it's is amazing.  Reflect for a minute as I pass through a list that comes to me - obviously not complete but a good start...

• My personal hygene, hair, teeth, shower, skin, etc.
• My nutritional needs, eating all three meals and choosing good healthy foods.
• My automotive needs, it HAS to work perfectly everytime I want to use it. A/C, brakes, tires, wiper fluid, windows up and down. I rely heavily on my vehicle to work well.
• My communication tools - iPhone, XM satellite radio, email for personal and work, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter accounts, these things have to operate properly or I'm a bit off...
• My office environment - the computer, printer, mouse batteries, wide screens in the conference rooms for presentations, this stuff I rely on. (As do many others that trust me to perform)

So now that you've seen my example and done some quick mental hopscotch to parallel to your own list, imagine this. Someone is outside your home before dawn loosening the lug nuts on your driver's side front wheel.  Just because. A person is in the supermarket is slicing open the dental floss packaging and spinning out the 350ft of floss in the container and placing it back empty in the wrapping so carefully, you cannot see it was tampered with when you make your purchase. In a dimly lit room oceans away, a person types code into the body of a pop-up ad. The code secretly stays on your computer, captures your keystrokes, and sends them back to "never-never island" to be used against you fradulently.  What I've just descibed is the now 20+ year old process known as malware creation.  People knowingly trying to undo what you rely upon ever day - the safe operation and security of your computing environment.  Malware is short for malicious software, which are any types of viruses, trojans, rootkits, spyware, tracking cookies designed to disrupt your computing or online experience. Guess what? Defending against this type of threat is also part of my daily "things I always do" list.

Our retail brands, SIGNARAMA and EmbroidMe are ripe for such malware attacks because they exchange graphics, logos, text, photos and lists with customers and suppliers all day every day. Many people know the basics - like to keep their virus software up-to-date and scanning. Most have a firewall software system guarding against known threats that come through your Internet connection vs. through email. We don't just open attachments to mail from sources we don't trust anymore, the past has probably shown us why this practice is ill-advised.  Thumb or USB drives? Handle with care, they are responsible for many security breaches and malware transfers.  So are portable hard drives, popular and inexpensive as they have become.  It's a great practice for me to remind you BEFORE an incident arises that malware defense is imperative.

It takes a new step forward, however, when you consider that it's not just your PC that deserves attention. The first phone virus surfaced 6 or 7 years ago. Tablets soar in popularity.  More targets for the maligned app and software creators!  Any savvy or would-be developers looking to gain noteriety make fictitious or "play" viruses to see how far they'll spread.  Others use this practice of creating hoax viruses to test response methods of the general public or anti-malware firms.  SIGNARAMA and EmbroidMe stores are exposed to many scams involving viruses, trojans and the like.  Scams and virus hoaxes are easily refuted at www.scopes.com and www.sophos.com and www.hoax-slayer.com . Worth a look every once in awhile, some of them are very clever and entertaining. Scams of all types coming from email, malware, pop ups, apps for droids and iPhones, and Macs are a popular target now too.

Currently making headlines are the reports of state sponsored "cyber battles" between China and US-based Google. China retorts by saying the US digitally engineers and controls many of the happenings of the "Arab Spring" that reshapes the political scene in the east.  So as the stakes escalate, your daily "to do" list must include some awareness of what's happening with malware and what disruption would be the result of not paying attention and keeping vigilant. Scams and frauds have always been present, lurking and searching for those who will believe maybe it's not "too good to be true."  PC users, there are many good softwares poised to help keep you safe.  Mac users? I've used Sophos free antivirus software and that looks to be a good option. Tablet and smartphone users - you get the most attention right now because of the popularity of your devices. Just like looking for a new app, you can research and discover means by which you can protect what you do every day.  That is, you reliably use your devices free of interference, intrusion, theft, scam, fraud and the like. Be prepared, be aware!

You are a social network.

Just off a week out of the office and no surprise, there is plenty waiting for me to do upon return. At work, it's things left a week and a day ago unfinished, new things that have risen in my absence and the regular duties that come with the territory. I have to conquer a recent personnel move and push forward some ideas that need action or approval. Personally, I have tasks at home I want to accomplish and things that I need to do. Some of it is catching up on lingering goals and desires. I have two books queued up waiting to be read. Spring fertilizer just waiting to be spread. (Rhyme not by design) In all of this, a lesson. While away, I wasn't constantly attached to my usual repertoire of social tools. I could have been vigilant on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and SMS texting from out of state. With my email (which by some decree is now officially spelled "email" no longer "e-mail" according to the Associated Press Stylebook) left unchecked, I survived.  And learned.

The recent trend and belief today is you HAVE to be all over your social media at all times. Instant contact with everyone and relentless updating is a must, right? I should always tend to Facebook and Twitter and commence live chatting at all hours via text messaging, yada yada yada. For customers, prospects, family and friends, there seems to be no better alternative than rapping out your sentiments via keyboard or smartphone. It is 2011 after all, and the trend of less real personal involvement is not shifting back to where it was several scant years ago.  How many people come home after working all day to place themselves in front of Facebook? They spend the evening sifting through the daily postings of friends and acquaintances vs doing something constructive or interacting with family or those that share the household. I have tried both ways, certainly not reaching the codependent stage of Facebook reliance, but checking all forms of social media way more than they deserve to be referenced.  I can see how some relish the popularity of it, "Look, I have a message" or, "Wow, someone agreed enough with how I think to click a LIKE button next to my message." I had to give it a rest and refocus this past week.  I had to change and tune some of the social stuff out and invite back the real element of face-to-face engagement.  For all it's worth, the social web cannot replace what I get out of being with and around people interchanging ideas and thoughts. My week away was proof.

Away from the normal routine and schedule, I was forced to be more of my old self, talking to people, thinking of new things, negotiating, strategizing. Yeah, this is me on vacation.  How do I get the group to lean towards my choice for dinner? What time is best to meet up and begin a day's worth of activity? I went skiing, I was in the mountains, and there was still enough cell service that I could have tinkered and used the iPhone to get things accomplished in the whiz-bang social media way. I resisted this and I experimented with not keeping my phone on while among others.  No texts, no email, no calls in or out.  I relied on whatever skills and resources I would have employed years ago, before Twitter's visionaries were born.  Eye contact, smiles, direct conversation, and use of body language was the craft.  Sadly, like golf or other activities, you don't retain past proficiency without practice.  You get rusty if you lie dormant. I did ok at first, and better as my week went on. I wanted to spring to the phone a few times but held back. I definitely needed to see this experiment through. I'd say the most common use of my phone for the duration of my time away was to refer to the clock, which I needed two time zones from home. I had a great week away because of this from several perspectives. Looking back, the detachment from most things web and re-engaging people was a highlight for me.  I won't stop using text, Facebook or Twitter now that I'm back home.  I'll give them more of a balance, realizing through this brief week of experience that I am best served with a strong combination of tools, online and in-person.  Anything big I need to accomplish should be done myself - with my original five senses.  I can and will use social networking to open doors, tickle interest and set a mood.  I'll then carry on with the eyes, ears and voice that has gotten me here to Spring of 2011.  It is a good plan.

All this had me thinking on the plane fight home. We have touted the benefits of social media for three or four years to a receptive audience of franchisees. It has proven to be a great addition to some of our franchisee's businesses. I can hope that those that have chosen to use Facebook, Twitter, etc. for business haven't swapped it out to replace real face-to-face marketing and networking methods. Facebook and Twitter work best when informing and interacting with existing clients. It shows you're up with the latest means of marketing and customer service. These sites, used properly, bare the soul and personality of your business unlike any marketing brochures could. Social media is well suited for this purpose.  It is not meant or to be used as a replacement for meeting people in person and selling yourself or your products.  Don't allow the ease at which the new media lets you communicate with the outside world from your desk, your tablet or phone thwart your use of the best social tool going. It's you, and it always has been. Keep your real social skills sharp!

CES - The Other Side

January, Las Vegas, NV - Third in a series of reviews, these are the fun and peculiar sightings and discoveries from the 2011 CES show.  Through the course of roaming the cavernous halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, I saw plenty of obscure things. Some had no relevance to our business, others were fun to look at - all shared now with you.

• Cycle indoors and wow your friends!Spin cycle. For anyone that's ever been to a fitness center, here's the spin exercycle of the future.  I don't know how comfortable this would be, but it does rate high in the coolness factor. Single folk? I recommend this as furniture in your new pad.

• The Swiss Army knife. When I was a kid, this was an incredible symbol of ingenuity. I always thought about having one of their really wild ones. As I lusted over the limited collection at a local sporting goods store in the 70s. I wondered. Specifically, how could they have thought of all the neat tools and then engineered them to work as one PLUS have all this coolness fit in your pocket?

 Many include USB memory!

• POWER! This innocent looking black backpack opens to expose solar receptors to the sun for charging your laptop, tablet or phone. Goal0 (Goal zero) is the company, they have several interesting solar recharge products... have a look... Goal0 

  

Charge your goodies anywhere.

• Personal fitness - Sure, you've seen digital watches that calculate pace, distance, heart rate, and calories burned. Now take that to the next level. Several companies had cloud-based systems that captured all of an athlete's vital stats, put them on a map with live readout for traiing partners, families etc to track DURING your workout. Orwellian overtones ignored, imagine your friends and family being able to track your progress on the course at a large and crowded bike or running race? Coming very soon to mainstream companies like Garmin, Nike, Timex/Ironman, those guys. 
• Track, cheer, analyze your performance. 
• And more pictures of neat and bizarre sightings at the best techie show you could attend...
• All glass speakers by Greensound - Unbelievable to see and hear!
• Chrome body on Audi R8.
• Drop your iPod or iPhone into your radio for car tunes. Ferrari optional.
• Closer look...
• Reusable colored cable ties
•  What to do with your Lamborghini? Fill it with speakers of course and pump at the stoplights!
•  Or the bed of your pickup? Same advice. Pump it. The Green Hornet car, shot up and fresh off the set.
• Sound Blaster wireless sound system - FINALLY!
• Audi R8 in stealth mode 

CES - Tech for you and tech for me.

January, 2011, Las Vegas - It would be easy to get caught up in the thousands, really thousands of things going on in the Las Vegas Convention Center during the CES convention. From smart washing machines to every imaginable accessory for iPods, iPhones, etc.  In the past, CES was comprised of computing technology and electronics, merged here and there.  Guess what? The computers are gone - they are now built into most devices and those devices are mobile and tiny. Unlike past CES shows, I didn't arrive for the big blast of a beginning, I came for the final two days of the show. It is still very crowded, but I had a better opportunity to browse and do what I wanted with some of the attendees tired or gone after the first few days.  I saw some amazing things, many breakthroughs that won't go mainstream or make a difference to most of us for over a year. When they do, you'll be somewhat knowledgeable as to how and why as a result of skimming this posting.

• Intel's newest chip w/graphics processor onboard. Its the tiny thing in her hand.Intel has successfully incorporated the graphics processor on the main CPU chip of a computer.  This is a HUGE leap forward. Nothing processes as fast as elements on the same slab of silicon, now the speed and power you need for graphics and display are directly put on the main brain of the computer. Today your system has a graphics card that has it's own memory, takes up an expansion slot in your machine and must be made compatible to your motherboard.  In the soon to be upon us future, no need for this. Memory for the computer will assist graphics and the speed will be incredible. Think super high definition, very fast refresh rates and 3D.  

• Heart rate monitor for the iPhone or iPod Touch? Yes... Scosche produces a wristwatch-like band called My Trek that allows you to incorporate the screen and processing power of an "i-Product" to be the readout for your heart rate information. Neat!

• Comfy little pointer device for portablesSwiftpoint Mouse device - Because Microsoft designed a two button mouse in the early 90s means we have to keep that shape forever? Not so says Swiftpoint, designer of a GUI pointing device that fits between the pointer finger and thumb and allows for control of your screen cursor as would any mouse. Touted as a tool that won't lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, its ergonometric design fits naturally in your hand and feels like a natural match for computing. Using the little click buttons takes a sec to get used to, but I see this catching on if they can include it with new systems and get it into popular retailers so folks can try it and feel the difference.  I still use regular mouse products, but would use this Swiftpoint mouse for my laptop or desktop.

• Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse - I tried this one, too! It's a mouse designed for portable use, it retracts to be a flat wallet-like object when your not using it. This fits easily into your pocket or laptop bag minus the lumpy bulge a regular mouse would deliver. Plus, like the touch pad of a laptop - it has a strip of metallic material that allows you to scroll up and down minus a roller wheel. As tablets become more the norm, my only question is could this product have arrived two years late?

• Powered by office lighting?Logitech wireless solar keyboard - Wireless keyboards are cool, 'til the batteries run low or die.  How about one that charges and stores power through two solar panels on its top side? Good idea, but how many of us have an office with a window or compute outdoors? Solved. The solar units are capable of using ANY light, indoors in an office or home! That's a winner.

• Fuseproject Mint - A robotic floor cleaner and vacuum. Kinda like Roomba but Mint does wet mopping and vacuuming.  They claim it uses the latest technology for guidance around your home, chair legs, tables, etc. to "never miss a spot."  I did not try this myself, but saw plenty of people at the booth marveling over it.  I have tile floors, this thing would be very nice to own.

• Ty Handset fob ID chips - Do you have valuables and electronics that you fear misplacing or losing? This product answers most of that concern. You load the provided app on your smartphone (not yet available on iPhone) and attach the small round chips to things you value.  Examples shown in Vegas were a camera, wallet, car keys, a child and a pet collar.  If the objects go outside a 50ft range of bluetooth communication with your phone, an audio or visual alarm triggers in your phone notifying you of the instance.  You can set the alarm to fire off at one of three sensitivities, depending on how close you'd like the objects tagged with the little round fob chips to wander.  You get 7 ID chips to attach to your possessions. The Ty system also and most importantly warns you with LED lights and a buzzer if you leave your phone behind, which is important if you plan on using this phone-based system.  Ok idea, but they need to add iPhone functionality.

• Samsung LED TVs are brilliant!TV tech - Larger TVs were NOT the rage this year. The sizes were the same as two years ago as far as I could tell. 3D was the big push last year, so for 2011 content and Internet integration was the sparkle in many manufacturer's offerings. Samsung had brilliant displays, their 8000 series were LED and featured thin, sleek brushed stell bezels.  Want, want, want.  They claimed the first TV app store, Samsung's Smart Hub system, which made app-like icons for premium channels, sports subscriptions, Netflix, etc. as well as managing your personal media, photos, videos and music.  Sony had Google TV running with the help of their Blue ray players. Neat, but the real prize for TV/Internet mingling goes to Logitech for their Revue product. It is a small box with wireless keyboard that connects wirelessly or wired to your home Internet connection, then to your TV and cable/satellite provider.  Using Google TV logic, it allows searching of all media, external hard drives plugged into Revue, the TV directory, and the whole Internet for content. Picture in picture allow you to watch a show, bring up Google or any other web page, shop, search, update Facebook during commercials, anything you would do with a laptop or tablet while watching TV. Only difference is this is all happening on your big HD TV display with surround sound. (If you have a big HD TV and surround sound of course, that not included with Revue!)  IT is an amazing product that will be normal in all homes in 3 years, as normal as cable and satellite service.  Logitech and Google got this one right. Unfortunately for me, upon arrival back home, I learn my 65" TV is HD but 1st generation, before HDMI was the standard.  That's the only way Revue connects to your TV, so for me its' not just $299 for Revue, it's a new TV with HDMI hookups as well.  :(  This was the best product I saw at CES though!

• USB 3.0 - It's time for a new connectivity option, right? USB 3.0 is the same type of "connect on the fly" interface but it is 10 times faster than current USB 2.0 you have on your laptop or PC.  That's significantly more than you can wrap your imagination around, especially when you see what that type of speed means to new peripherals and devices.  See next item for an example...

• Enterprise monitor uses USB 3.0 to make magic!About the only thing that hasn't gone wireless over the years are monitors, right? How could you possibly transmit that much data over the air to update and refresh today's nice big hi-res screens? Answer: USB 3.0.  Samsung's line of Enterprise monitors are starting to come with a USB 3.0 dongle that attaches to your laptop. The advantages of enterprise monitors are that they are big and can change orientation to portrait or traditional landscape.  So pull up to your desk with a comparably smaller laptop screen and what happens? If you have Samsung's latest, you put the USB 3.0 dongle in the laptop and when it's close enough (A few feet is close enough) your laptop screen takes over the enterprise monitor's screen and you have a whopping big display! See picture for example - this is what USB 3.0 will bring to us. Wireless printing even faster, photo downloads, gaming, it will be a significant difference.

More to follow... next we'll look at the clearly non-business and fun side of CES. With 2700 exhibiting companies, it can't all be suits and penny loafers, right?

-dm