By Pablo J Perez, Executive and Corporate Team Coach
Last summer, during a deserved break from my coaching activities, I decided to spend four days with my family at a beautiful resort on the west coast of Florida. The experience was “ok”, except for the speed of the checking-in and out processes, pool services and other services. In a nutshell, overall service was satisfactory but not memorable. If asked, I would relate to the resort that “I was a satisfied customer”.
However, would I stay at this resort in the future? Would I recommend the resort to my family and friends? The answers to both these questions are a resounding “no.” In conclusion, I was a “satisfied” customer but not a “loyal” customer.
According to Jeffrey Gitomer of Customer Satisfation is Worthless: Customer Loyalty is Priceless, “Satisfaction is not longer the acceptable measurement of Customer service success”. The Gallup Organization’s research also concludes that no matter how an organization thinks its customers are satisfied, if it hasn’t made an emotional connection with its customers to develop a long-term relationship, satisfaction will ultimately be worthless.
During my summer experience, there lacked an emotional connection with the resort, resulting in a loss of desire to return to the resort.
Great customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers.
Customers will come back and will bring family and friends to do business with you, if:
1. The “emotion” experienced at every “point of connection” during the buying process is so strong that it leaves a mark on their memories.
2. The relationship is based on “trust”. Customer will seek your personal assistance, and they are willing to pay for it.
3. They feel you really care about their needs. Always put your Customer’s interests and needs ahead of yours.
Here are some statistics
• A typical dissatisfied customer will tell 6-10 people about the problem. A typical satisfied customer will tell 1-2 people.
• It costs 6 times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an old one.
• Of those customers who quit, 68% do so because of an attitude of indifference by the company or a specific individual.
• About 7 of 10 complaining customers will do business with you again if you resolve the complaint in their favor.
• If you resolve a complaint on the spot, 95% of customers will do business with you again.
What happens to angry customers?
• 91% of any business's angry customers will never come back.
• 96% will never tell you the reason that they left.
• 80% will do business with you again if their problem was handled quickly and to their satisfaction.
If the problem was quite bad, they will tell stories about it for years and years to come.
"Who is typically to blame when you lose a customer?" Most customer service providers will answer that it is the customer's fault! (and here is the scariest percentage) .. 99% of the time that customer service provider only needs to look in the mirror to see who is truly at fault!”
From a scale of 1-10, how likely are your Customers to recommend your organization to someone else? If your answer is below 7 or you don’t know the answer, it is time to think about developing a Customer Loyalty Strategy to start creating the “emotion” not only on your External Customer but also on the Internal ones (employees).
If you want to learn more details about our Customer Loyalty Development Program and how valuable for your organization it might be, please review our website at www.activategroupinc.com, call Pablo J. Perez at (305)722-7215 or send an e-mail to pjperez@activategroupinc.com.
Reference and excerpts taken with permission from Customer Loyalty by Resource Associates Corporation.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
THE HABIT OF DOING NOTHING…A SUCCESS KILLER
By Pablo J. Perez, Executive and Corporate Coach
Don’t worry I will do it later! No problem, we have time! Tomorrow will be another day! These are all examples of success-killer statements which unfortunately are used almost daily by top executives, managers, and workers. We start as little children then as students and the consequences gradually build as we reach the work force.
The habit of doing nothing, as most habits, starts to develop when we are young children, when our parents do everything for us from cleaning-up our room or helping us with our important school project. Sometimes there were no consequences for our inaction, other times we were grounded for a couple of hours, or other more drastic measures. However, one thing is certain, as adults the “pay-off” for our inaction will come sooner or later and can be huge.
Habits are formed through a process that involves evaluating a given situation, deciding what action to take, and then reassessing the action to find whether or not it yields to a desirable result. Sometimes a person will consciously develop a bad habit. For instance, an individual decides on a certain course of action that yields an undesired result and then tries other options, and each one proves unsatisfactory. He then chooses to form his habit based on the lesser negative consequence.
One of the most precious things we have in our lives is time, and having bad habits managing our time could bring huge consequences for our personal or professional life. Time is not given to us. Time is only available to us. How much, and how we use it is up to us. Time has to dimensions: hours and energy. By wasting one, we waste the other; however, by using one wisely, we enhance the other’s value.
Procrastination is the worst enemy of time. Every time we put off doing something for later, we are actually postponing our success and opening the door to failure. The procrastinator is often remarkably optimistic about his ability to complete a task on a tight deadline; this is usually accompanied by expressions of reassurance that everything is under control (Therefore, there is no need to start). At this point, considerable effort is directed towards completing the task, and work progresses. This sudden spurt of energy is the source of the erroneous feeling that "I only work well under pressure." Actually, at this point you are making progress only because you haven't any choice. Your back is against the wall and there are no alternatives. Progress is being made, but you have lost your freedom.
Procrastinators often follow exactly the wrong direction. They try to minimize their commitments, assuming that if they have only a few things to do, they will quit procrastinating and get them done. But this goes contrary to the basic nature of the procrastinator and destroys his most important source of motivation. The few tasks on his list will be by definition the most important, and the only way to avoid doing them will be to do nothing. This is a way to become a couch potato, not an effective human being.
These are some of the characteristics of a procrastinator:
• Low Self-Confidence - The procrastinator may struggle with feelings of low self-confidence and low self-esteem.
• I’m too Busy - Procrastination may be used to call attention to how busy he is. "Obviously I cannot do such and such because my affairs are so complicated and so demanding. That is why I am late, etc." The procrastinator may even spend considerable time justifying his reasons, time that could be spent doing the work.
• Pride - Procrastination may be used as an expression of pride: "Don't think you can push me around. I will do it when I'm good and ready."
• Manipulation - Procrastination may be used to control or manipulate the behavior of others. "They cannot start if I am not there." Let's face it: deliberate delay drives others crazy.
• A Frustrated Victim - The procrastinator often feels like a victim: he cannot understand his behavior or why he cannot get work done like others. The whole thing is a frustrating mystery. The reasons for his behavior are hidden from him.
Procrastination, as other habits requires hard work to overcome, and sometimes our mind creates our own obstacles to justify our actions. The following are some examples of things we often tell ourselves:
1. Mañana - "I'll do it tomorrow."
2. Contingent mañana - "I'll do it tomorrow, if ..."
3. Grasshopperism - "I need to have some well-earned fun first." (In Esop's fable, the grasshopper fiddled and played all summer while the ants stored up winter supplies. When winter came, the grasshopper suffered.)
4. Escapism - "I've got to get out for a while to clear my mind."
5. Impulsiveness - "My problem will be solved if I change my major, or attend a different college, or "
6. Music and reading - "I'll relax a while and then get started."
7. To the rescue - "The flight will be late as usual and the meeting will be postponed!"
Taking Action:
Contrary to common misconception people can improve attitudes which are actually habits of thought. We are in charge of our life and we are the only ones who will receive the rewards of success. If the habit of doing nothing is creating obstacles in our journey to success, we can start creating “good” time management habits and open the window to new techniques to support our behavioral change.
As with anything worth having, a change in attitude will take hard work. Removing a bad habit of thought is not simply erasing something from our minds. We have to replace it with something over and over until that habit of thought turns into behavior that causes results. As you start seeing results you will gain confidence that will reinforce the new behavior.
As an Executive Coach, I help individuals and organizations develop better attitudes more rapidly and produce more satisfying results. I work with my clients in all areas, including business, career, finances, time management, productivity, employee motivation and relationships. As a result of coaching, clients set better goals, take more action, make better decisions, and more fully use their natural strengths.
If you wish to explore deeper into the subjects contained in this article, please call Activate Group at (305)722-7215 or send an e-mail to pjperez@activategroupinc.com.
Reference and excerpts taken with permission from Leadership published by Resource Associates Corporation, Mohnton, PA.
Don’t worry I will do it later! No problem, we have time! Tomorrow will be another day! These are all examples of success-killer statements which unfortunately are used almost daily by top executives, managers, and workers. We start as little children then as students and the consequences gradually build as we reach the work force.
The habit of doing nothing, as most habits, starts to develop when we are young children, when our parents do everything for us from cleaning-up our room or helping us with our important school project. Sometimes there were no consequences for our inaction, other times we were grounded for a couple of hours, or other more drastic measures. However, one thing is certain, as adults the “pay-off” for our inaction will come sooner or later and can be huge.
Habits are formed through a process that involves evaluating a given situation, deciding what action to take, and then reassessing the action to find whether or not it yields to a desirable result. Sometimes a person will consciously develop a bad habit. For instance, an individual decides on a certain course of action that yields an undesired result and then tries other options, and each one proves unsatisfactory. He then chooses to form his habit based on the lesser negative consequence.
One of the most precious things we have in our lives is time, and having bad habits managing our time could bring huge consequences for our personal or professional life. Time is not given to us. Time is only available to us. How much, and how we use it is up to us. Time has to dimensions: hours and energy. By wasting one, we waste the other; however, by using one wisely, we enhance the other’s value.
Procrastination is the worst enemy of time. Every time we put off doing something for later, we are actually postponing our success and opening the door to failure. The procrastinator is often remarkably optimistic about his ability to complete a task on a tight deadline; this is usually accompanied by expressions of reassurance that everything is under control (Therefore, there is no need to start). At this point, considerable effort is directed towards completing the task, and work progresses. This sudden spurt of energy is the source of the erroneous feeling that "I only work well under pressure." Actually, at this point you are making progress only because you haven't any choice. Your back is against the wall and there are no alternatives. Progress is being made, but you have lost your freedom.
Procrastinators often follow exactly the wrong direction. They try to minimize their commitments, assuming that if they have only a few things to do, they will quit procrastinating and get them done. But this goes contrary to the basic nature of the procrastinator and destroys his most important source of motivation. The few tasks on his list will be by definition the most important, and the only way to avoid doing them will be to do nothing. This is a way to become a couch potato, not an effective human being.
These are some of the characteristics of a procrastinator:
• Low Self-Confidence - The procrastinator may struggle with feelings of low self-confidence and low self-esteem.
• I’m too Busy - Procrastination may be used to call attention to how busy he is. "Obviously I cannot do such and such because my affairs are so complicated and so demanding. That is why I am late, etc." The procrastinator may even spend considerable time justifying his reasons, time that could be spent doing the work.
• Pride - Procrastination may be used as an expression of pride: "Don't think you can push me around. I will do it when I'm good and ready."
• Manipulation - Procrastination may be used to control or manipulate the behavior of others. "They cannot start if I am not there." Let's face it: deliberate delay drives others crazy.
• A Frustrated Victim - The procrastinator often feels like a victim: he cannot understand his behavior or why he cannot get work done like others. The whole thing is a frustrating mystery. The reasons for his behavior are hidden from him.
Procrastination, as other habits requires hard work to overcome, and sometimes our mind creates our own obstacles to justify our actions. The following are some examples of things we often tell ourselves:
1. Mañana - "I'll do it tomorrow."
2. Contingent mañana - "I'll do it tomorrow, if ..."
3. Grasshopperism - "I need to have some well-earned fun first." (In Esop's fable, the grasshopper fiddled and played all summer while the ants stored up winter supplies. When winter came, the grasshopper suffered.)
4. Escapism - "I've got to get out for a while to clear my mind."
5. Impulsiveness - "My problem will be solved if I change my major, or attend a different college, or "
6. Music and reading - "I'll relax a while and then get started."
7. To the rescue - "The flight will be late as usual and the meeting will be postponed!"
Taking Action:
Contrary to common misconception people can improve attitudes which are actually habits of thought. We are in charge of our life and we are the only ones who will receive the rewards of success. If the habit of doing nothing is creating obstacles in our journey to success, we can start creating “good” time management habits and open the window to new techniques to support our behavioral change.
As with anything worth having, a change in attitude will take hard work. Removing a bad habit of thought is not simply erasing something from our minds. We have to replace it with something over and over until that habit of thought turns into behavior that causes results. As you start seeing results you will gain confidence that will reinforce the new behavior.
As an Executive Coach, I help individuals and organizations develop better attitudes more rapidly and produce more satisfying results. I work with my clients in all areas, including business, career, finances, time management, productivity, employee motivation and relationships. As a result of coaching, clients set better goals, take more action, make better decisions, and more fully use their natural strengths.
If you wish to explore deeper into the subjects contained in this article, please call Activate Group at (305)722-7215 or send an e-mail to pjperez@activategroupinc.com.
Reference and excerpts taken with permission from Leadership published by Resource Associates Corporation, Mohnton, PA.
Monday, November 12, 2007
5 STEPS TO MAKE MONDAYS FUN AGAIN – STEP 5
By Pablo J. Perez, Executive and Corporate Team Coach, Activate Group, Inc.
When I started this series of articles about the steps to make Mondays fun again, my purpose was to send a positive message about enjoying life and getting the best from every single day of our lives. It doesn’t matter if it is Monday, Friday, or Sunday. Two weeks ago, watching a rental movie with my family, a powerful message came to my attention. The story was about a high school football team with a long losing streak and the efforts of its coach to break that streak and turn these boys into winners. One day, a wise man came to talk to the coach and told him the following story: there were two farmers who prayed every day with all their hearts for rain. One of them spent most of his time going to a house of worship to pray, while the other farmer decided to pray early in the morning and work the rest of day preparing the land for the rain to come. God sent rain to only one of them. You guessed right! The farmer who prepared the land received the rain. The question is: which of the two farmers are you?
The football coach understood the message, defined the purpose of the team (which by the way, was not winning games), aligned all players with that purpose, and as a result, the team became State Champion for the first time in its history.
Our job is to prepare the land and be ready for the rain. Probably the farmer who did not receive the rain, thought he had bad luck. His rain will come, but he has to take action.
Remember: luck is the point in time where preparation and opportunity meet.
This is the final step to make Mondays fun again! GO FOR IT AND HAVE FUN!
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”. - Walt Disney
Having the courage to take action on the things we consider important for our lives is a consequence of the previous four steps in the process of making Mondays fun again. As a refresher, those steps are:
1. Define your purpose
2. Explore your potential
3. Create a solid plan
4. Develop the right attitude
To jump to the final step of the ladder, you have to believe, esteem, and love yourself first; create a self-leadership environment which will provide you with the power of acting now, instead of procrastinating with your dreams.
Be happy and enjoy the journey. Wake up every Monday morning with the positive assurance that the week to come will be the best week of your life. Take action on your dreams; prepare your land for the rain to come.
Life is good!
As an Executive and Corporate Team Coach, I help individuals and organizations develop better attitudes more rapidly and produce more satisfying results. I work with my clients in all areas, including business, career, finances, time management, productivity and relationships. As a result of coaching, clients set better goals, take more action, make better decisions, and more fully use their natural strengths.
If you wish to explore deeper into the subjects contained in this article, please call Activate Group at (305)722-7215 or send an e-mail to pjperez@activategroupinc.com.
When I started this series of articles about the steps to make Mondays fun again, my purpose was to send a positive message about enjoying life and getting the best from every single day of our lives. It doesn’t matter if it is Monday, Friday, or Sunday. Two weeks ago, watching a rental movie with my family, a powerful message came to my attention. The story was about a high school football team with a long losing streak and the efforts of its coach to break that streak and turn these boys into winners. One day, a wise man came to talk to the coach and told him the following story: there were two farmers who prayed every day with all their hearts for rain. One of them spent most of his time going to a house of worship to pray, while the other farmer decided to pray early in the morning and work the rest of day preparing the land for the rain to come. God sent rain to only one of them. You guessed right! The farmer who prepared the land received the rain. The question is: which of the two farmers are you?
The football coach understood the message, defined the purpose of the team (which by the way, was not winning games), aligned all players with that purpose, and as a result, the team became State Champion for the first time in its history.
Our job is to prepare the land and be ready for the rain. Probably the farmer who did not receive the rain, thought he had bad luck. His rain will come, but he has to take action.
Remember: luck is the point in time where preparation and opportunity meet.
This is the final step to make Mondays fun again! GO FOR IT AND HAVE FUN!
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”. - Walt Disney
Having the courage to take action on the things we consider important for our lives is a consequence of the previous four steps in the process of making Mondays fun again. As a refresher, those steps are:
1. Define your purpose
2. Explore your potential
3. Create a solid plan
4. Develop the right attitude
To jump to the final step of the ladder, you have to believe, esteem, and love yourself first; create a self-leadership environment which will provide you with the power of acting now, instead of procrastinating with your dreams.
Be happy and enjoy the journey. Wake up every Monday morning with the positive assurance that the week to come will be the best week of your life. Take action on your dreams; prepare your land for the rain to come.
Life is good!
As an Executive and Corporate Team Coach, I help individuals and organizations develop better attitudes more rapidly and produce more satisfying results. I work with my clients in all areas, including business, career, finances, time management, productivity and relationships. As a result of coaching, clients set better goals, take more action, make better decisions, and more fully use their natural strengths.
If you wish to explore deeper into the subjects contained in this article, please call Activate Group at (305)722-7215 or send an e-mail to pjperez@activategroupinc.com.
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