Demystifying Mystery Shops

Many small-business owners are new to the world of mystery shopping. They understand the gist in that that people are sent in to evaluate various aspects of their customer experience, but beyond that generalization, much of what companies like The Brandt Group do remains a mystery—forgive the pun. We value…
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Collective Intelligence

A common feeling among small-business owners is that they’re all alone. After all, each one faces competition for customers, supplies, and employees. This is further magnified in a time of inflation, supply-chain headaches, and widespread understaffing. While this sense of isolation can apply to larger corporations, it’s an even stronger…
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Customer Service Starts with Company Culture

While we should hope that every business wants to deliver a top-shelf customer experience, complete with great products, convenience, and a well-trained staff, far too many fall short of these lofty standards. Worse still, there are many companies that seem to have accepted their shortcomings as being necessary, especially in…
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Solve Frustration with Communication

With staff shortages and supply-chain interruptions, every industry is marred by mounting delays: car dealerships, book publishers, healthcare, retail, restaurants, and more. We’ve all experienced it one way or another, from empty shelves at our grocers to longer waits at understaffed restaurants. Economically speaking, long-term staff shortages and supply-chain issues…
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Quality, Competence, and Consistency

Do customers trust your business? Can they be confident that when they purchase something from you, they’re going to get what they expect every time? Do they know that your employees are going to do their jobs well to facilitate that experience? Every business owner wants to believe the answers…
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What a Dirty Bathroom Says About Your Business

An old-timey saying tells us that the devil is in the details. Put another way, we are warned to not get so caught up on the big picture that we neglect the little things. Pay attention. Look for the small concerns before they burgeon into full-blown problems. But the big…
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The Agony of Waiting on Hold

If you haven’t said it yourself, you’ve likely heard someone else say, “Can’t I just talk to an actual person?” Phone trees can be miserable with their confusing options, long hold times, sometimes shrill hold music, and other annoyances. Despite the increase in web-based retail and customer service, over-the-phone service…
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Communication Is Key Part 4

In parts one, two, and three of this series, we’ve taken a look at the different types of communication that happens within a business. This has included the top-down edicts from leadership to subordinates, the bottom-up disclosures from subordinates to leadership, and the interpersonal talk between peers and teams. All…
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