Assumptions Kill Sales

Employees are often expected to make quick judgments to serve customers efficiently. This is usually a great skill! But one significant mistake that can harm a business’s reputation and revenue is making snap judgments about customers based merely on first impressions. Prejudging makes it all too easy to make assumptions…
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More Than Lip Service

All businesses should want to deliver an exceptional customer experience, but actually accomplishing this goal desire takes a lot more than good intentions. We have to do more than simply express our intention to improve, recognizing that meaningful progress requires a strategic approach and sustained effort. As Shep Hyken, a…
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Crush Frustration with Efficiency

In a recent blog titled Simplify the Complicated (Part Three), customer-experience expert Shep Hyken discusses the importance of businesses simplifying their sales and customer services processes for improved productivity. He quotes Einstein, saying, “Genius is making complex ideas simple, not making simple ideas complex.” Hyken essentially challenge us to find…
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Why Every Small Business Needs a Mystery Shopping Program

Small businesses face a series of unique challenges that high-quality customer service difficult to maintain. Unlike large corporations, for example, small businesses often operate with fewer employees and resources, which can lead to inconsistencies in service—particularly when employees juggle multiple roles and responsibilities. Further, small businesses are usually more vulnerable…
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How to Avoid the Common Customer Service Mistakes Small Businesses Make

Customer service is a cornerstone for all successful businesses, but it is especially critical for small companies where every individual customer matters. Despite this fact, many small businesses fall into common traps that damage their reputation and, ultimately, their bottom lines. Let’s talk about these mistakes and consider actionable advice…
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You Should Mystery Shop with The Brandt Group

Have you ever walked into a store or restaurant and thought, “This place could be so much better with just a few tweaks?” Are you someone who loves shopping and dining out? Are you keen on making a positive impact in your community? Do you want to play an important…
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Connecting with Customers

Building meaningful connections with your customers is the cornerstone of all successful sales and customer service. It’s not enough to push a product of service without giving the customer any consideration; you must foster genuine relationships build on the foundation of trust, understanding, and respect. Let’s examine the fundamental qualities…
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Bring Back that Human Touch

For those of us born before the 1990s, so much of the digital world still seems a futuristic. Alan Kay, one of the fathers of modern computing, once remarked that “Technology is anything that was invented after you were born, everything else is just stuff.” For most of us alive…
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When Easy Ain’t So Easy

In the world of customer experience, the term easy gets bandied about quite a bit. We all want seamless experiences, from finding the right products and services to using them once we’ve made the decision. Nevertheless, we’ve all found ourselves grappling with complexities beyond our expectations—and even beyond our abilities…
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