The Importance of Recognizing that Not Every Employee Likes Dealing with Customers
In an increasingly customer-oriented business world, customer satisfaction has become a cornerstone for the success of any business. Many companies invest significant resources in training their employees to provide exceptional customer service. However, it is important to recognize that not every employee has the skills or affinity needed to interact effectively with customers. In fact, some employees simply don't like dealing with people and may even sabotage the customer experience if they are placed in customer service roles.
The Varied Nature of Employees
It's crucial to understand that employees are diverse in terms of personality, skills and preferences. While some are naturally outgoing, empathetic and able to handle a variety of customer service situations, others may be more introverted, reserved or simply uncomfortable interacting with strangers. These individual differences are not necessarily defects, but characteristics inherent in human nature.
The Impact of Lack of Customer Service Affinity
When employees who have no affinity with customer service are placed in positions where they interact directly with customers, the results can be detrimental to the company and the customer experience. Some of the possible negative impacts include:
1. Poor Quality of Service
Employees who don't enjoy interacting with customers may not be as helpful, courteous or attentive as those who have an affinity with customer service. This can result in a lower quality of service and dissatisfied customers.
2. Ineffective communication
A lack of interest in interacting with customers can lead to ineffective communication. Reluctant employees may not listen attentively to customers' needs or may not be able to clearly explain the solutions to the problems presented.
3. Impact on Employee Morale
Forcing employees into customer service roles for which they have no affinity can negatively affect their morale and job satisfaction. This can lead to an unsatisfactory working environment and high employee turnover.
4. Brand damage
Dissatisfied customers can share negative experiences on social media and in online reviews, damaging the brand's reputation. A bad customer experience can drive away potential customers and reduce the loyalty of existing customers.
Finding Appropriate Solutions
To avoid sabotaging the customer experience and promote a culture of exceptional service, companies should consider the following solutions:
1. Skills and Preferences Assessment
Conducting employee skills and preferences assessments can help identify who has a natural aptitude for customer service and who does not. This can guide the assignment of duties more appropriately.
2. Personalized training
Providing personalized training for employees who lack customer service skills can help improve their competencies and make them more effective in their roles.
3. Redefine Roles
Consider reorganizing roles so that employees who don't feel comfortable dealing with customers don't have to. This could involve creating specialized customer service teams and roles that are more focused on internal tasks.
4. Recognizing Diversity
Promoting understanding and respect for the diversity of skills and preferences among employees is essential to creating a healthy working environment.
Summary
Ultimately, it is essential to recognize that not every employee enjoys dealing with customers, and this should not be seen as a defect, but as a characteristic of human diversity. Knowing how to identify and manage employee skills and preferences is essential to ensuring that the customer experience is preserved and improved. By taking a sensitive and strategic approach to this issue, companies can build stronger relationships with customers and promote a more positive working environment for all employees.
Does your company or government agency need training, courses, consultancies, lectures and market comparisons on this subject? Schedule a meeting with me
Heverton Anunciação
Publish Date: September 1, 2023 8:09 AM |
The Origin of the Customer Success Concept: Valuing Relationships Beyond the Transaction
The business world is constantly evolving, and along with this evolution come new paradigms and strategies that shape the way companies operate and interact with their customers. One such paradigm that has gained prominence in recent decades is the concept of "Customer Success". Although it is a widely adopted approach today, few know who really pioneered this innovative concept.
The Visionary: Ben Horowitz
The concept of Customer Success was widely popularized by Ben Horowitz, co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and co-founder of Opsware, a software company that was acquired by Hewlett-Packard (HP). However, the term and the philosophy surrounding it have deeper roots in a broader perspective on how businesses should relate to their customers.
Horowitz, through his experience at Opsware, realized that a customer's success could not be measured solely by the sale of a product or service. Instead, he advocated the idea that a customer's success should be evaluated on the basis of their ongoing experience and results obtained over time. This implied a focus not just on the sale, but on closely following the customer's journey and ensuring that they achieved their goals by using the product or service.
The Customer Journey as a Central Focus
The concept of Customer Success involves a fundamental change in business mentality, moving from a product-centered approach to a customer-centered one. Instead of seeing the sale as the end of the interaction with the customer, companies have begun to see the sale as the beginning of a joint journey towards success.
This approach requires companies to deeply understand their customers' needs, challenges and goals. It's about creating solid, long-term relationships, where the company takes on the role of a strategic partner that is committed to the customer's success. This involves providing ongoing support, training, updates and adaptations to the product or service in line with the client's changing needs.
Ben Horowitz's legacy
Ben Horowitz's legacy in the concept of Customer Success is undeniable. His pioneering vision gave rise to a revolution in the way companies perceive and approach their interactions with customers. Today, Customer Success is an integral part of the strategies of many leading companies in different sectors.
The concept has not only influenced the way businesses operate, but has also redefined the very meaning of success. A company's success is no longer measured solely in terms of profits and revenue, but also in terms of customer satisfaction and achievements.
Conclusion
The concept of Customer Success, popularized by visionaries such as Ben Horowitz, has brought a new dimension to the relationship between companies and customers. By focusing on the customer journey and committing to their continued success, companies not only build stronger relationships, but also reap the rewards of sustainable long-term growth.
As companies continue to embrace this approach, it's important to remember the roots of this concept and the vision of leaders like Ben Horowitz, who dared to challenge the status quo and shape a path towards a more effective and humane way of doing business.
There is a controversy about the real creator, but I interviewed the real inventor of the Customer Success concept: Marie Alexander
I interviewed her myself... and it is another story
Heverton Anunciação
Publish Date: August 30, 2023 12:10 PM |
Introduction
Brazil, a country known for its vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality, has long been a popular destination for travelers seeking diverse experiences. However, beneath its surface beauty, some Brazilian cities struggle with safety and security concerns that can mar the tourist experience. In this article, we highlight the 10 most unsafe tourist cities in Brazil, urging both locals and visitors to advocate for prioritized improvements and reforms from their political leaders. While these cities have their charms, travelers should exercise caution until tangible steps are taken to ensure a safer environment for all.
Often regarded as Brazil’s most iconic city, Rio de Janeiro’s allure is undeniable. However, it has gained a reputation for high rates of violent crime, including street robberies and muggings. While Rio’s beauty remains unparalleled, tourists should remain vigilant, particularly in less touristy areas.
Brazil’s economic powerhouse, São Paulo, is also infamous for its crime rates. While the city offers world-class dining, culture, and entertainment, incidents of robbery and car theft can be alarming. Travelers should avoid walking alone at night and exercise caution in crowded places.
Salvador’s rich Afro-Brazilian heritage and colorful architecture draw visitors, but its crime rates, particularly street crime, can overshadow the experience. Vigilance is crucial, especially in crowded markets and tourist hotspots.
Known for its beautiful beaches and vibrant culture, Recife struggles with violent crime and social inequality. Travelers should stay informed about the safety situation and avoid displaying valuables in public.
Fortaleza’s stunning coastline is marred by high levels of crime, including robberies and drug-related violence. While the city boasts captivating natural beauty, visitors should prioritize safety and heed local advice.
Gateway to the Amazon rainforest, Manaus faces security challenges stemming from its remote location. While exploring the rainforest is an incredible experience, travelers should ensure they are well-prepared, guided by locals, and aware of potential risks.
Belém’s historical sites and culinary scene offer a glimpse into Amazonian culture, but the city struggles with crime and poverty. Visitors should stick to well-traveled areas and prioritize guided tours.
Natal’s sandy beaches and vibrant nightlife attract visitors, but crime rates remain a concern. Travelers should exercise caution, particularly after dark, and avoid displaying wealth.
Maceió’s beaches and natural beauty are appealing, but crime rates, including theft and assault, warrant caution. Travelers should be mindful of their surroundings and opt for organized activities.
Goiânia’s green spaces and modern architecture offer a unique urban experience. However, travelers should be aware of rising crime rates and prioritize safety, especially in less touristy neighborhoods.
Conclusion
While these 10 cities showcase Brazil’s diverse cultural and natural riches, safety concerns cast a shadow on their appeal. As responsible travelers, it’s vital to demand change and prioritize safety until Brazilian politicians commit to meaningful improvements. Advocacy, community engagement, and awareness are essential tools in driving the transformation needed to make these cities safer for both locals and tourists. Until then, travelers should remain cautious, and informed, and take necessary precautions while exploring these beautiful, yet challenging, destinations.
Does your company or government agency need training, courses, consultancies, lectures, and market comparisons on this subject? Schedule a meeting with me
Heverton Anunciação
Publish Date: August 18, 2023 3:00 PM |
I come to the public to confess: I cheated. That is-me, I betrayed. But I didn’t cheat alone, and I confess I’ll keep cheating. I’m sorry, to be honest: you’re a lot stronger than me.
Who did I cheat on? All of you. To all those products that grew with me, brands, commercials, poster girls and jingles that were part of my childhood and to which I had sworn eternal fidelity.
Whose fault is it? I don’t know, maybe, genius mismatch. I grew up hearing that advertising was the soul of the business, that the four “feet” of marketing (product, price, square, advertising) make a difference. I learned that they are infallible and that nice guy in glasses who makes steel straw commercials conquers any consumer.
In the meantime, I’ve changed. I believe many are doing the same. It’s about time, isn’t it? After all, we enter a new millennium. And look, I didn’t graduate or get an MBA to be a consumer. I’ve just changed.
Perhaps the change is the result of globalization, of the Internet… Who knows? Don’t ask me for a logical explanation for my infidelity to brands. I know I promised to always use the powdered soap of the brand A. I also confess that I definitely stopped drinking! I mean, drinking the b-brand beer. I admit That I promised to always buy the last car model of that manufacturer of the brand C. Once he even called me asking what the other supplier had best, and I answered: everything and nothing at the same time, you know? I might just need some time!
Oh, the marketing people also helped me quit smoking. Seriously, I quit smoking the D-mark, which used cowboys to convince me. I replaced it with the E brand because it gives me a shorter life.
I believe there’s a role reversal going on. Before the brands said how I should be. For example, if I am an ethical consumer with social responsibility, my consumer brands should act the same way. And it’s no use thinking that, using the best technologies from call centers and the best database loyalty and marketing software, they will ensure the achievement of my loyalty. It is because this paraphernalia does not include the unique variable of the unique personality of every single consumer.
It’s like someone said: you’re not doing everything wrong, you’re just not doing everything right. Marketing should now be done on the street and with direct contacts, and no more “in-house”. There a question may arise: is there really a solution to win the loyalty of a consumer? I believe that perhaps the only strategy is to use the same tactic as consumers. That is, to be unfaithful too. Change, as we have changed too. Do you want an example? Imagine a sentimental relationship with a couple. The two, for years, can find themselves totally faithful and rejoice in mutual loyalty. But considering most divorce research, those who married would not remarry the same brand, or rather the same person.
There is a thought, whose authorship I do not know (since I am also not faithful to authors), which says so: love comes with time, but time destroys love. So watch out, marketing people! Watch out, businessmen! You may be being betrayed right now in a supermarket gondola or on the Internet.
Heverton Anunciação
The CRM Guy
www.heverton.com.br
author of books:
- 30 Advices from 30 Greatest Professionals in CRM and Customer Service in the world, foreword by Don Peppers.
- The Book of all 20 Methodologies to improve and profit from Customer Experience and Service — Why, when and how to use each one
— The Official Dictionary for Internet, Computer, ERP, CRM, UX, Analytics, Big Data, Customer Experience, Call Center, Digital Marketing and Telecommunication: The Vocabulary of One New Digital World
Publish Date: May 3, 2020 10:50 AM |
She was the richest woman in the United States.
In the last quarter of the 19th century, she lived in California. Her husband was a senator, and at that time he was also the governor of California.
Their residence was in San Francisco Bay in Palo Alto.
Madame Stanford, the first lady of California, was beautiful, rich and thin.
She had everything that made her happy.
And she also had an only child named Leland.
Leland was the poem of the happiness of Stanford´s family. Leland had two green eyes, which looked like two emeralds.
And sometimes Mom was with him, she’d tell him:
— “I’d like to take off to make a beautiful necklace and hang it on my chest.
Leland smiled.
The Stanford parents loved their son, but they loved it the way it’s fashionable today:
they loved him, but without living together.
Not knowing that love is coexistence.
But, Madame Stanford was the first lady. She had no time: she had social commitments, political obligations, her presence in meetings of frivolity kept her away from home.
However, she said to her friends:
For my son Leland, there’s nothing missing.
He has a French nanny! He has a German nanny and an American nanny.
Soon, in her vision, her son had everything.
After all, she loved him in her own way.
Leland always tried to make the most of his parents’ presence when it happened. He was dazzled.
Madame Stanford booked once a week to talk with her son. That was Leland’s happiness and life.
A while later, Madame Stanford’s aunt passed away. She was an aunt on the poor side of the family and lived in a poor neighborhood in San Francisco. That didn’t please Madame much.
A social journalist of the time discovered this kinship of the renowned Stanford family. So this same journalist decided to publish on the front page of the newspaper:
An aunt of Madame Stanford died. Madame is in mourning.
When Madame Stanford read the article in the newspaper, she ended up revolting. And she thought:
“What a miserable aunt.” She died in the spring when she could have died in the winter.
Just now, when she opens the San Francisco opera, that mishap comes up.
And Madame Stanford had to stay in mourning.
On the second day of her mourning, Madame Stanford went to see her husband, Mr. Stanford, and asked him:
What do I do? This house is a museum, how am I supposed to distract myself?
The husband who loved her, and he was a little older than her, told her:
“Honey, play with your son, Leland.
It really is. I’m going there right now.
And she headed for the left hall of the great palace where her son’s room was.
And when she entered his room, he was playing an instrument that is one of the predecessors of pianos.
He was playing a very sad tune.
Madame Stanford came in and sat on the carpet.
She looked at Leland and saw the brightness of her son’s green eyes.
Her son was very happy with this surprise visit.
Leland continued to play, but Madame spoke:
What beautiful, sad music. Do you know the words?
Yes, Mama! Leland answered.
My German nanny taught me to sing it.
Madame Stanford asked:
Sing it for me, my son!
Leland sang the song in the most beautiful French. When she finished playing, Madame was very emotional. She asked again:
Leland, what does this song mean?
Leland answered:
Mama, it’s a story of a fisherman from NOrmandia. It’s like this. Every day a couple would take their little boy to the boat. The father would get on the boat in the morning and go fishing.
In the afternoon, the mother would take the boy to the beach to welcome the father.
That’s daily.
But one day, the father didn’t return.
The mother watched the sea. She spent the whole night looking at the sea, and the next day the father didn’t come back either.
So, for a few days, until the mother told her son:
Son, I’ll get your father. And she added:
The mermaids stole him from me. Wait for me, son.
And so that mother went into the sea, and never came back either.
Her son would be there then until today waiting and watching the sea.
Leland — starts Madame Stanford — is really a sad story. Do you like that song?
Yes, Mama! Leland answered.
Why? My son? Madame questioned him.
It’s just that the boy looks like me, Mommy! Leland sentenced him.
Madame Stanford was frightened, she asked him:
How? You’re the son of the governor of California. You’re my son. And so you’re on a deserted beach?
Yes, Mama, that’s how I feel!! and Leland complements it:
Dad never has time for me.
And Mommy goes after him in the ocean of life.
and never comes back.
And then I’m always waiting here.
And Madame Stanford sentences:
Oh, my son. Forgive me!
I hadn’t realized that. Shall we play now?
And Madame Stanford ran off with her son and discovered what it is to love by living together.
That week was wonderful for both of us.
Leland was laughing, and even Madame Stanford was climbing the trees in the garden.
Suddenly, Leland asked his mother:
Mommy, why are you home this week?
Oh, my son — you started Madame — they’re social impositions. That’s because an aunt of ours died. And when a relative dies, we have to stay home.
And Leland questions his mother:
For how long, Mother?
Madame answered:
For a week, Leland.
Leland astonished let go of the question:
Mama, how many aunts do we have left?
Meanwhile, one of Madame Stanford’s friends, who missed her at social events, went to get her so that Madame could practice charity.
There was an orphanage in San Francisco. And perhaps with that opportunity, the newspapers could report it:
Madame Stanford is so sad, and she went to charity with the orphans.
So her friend said to Madame:
Prepare the sweets and tomorrow, which is Sunday, go to the orphanage. There the reporters and photographers will be waiting for you. Everyone will be able to see your greatness. And so it was. On Sunday morning, Madame Stanford prepared herself and had the best to take to the orphanage.
She stood in front of her luxury carriage and sat down with two employees, but looked down the stairs Leland had arrived.
He’d never taken a carriage ride before.
Leland was beautiful and wearing blue velvet. And madame asks him:
Would you like to go with me?
Leland ran and got into the carriage. As he sat down beside his mother, he asked her:
Where will we go, Mama?
She answered:
We’re going to an orphanage.
Leland was still in doubt:
Mama, what is an orphanage?
Don’t you know what an orphanage is, Leland?
No, Mama! He answers affectionately.
And she starts:
Leland, an orphanage is a place for orphans.
Mommy, but what are orphans? Leland's questions were unbeatable.
But you really don’t know, Leland?
No, Mommy! Leland says.
Orphan! Orphan? Let me think a little Leland — Madame Stanford tries to remember the concept.
I reminded Leland, orphans are those boys who live on the streets of the city.
They’re the miserable ones who have no fathers and no mothers.
At that moment, in a frightening way, Leland interrupts his mother:
But, Mama, here in San Francisco there are children who have no father and no mother? And no bread?
Yes, my son, there are many of them,” replied madame.
Leland asks:
But Mama, isn’t Papa the governor?
Madame sentences:
Leland, this is a political thing.
But, Mama — Leland continued — don’t you have any bread? There’s bread left at home every day.
Leland — Madam begins — this is God’s problem.
Soon after, the carriage arrives at the orphanage door.
The orphans left. They were all thin, badly treated, teeth out of their mouths, disheveled, malnourished, dirty, just like those presented in Charles Dickens’ story.
And then when Leland saw them he shouted smiling at Madame Stanford:
Mama! But they’re children!
Leland then took a tray out of the hands of one of the servants and started feeding the orphans.
Leland was frightened of how the orphans ate.
And Leland kept talking and asking each orphan’s name.
Suddenly, Madame Stanford calls her son into the corner and says:
Leland, my son, those are the lowest level of our society. I don’t want you involved with them.
But, Mama — Leland sentences — they’re children like me. I never play with children.
Madame Stanford resolutely speaks:
Leland, we have finished our charity work. She smiled at everyone and thanked them. She took her son and the carriage, slammed the door and everyone went back to the palace in Palo Alto.
While the carriage was leaving, Leland shouted out the window to the orphans:
I’ll be back!
At the same moment, Madame Stanford told her son with a stiff finger:
You will never come back here again, Leland!
But, Mama? They’re orphans — Leland asked Mama.
Madame answers:
You’re the only son of the governor of California. As if you hadn’t paid attention to what your mother had said, Leland continued:
Mama, did you notice the walls at the orphanage? Damaged and dirty walls.
Did I want to give the orphans a present?
Do you remember the $1,000 that my sponsor gave me for Christmas?
Of course, I remember, Leland. Madame says.
So, Mama, I wanted to give my $1,000 to the orphans.
Madame tries to convince her son:
Leland, that money is yours. Your father put it in a savings account so that you can earn an interest in the future. But, Mama, what’s $1,000? — Leland asked and already looking at his mother’s necklace — that necklace of yours cost $600,000. Madame insists:
That’s not the point, Leland. Your money is on deposit, and I won’t give it to you.
As they reached the Stanford family palace, Leland ran to his room, pulling his mother by the hand.
At the bedroom window, Leland asked euphorically:
Mom, what’s the direction of the orphanage?
There, my son, in that direction — answer madam.
So that’s where it is then — begins Leland — that my brothers, the orphans, are?
Scared, madam answers:
Don’t say that, my son. You’re an only child! You have no brother.
The next day, Leland talks to his mother:
Mama, I wish I could ask you to go to the orphanage. Clearly, she answers:
Never again, Leland! I regret taking you there. On the third day, Leland talks to mother:
Mommy, take me to the orphanage!
No, Leland! — Madame answers decisively.
On the fourth day, Leland got sick. He had a fever. The family doctor was called.
The doctor realized it was some kind of disorder of an emotional nature. And Madame Stanford said:
There are only two possible solutions, madam!
Take him to the orphanage or get him out of the United States!
I choose the second option! Madame says without thinking for a moment.
And it complements:
Since I take a trip around the world every year, I’ll anticipate it and already take Leland.
So, madame has scheduled a trip to Europe. Taking your son Leland.
On the day they were on the luxury liner leaving San Francisco towards Barcelona, Leland being on the deck of the ship asks his mother:
Mama, which side is the orphanage on?
In that direction, my son! Madame answers by pointing in the direction of San Francisco.
So that’s it — Leland says in a whisper — so that’s where they are, isn’t it, Mama? My orphan brothers, isn’t it?
Madame sentences:
Leland, remove this absurd thought from your mind.
Already settled in the city of Catalonia in Spain, Leland asks his mother:
Mama, which side is the United States?
In that direction, my son — madame answers.
Then it’s there! Leland says in a low voice.
Madame and her son went for a walk in Madrid and Barcelona. They passed through the Swiss Alps and went to Paris.
No matter what the place, Leland always asks: in which direction was the orphanage?
And the mother always answered promptly:
It’s there! It’s that way! Or it’s on the other side, and so on.
It was August, they passed through Rome, but Leland ended up with yellow fever. Which at the time was a pandemic.
The doctors looked at that pale, trembling child. After the tests, they told Madame Stanford:
Madame, your son will die!
Madame already crying says:
That can’t happen! He is my son.
He is Senator Stanford’s son!
Suddenly, she screams at the doctors:
Who is the person who can save my son?
They answered:
The greatest authority in the world today is Queen Victoria’s doctor.
She, without wasting any time, asked the doctors:
Send it to him! If necessary, bring it the own Queen Victoria. I can pay anything. My son cannot die.
During that wait, Leland was sweating and suffering from the fever.
Suddenly, Leland speaks to his mother:
Mama, take me to the window!
The windows were opened. The wind was strong, and yet Leland asked his mother:
Mommy, whose side is San Francisco on?
Oh, my son! Madame said: San Francisco is that way.
The lady already knew the urgency, so she added to her son’s words:
Take care, my son, so you can visit your brothers there.
Leland, however, answered:
Mama, I’m so tired.
Mommy, take me to bed.
Already in his bed, Leland seemed to be delirious. But he looked firmly at his mother and asked:
Mommy, when I die.
Suddenly, madame interrupted him:
Leland, but you won’t die!
Leland continued:
Mama, when I die, you’ll be a mother who has no children. Am I right?
Then, Mama, I want to ask you something!
Mama, be the mother of children who have no children!
Madame Stanford interrupts you: Leland, you don’t have to die, I can be your mother and theirs too.
Suddenly, as if delirious, Leland speaks:
Look, Mama. Look! They’re coming!
Leland starts saying the exact names of some of the orphans he met there at the orphanage in San Francisco. They’re all calling me. I’ll be right there, Mama.
No, don’t go, Leland! — madam screams scared and faints.
Leland takes one last breath and silences dead.
When madam woke up, Leland was already dead and had his beautiful green eyes open.
Her son was prepared to return to be buried in San Francisco.
When they arrived in San Francisco, the whole town was waiting for her to mourn. At last, she had understood the love of living with her son.
Leland was then put in the carriage, madame says without a doubt:
Go straight to the orphanage!
Upon arriving at the Orphanage, with much crying and sadness, Madame Stanford opens the door of the carriage and shouts looking at the coffin that was carrying her son:
Here are your brothers, the orphans, Leland!
Forgive me, Leland.
Forgive me, my son.
On Leland’s headstone it was written: here sleep my son’s green eyes.
That same year, Madame Stanford gave $20,000 to the orphanage.
The following year, she built two orphanages.
The following year, Senator Stanford died of anguish. Then Madame Stanford realized that her orphans needed bread and mothers, but not only that, but they needed education.
What decision did she make?
Madame Stanford sold everything she had: carpets, gold pieces, collections, silverware, etc. and had Stanford University building. Which is ranked among the top 10 in the world today.
And, what did Madame Stanford do with the $1,000 of her son Leland’s savings?
That $1,000 she didn’t give because it wasn’t hers, it was your son’s. She set aside it for the creation of a foundation to educate every orphan child who has green eyes like those of Leland.
Heverton Anunciação
The CRM Guy
www.heverton.com.br
author of books:
- 30 Advice from 30 Greatest Professionals in CRM and Customer Service in the world, foreword by Don Peppers.
- The Book of all 20 Methodologies to improve and profit from Customer Experience and Service — Why, when and how to use each one
— The Official Dictionary for Internet, Computer, ERP, CRM, UX, Analytics, Big Data, Customer Experience, Call Center, Digital Marketing and Telecommunication: The Vocabulary of One New Digital World
Text-based on research by Divaldo Franco.
Publish Date: May 3, 2020 10:49 AM |
Most of the time, human beings, businesses, and nations learn out of pain, not love. That was a popular saying.
Many companies were already ready to act in the clouds and always postponed the digital transformation. Now, it wasn’t CEO, CIO or Director of Innovation who did it, but the Corona Virus has caused companies to think and definitely try to transform from the analog to the digital world!
With this current crisis, literally, companies that have had to leave the “world of the clouds of imagination” to show that they really are in the cloud and with high availability to their internal and external audiences.
Every company is like a human body. Every blood vein must perfectly connect all organs and other points and, with that, flow naturally blood and nutrients. The same in a corporate digital transformation, information and knowledge must flow perfectly in the same way through processes to meet the needs and expectations of the corporation’s internal and external audiences. However, many old processes “are clogging up” the response time of the company and with that, as in the human body, “heart attack” is inevitable.
At this very moment, there are millions of customers and employees locked in their homes and not related to preferred companies for the simple fact that the much talked about crisis or contingency management does not exist. The corporate brain often deceives us by saying that everything will work out. And Neuroscience explains that we are accomplices of our ingenuity.
Every human body has the antibodies to offer quick responses to strange situations and agents. Now, I ask: who was or who are the antibodies in your company? Or, in fact, at the time of panic and crisis, does everything become antibody at the same time?
I have followed several companies that seek technological innovation with all the merit to reduce costs, but what good is it if most of the call centers in this crisis have not been able to listen to their audiences (ear)?
After all, if a company does not monitor what it hears or does not feel what is happening in the external environment, more and more, companies will be buying, hiring, renting, etc… technologies and software that do not solve anything. Soon, they will be nothing more than placebo-type technologies.
When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.
Who monitors a side effect when it appears in the company? Is it the heart? Is that sign that is posted at the entrance of the company that shows the mission and vision remembered and practiced in times of crisis? What good is it if the heart has no focus?
In crises, we find situations where the first thing that happens is the “hunting” of the guilty for not having prepared the company for contingencies. However, would that solve it? Everyone is guilty!
If the entire management of the company does not constantly simulate or practice a crisis and with everyone’s involvement, involving and evaluating each of the parts of that corporate body, there is no point in leaving it until the last minute and waiting for the lungs to perform the miracle of healing a body, that is, a company already sick.
Heverton Anunciação
The CRM Guy
www.heverton.com.br
author of books:
- 30 Advice from 30 Greatest Professionals in CRM and Customer Service in the world, foreword by Don Peppers.
- The Book of all 20 Methodologies to improve and profit from Customer Experience and Service — Why, when and how to use each one
— The Official Dictionary for Internet, Computer, ERP, CRM, UX, Analytics, Big Data, Customer Experience, Call Center, Digital Marketing and Telecommunication: The Vocabulary of One New Digital World
Publish Date: May 3, 2020 10:47 AM |
This is a serious question: will you and your company be prepared for the next pandemic? On average one has been happening every 28 years:
However, the current pandemic revolutionizes everything in the corporate world. Only liquid companies will remain. I explain, the concept of liquid modernity was developed by the Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman and concerns a new era in which social, economic and production relations are fragile, fleeting and malleable, like liquids.
And I believe that this also applies to companies, their technologies, processes, and professionals.
Faced with this premise, what kind of professional profile is there for companies that will prepare for the second half of this business world game?
In my humble guess, I would try to assemble the following team that companies should seek. Logically, the cachê and the salary of these players can be expensive but look for their characteristics than in their recruitment processes.
In the team’s defense area:
- John Luongo, co-inventor of Customer Success in the CRM industry. Worry about what the game’s audience wins and not just the company.
- Don Peppers, the father of CRM taking care of retention and that no-churn, that is, no customer gets lost.
In the team’s midfield area:
- Sérgio Moro. Every company should play fairly and honestly in any kind of game.
- Papa Francisco. Many old corporations are reluctant to change because they are addicted to cultures that are no longer justified.
- Charlie Chaplin. This game is essential to make the game happy and relaxed. The company has to be human. And in making a mistake, apologize and don’t hide it. The company must laugh at itself.
- Mahatma Gandhi. He has the most important skill of negotiating, and better yet, without violence and evil. Essential ability within corporations, preventing only one ego from winning, but all professionals.
In the team’s attack area:
- Muhammad Yunus. He has not only thought about his match, but he believes that everyone and all classes should participate in the business game.
- Bill Gates. There is an expression called “tying your boots” which means retiring, but that doesn’t stop the company from stopping and getting lazy. He has prepared his replacements and is donating money so that new players from the business world will form partnerships throughout the business.
- Jeff Bezos: the best option for attacking and scoring goals, because it doesn’t matter what’s left behind. Score with “beak”, but do it. Stop decorating and pass the ball to another goal if you have to.
- Steve Jobs: the best pass inventor of the game so that others can play beautifully. Innovating and reinventing himself every time they tried to take him down during the game.
- Tim Berners Lee. By inventing that companies should tear down their borders and go into the world, he ended up forcing that there is no market and no safe game. The game is no longer just in a closed stadium, but is open and for everyone to watch and participate in.
In coordination and as coach of the team, Peter Drucker still has a lot to teach us, however, we have not practiced.
Shall we play?
Heverton Anunciacao, The CRM Guy
Publish Date: May 3, 2020 10:46 AM |
A conductor needs more or less 10 years to be a great conductor of an orchestra.
These will be moments of anguish, but once the effort has been given, this professional will be able to listen and distinguish the most tuned and least tuned sound within his team of musicians.
And, skillfully and in real time, that is, while the symphony is playing, this same conductor will have the option of reducing the rhythm, accelerating the rhythm or making adjustments so that everyone reaches the out-of-tune musician, or vice-versa.
Since most entrepreneurs have not studied regency, what do we have left to find the most out-of-tune point within the boundaries of a company?
I list here the top 5 voices that it is the daily obligation of an entrepreneur to be able to listen and listen, and also to adjust or adjust the rhythm of every company or even the market:
1a) The Voice of Customers: there are no more excuses for not listening to customers daily, weekly or monthly. There are thousands of tools or even a simple piece of paper. Whatever your customers tell you brings you to be heard by the whole company. And learn from their narratives and feedback.
2a) The Voice of Processes: Processes age and challenge. And, as a piece, and over time, if not improved, can damage the whole. Do not cling to the process. There are processes that want to retire.
3a) The Voice of the Employees: the first customer of the company is its own employees. If they are afraid to suggest, opine or criticize, it is a sign that the company still suffers from “mimimi agudo” and melindre. Every area of a company should have a monthly committee to “touch the wounds”, so it heals.
4a) The Voice of the Competition: not always the size of a competitor means that it is better, but not for that reason, the undertaking should be isolated and not follow the market. Every quarter one should evaluate what the competitors are doing worse or better, as well as go meet companies from another sector to be inspired to bring innovation. The more coffee you drink outside the company, but you will learn
5a) The Voice of Shareholders: Many shareholders want to earn at least their 20% profit per year. Just as you start a relationship, the relationship should be good for everyone. The management of the company and the shareholders should want a long-term relationship. Run away from shareholders who just want to “stay” with you.
Listening and listening can only succeed if we take the time to do so. Silence may not exist in the rush of day-to-day life.
Learn how to do that while there are still clients and employees wanting to listen to you.
Heverton Anunciação
Publish Date: May 3, 2020 10:43 AM |
In 2012, in an article of the Harvard Business Review magazine, the dean of Rotman School of Management, Roger Martin, wrote something that started showing what companies were doing wrong in their relations with customers. In his wonderful article entitled “The Age of Customer Capitalism”, Roger Martin scientifically explains companies are not doing everything wrong but they are not focused yet on the right target.
He concluded that modern capitalism can be divided into two major eras. The first, Managing Capitalism, began in 1932, and it has been defined by the then-radical thesis that every company should have professional management. The second, the capitalism of shareholder value, began in 1976, and it is governed by the premise the purpose of every company should be to maximize shareholder wealth. If the private initiative has such a goal, according to the thesis, both shareholders and society will benefit. It is a premise tragically failed. It is time to abandon it and inaugurated the third era: capitalism turned to the customer.
Roger Martin’s thesis is summed up with the big idea: Is it time to abandon the popular thesis of which the company’s top priority should be to maximize shareholder value. The idea is both tragic and inherently fault. What is the argument? It is impossible to increase without stopping the shareholder value because the share price is driven by shareholders’ expectations in relation to the future — expectations that cannot indefinitely go on. What did the data show? The focus on shareholder value has not been beneficial to the investor. In fact, its return fell after the company adopted the shareholder value as a guiding principle. Where will we go? A better approach: making as a priority the value for the customer, as did Johnson & Johnson, and Procter & Gamble. In both, the return to shareholders is equal to or larger than the companies with eyes only for the investor.
Let us take Johnson & Johnson. Its statement summarized on purpose — its “creed” -, and the most eloquent from the business environment that has not changed since the legendary president Robert Wood Johnson founded the company in 1943. Here it is, in abbreviated version:
“We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses, and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services. (…) We are responsible to our employees, the men, and women who work with us throughout the world. (…) We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work and to the world community as well. (…) Our final responsibility is to our stockholders. (…) To operate in accordance with these principles, our stockholders should receive just reward”.
This Creed makes it clear what the hierarchy: the customer comes first, and, finally, the shareholder. However, Johnson & Johnson believes when customer satisfaction is at the top of the list, the shareholders will also gain.
So far, the bet had an effect. Let us see how a former president of the company, James Burke, has dealt with the crisis of Tylenol in 1982 when seven people died poisoned after ingesting Tylenol tampered capsules in Chicago area. The response of Johnson & Johnson is considered a classic case of a company that “does the right thing” regardless of the impact on profit. The deaths were concentrated in the Chicago area but Burke immediately sent to collect the painkiller of all pharmacies in the United States, although this measure had not been demanded by the government, and Tylenol would represent a fifth of profits of the company. After the recall, sales and market share have dramatically dropped.
Commentators said they were surprised to see the president of a publicly-traded company play for the high possibility of profit and praised the executive by the exemplary moral posture they presented. It is only giving the Creed to see the decision was the fruitless than its moral correction and more of clearly defined objectives of Johnson & Johnson. For many, Burke simply followed the creed, as president jealous of his duties. The customer comes in the first place and the shareholder, in fourth — and Burke acted in accordance with it. He did not put the satisfaction of profit expectations in the quarter at the top of the list. In fact, he put this item in the last place.
In the long term, the decision has not hindered Johnson & Johnson. Moreover, the fidelity to Tylenol took off after the company demonstrated consumer safety was in the first place and that launched the first inviolable packing for medicines sold without prescription. In September 2009, the market value of the company was $167 billion, the 9th largest in the world. Right, Johnson & Johnson seems to have ensured the investor of more long-term than a “just reward”.
And I would add: How to change the companies’ culture from night today, and their presidents who were “trained” or hired to be great in pre-sales and not on after-sales? They were hired to be head hunters of customers, and not farmers (who take care). Finally, many companies, as S/A, so focused on shareholder value, has as its owners the pension funds and/or other large groups of investors, which, of course, aim at the profit for its investors. How to explain to the investor who is not in the day-to-day business the importance and the compensatory return investment in the end customer? Investment in the customer is the return on medium and long term, not just become a “virtual armchair” charging 20% of annual returns.
How to explain to investors that benefiting the end customer, and the staff will give a greater return in the long term? Of course, it will give sustainability to the business.
If it has been proven customers are willing to pay a little more for the quality they receive, so the difference received by the company should be constantly reinvested in process improvement and consumer experience toward the customer, and not this same received difference goes directly into the shareholders’ pockets. Remember a phrase of the renowned Jack Welch “(…) If you’re growing customer satisfaction, your global market share is sure to grow, too”.
Now, what does Capitalism has to do with social networks and social CRM? Further forward I explain.
In the evolutionary scale of enterprises and of the business world, we are faster but we are still in the infancy regarding customer service. These changes are happening for the appearance of the Consumer Protection Code, the SACs, the management of relations with the client, the sustainability actions and relationship marketing. If we look a bit back in the 1980s, Reengineering has brought us the idea of offering better products, including making companies proud of their ISO 9000certifications… It is not we don’t have improved but we were still sighted, at that point in History, we are concerned to improve only the products. The processes and products have been improved in the product vision, and still only in the perspective of the company itself.
Then, we had the appearance of the first CRM software (Customer Relationship Management) which made a lot of companies find that software would heal this still-existing myopia. Once more, in some companies, it is not there was the cure of myopia but there was a real appearance and identification of what “was hidden under the business carpet”. The processes and the entire company’s strategy was focused on products but not on the clients. And hence is born my conclusion, if we had in the past century a reengineering focused on products, now, we urgently need to deploy in companies a process reengineering focuses on the customers’ view and their consumer experience. It is a Reengineered 2.0, we can call it if so.
This can be summed up in the following sentence: there are many companies that are digital but its processes are still analog, at least, in their consumers’ view. Business processes should be the company score, where each area will give its rhythm to please customers.
We have never had so many sophisticated technologies, expensive or cheap, of Call Center, web call Center, SMS, Contact Us, etc. etc. but they are still being used in old processes that were designed in the last century and designed to deliver products, not exceptional consumer experiences to increasingly demanding consumers.
Then, for not having expertise in the healing of myopia, some companies decided to seek outsourcing as an alternative path. I have nothing against outsourcing, except when the company tries to push its process problem to be externally solved it. In this, we changed only the problem of place but not the root cause. In the United States we had to call the syndrome 4 US$, where millionaire investments were made in CRM software, in advertising, strategy, etc. etc. But one of the most important in consumer service, the employee or attendant is an outsourced employee who earns four dollars per hour there, in Asia. It loses and it does not create the extremity engagement.
With delayed processes, companies and their respective departments were doing everything right in their own vision. The Marketing field delivered its marketing plan. Logistics delivered products. Sales, sold. Production produced. And so on, each area displaying the customer only in fragmented or piece visions. However, in the customer world and its perspective, there are not departments, the company is a whole one. And the processes showed there is not governance, neither processes nor information, which seeks to serve well the customer.
Still, in search of a cure of myopia, companies used sophisticated computer systems in their phone switches (IVR/VRU), not mentioning an own 0800 number. How could not solve the problems, today there are even companies that, on their web sites on the internet, hide and it is difficult to find the option 0800 or Contact Us, exactly because it does not have a process or service capacity. On the other hand, the ability to sell and produce products remains excellent and in growth, after all, the shareholder is the focus until now.
But perhaps you can think: and the wonderful call center the companies have installed? This is not healed myopia? I reply it only served as a placebo but no a definitive cure. Operators and Supervisors were hired in stalls to act not focused on customers but in AHT (Average Handling Time) as if they were workers of the factory floor, the more products produce, the better employee becomes. And they forgot a simple thing: the customer is not a product.
Some companies have created Ombudsmen, where these, as a last resort, could impartially solve problems brought by customers. However, due to an Ombudsman have higher autonomy than the Contact Center, which eventually generating “internal tiny struggles” between these two areas, such as “why the Ombudsman can solve it and us, the Call Center, don’t???!!!!”. It is simple: autonomy and different processes.
Business processes today do not practice empathy, i.e., it is not put themselves in the customer place. We must treat customers how we want to be treated, simple like that. In their haste to product launch, customers accept companies to make mistakes. But they will only be forgiven if the same companies brought something thinking about them, customers, and not just in corporate egos.
If loyalty is an intangible asset today, who owns it is not the company but the customer. It is the customer an owner of fidelity, and where to deposit it. But then you, my reader, you can continue by asking: what does this chapter have to do with Social CRM and social networking? Finally, let me explain: social networks are just one more channel of contact as others but only stand out in this new channel the companies that have new processes and toward a new customer. Otherwise, myopia will persist. It is the past evil solved, always comes back. Let us solve it as soon as possible.
We need to connect two worlds and two corporate visions that are still rooted. The first is we need to do everything by customer!! The customer is the king! It should be the focus of everything! Antagonistically, the second state’s companies need to cut costs!! Always doing more with less!!! The only problem is that these two great maxims do not talk to the other. And that is why many customers feel badly treated by many companies, regardless of the contact channel.
Heverton Anunciação
The CRM Guy
author of books:
- 30 Advices from 30 Greatest Professionals in CRM and Customer Service in the world, foreword by Don Peppers.
- The Book of all 20 Methodologies to improve and profit from Customer Experience and Service — Why, when and how to use each one
— The Official Dictionary for Internet, Computer, ERP, CRM, UX, Analytics, Big Data, Customer Experience, Call Center, Digital Marketing and Telecommunication: The Vocabulary of One New Digital World
Publish Date: May 3, 2020 10:41 AM |
During my last 11 years working as CRM consultant, I would like to share those research that became books to unite our category:
The Book of all 20 Methodologies to Improve and Profit from Customer Experience and Service: Why, When and How to use Each One - Including Disney Institute, ... Insights, NPS, COPC, so on.. (CX Trilogy 3)
30 Advice from 30 Greatest Professionals in CRM and Customer Service in the World (CX Trilogy Book 3)
O Capitalismo do Cliente: O que Importa é a experiência do Consumidor (Portuguese Edition)
The Official Dictionary for Internet, Computer, ERP, CRM, UX, Analytics, Big Data, Customer Experience, Call Center, Digital Marketing and Telecommunication: ... One New Digital World (CX Trilogy Book 2)
41 Conselhos dos 41 Maiores Especialistas em CRM e Atendimento ao Cliente do Brasil (Portuguese Edition)
Tudo o que o Google® não te respondeu sobre as Redes Sociais: Um Guia Prático de Social CRM para sobreviver a nova fronteira do Relacionamento entre Empresas e o Mundo (Portuguese Edition)
Regards and let me know what did you think about it..
Heverton Anunciação
Publish Date: May 2, 2020 3:16 PM |
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