Every area of the country has to deal with mother nature and her fierce appetite for messing up even the best made plans.  Businesses have to make sure they implement strategies that can prevent their customers from getting in harm's way and prevent major losses in profit.  Unfortunately, in some areas profits are a distant thought when safety is at the forefront of every one's mind.

Over the last 24 to 48 hours, most of the country has experienced unbelievable winter storms that have shut down governments, businesses, and schools.  The news has been constantly covering the storms and making sure that those who live in the affected areas are as prepared as possible.  In Atlanta, which is home to one of the largest airports in the country, all in bound and out bound flights yesterday were prohibited.  Businesses have to make allowances for unforeseeable circumstances such as inclement weather and here are some tips on how to do so.

Be Clear.  It is important to be clear with your clients on what to expect from your office or place of business in case mother nature shuts it down for a period of time.  Customers should have access to a clear schedule and know where they can go to obtain further information about your place of business.

Establish a point person.  In some offices, clients may need to speak with someone regarding office matters.  It is important to select a point person who is able to answer those questions or be able to take messages in order to forward them to the necessary people.

Be Reasonable.  Although daily profit margin is important to running a business, don't rush to get things back in motion at the expense of anyone's safety.  Employees should know what is expected in the case of an emergency.  Guide them with information that can help them get to work on time safely.  Such as reminding them to leave a bit early to prevent having to rush.

Clients First.  Always do what is in the best interest of your clients.  Make sure they are your primary concern.

In the long run, it is impossible to plan for every event that happens in regards to the weather.  However, you can make sure you prepare as best as you can and make adjustments as needed.  At the end of the day, you can't control the uncontrollable.  You can thank Mother Nature for that.

Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Drive Customer Service

Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube have revolutionized communication around the globe. Everyone, it seems, is embracing this dynamic phenomenon, individuals and businesses included.

Indeed, social media creates unprecedented opportunities for businesses in myriad ways, especially in the area of customer service – a critical factor for your company’s success, perhaps now more than ever before. So, how can you harness the power of social media to drive customer service?

If you’ve already been cultivating a social media presence, you’re aware of the many benefits to be had, including building your brand, networking, and improving your ranking in search results.

Reaping these benefits, and more, should be part of an overall strategy for your business – a strategy that works in tandem with, and that drives, your company’s level of customer service.

The immediacy and accessibility of social media makes it a double edged sword – it’s so easy to dash off a Tweet to respond to a customer’s question, which is great, and yet, social media can sometimes be perceived as ‘casual’. It’s almost too easy to start filling the virtual landscape with random thoughts and comments which can range anywhere from unfocused to unprofessional.

The key here is consistency. You need to have a plan in place so you and your employees can deliver consistent customer service across all social media platforms. The key to great customer service is communication, and social media is all about communication!

That starts with you communicating with your employees. There’s no substitute for well trained, knowledgeable customer service representatives that know the answer, or know where to go to get an answer if they don’t. You can build their knowledge through education and training, by sharing information, and by asking for their feedback. Teach them about your product and service on a continual basis. Provide them with the latest marketing data. Ask them what they’re hearing from customers. Put it all together, and you’re both on the same page, and on the fast track to delivering consistent, accurate information to your customers.

Additionally, utilizing social media proactively, instead of reactively, will go a long way at establishing a stellar level of customer service. Again, social media is all about communication, and that means listening to what your customers are saying, and putting ‘crowdsourcing’ to work for you, in the form of innovation and competitive research. What do your customers like about your products and services? What don’t they like? What are your competitors saying about your product or service? What are their customers saying?

Another more practical aspect of utilizing social media proactively is deciding ahead of time a variety of issues, including which platforms you’ll use to address specific issues, timeframes, and what’s appropriate for your employees to include in chatter, and what isn’t.

No matter the size of your business, not all social media platforms will be right for you, or your customers. By being selective about which you’ll use, and by investing your time and money wisely, with cost versus benefit in mind, social media, as part of an overall strategy, can help drive your customer service, as well as the success of your business.

Small businesses struggle with a lot of situations in the early stages of getting started.  One major hurdle to overcome would be how to reach customers and generate profit and sales.   If you are not selling a product, you may need to build a steady clientele.  Reliable and frequent communication is one fact that still remains important to accomplishing this task.  There are a thousand and one ways to go at this, but one concept has been with the aid of virtual services.

Virtual services are generally used to feel the need of cutting cost usually associated with staffing, however, many businesses are finding that having an initial point of contact with customers is important to developing a client base or reaching new clients.  Why has this trend been so popular in recent years?  Simply because it has become the most cost effective way for many businesses to reach out while continuing to work on other places that need development.

Taking the time to assess whether or not it is time to take your communication to the next level should be a priority.  It can breathe new life into your business and present tremendous opportunities for growth.  If this is an area that could use some attention then signing up with a virtual service could be the answer to your problem.   A service like Call Desk can be more than just a receptionist, they can also be a way to advertise your business and gather the boost in business you have been waiting for.