Lisbeth Calandrino::

If you ask a business owner what they do better than their competitors, they’ll all tell you they deliver the best customer service. If you ask them to define customer service they will talk about pricing, products and all the usual things.

If you’re in the floor covering business,  having competitive pricing, a good selection,  competent installers and being nice to the customers is not customer service.

This is what’s expected in the industry; it’s the price you pay to be in business. Once you deliver the basics, you can begin to think about customer service.

In order to deliver customer service you must know your customers and your competitors. Without a clear understanding of these two, you can’t possibly begin to deliver your drop dead customer service. You can’t know too much about your competitors or your target customer.

Lowe’s Companies is a great example of the new guy on the block with a great  understanding of the competitor and their customers. With this knowledge, they’ve been able to  establish a prominent position in the market place.

Lowe’s Companies was originally opened as Lowe’s North Wilkesboro Hardware in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina in 1921 by Lucius Lowe.

Throughout the years, Lowe’s went through various formats, name changes and partners. In 1961 Robert Strickland and Leonard Herring took the company public. By 1962 Lowe’s operated 21 stores and reported annual revenues of $32 million.

In the 1980’s,  Lowe’s began to feel the pressure from the economy and the new competitor, The Home Depot. Lowe’s format was smaller stores and located in more rural settings and they were considering entry into a larger, unknown marketplace.  They probably knew if they didn’t change and become a big box store, they would be history.

Lowe’s took an interesting tact; they started opening across the street from their competitor– The Home Depot.

Many people were astounded by this move; why would you open across the street from your major competitor? Wouldn’t this be suicide?I thought so.

Despite being the new guy on the block, Lowe’s had developed a strategy that allowed them to penetrate the large markets and sit side by side with their largest competitor.

Opening across the street took a lot of moxie. Lowe’s looked like their competitor and carried most of the same products. How did they expect to thrive?

Here are things that Lowe’s understood about their competitor. The competitor had more money, had been established in these large marketplaces, and spent more on advertising. If Lowe’s could determine a competitive advantage, they would benefit from The Home Depot’s aggressive stance in the marketplace. They were bound to get customers by just being across the street.

Lowe’s also knew from the beginning,  the Depot’s primary customer was the construction trade. Early in the game, Lowe’s decided their customer was a female. This was before pink hard hats and red hammers were popular.

Did Lowe’s know they were ahead of the new female consumer trend or were they just trying to establish their presence?

The Lowe’s stores were squeaky clean. Their associates carried cell phones and the overhead paging system was gone. The stores carried household items that were not available in the Depot. They carried items such as small appliances, shower curtains and a huge quantity of window treatments and small lamps.

Customers would often complain about having to bend over to pick up something in the Home Depot and find their clothes filthy. In addition their kids were crawling under racks and coming out covered with dust bunnies.

The female customer noticed the difference between the two stores and the word was out. Lowe’s was for women and Home Depot was for men.

At one point while doing training at Lowe’s I was asked by a manager what did I think the associates should be doing when they didn’t have a customer.  I suggested they call their customers and follow-up on their installations. I was quickly told it would be better if they continued cleaning because women hate dirty stores! Wrong answer.

This is a great lesson for any business.  Can you both compete and benefit from your competitor? Most business worry about how to compete and don’t think about how to benefit from their competitor and what they’ve bought to the marketplace.

I was told by a large mall builder that if you have a new product, it’s often  better to let someone else blaze the trail. Trail blazing is expensive and doesn’t always work. If it works, it’s time for you to come and benefit from your competitor’s hard work. Just give it a new twist and the road to success will be less costly.

Looking for more on competition? Check out my blog on The Times Union, http://blog.timesunion.com/success/you-cant-deliver-great-customer-service-unless-you-talk-to-your-cusotmers/2480/

Lisbeth helps businesses build loyal relationships with their customers through customer service training and social media marketing. Her book, Red Hot Customer Service can be purchased at her web site, www.lisbethcalandrino.com.

You shouldn’t miss this one.

This past week a woman traveler stopped at a restaurant called the Floor Zone to use the bathroom. (I won’t give them any additional press by highlighting their link.)

She really had to go—I’m sure sometime in life you’ve experienced this problem. She didn’t purchase anything and obviously didn’t see the sign that said, “No Public Rest Rooms.”

It didn’t really matter because later that week she received a letter in the mail explaining the sign and informing her the charge was five dollars.

How did they find her? Apparently they wrote down her license plate number and called DMV and got the information they needed to track her down. The local sheriff also  helped the restaurant owners get in touch with her.

Is this a real offense?

When the ‘perp’ called the restaurant, they told her they didn’t want the five dollars they just wanted her to know their policy. (Teaching her a lesson I suppose.)

The customer was on television explaining  she didn’t see the sign but now that she has it’s doubtful she will use their rest room or eat lunch! She said she felt humiliated.

So what’s the point of all this?

If you’re going to track the customer down, you might as well take the five dollars. It all has the same effect. As I put on my psychologist’s hat, I wonder if the restaurant owner had been humiliated by her mother and was paying the customer back?

I’ve had the occasion to need a rest room and asked the clerk if I can use theirs. If they tell me no, I continue on my way and remember not to shop them. It’s not that I stalk businesses to dirty their bath rooms.

If they didn’t want her to use the rest room, why not tackle her as she came out of the restaurant and ask for the five dollars. Let’s really humiliate her.

What value is it to prove a customer wrong? One of the rules of customer service is customers aren’t always right but if you want them to be your customers, you will make them right. I can almost understand if she really messed up the floor like a customer at Old Navy who had a ‘major accident’  after being told she couldn’t use the rest room.  This woman felt humiliated too. (It’s likely she won’t be back either.) Everyone lost on this one.

Suppose the woman was sight impaired? Does she get a pass?

It’s certainly up to the business to determine who can and can’t use their restrooms. The Price Chopper in Westgate Plaza has public rest rooms that are spotless and they must have lots of visitors.

I think a business has to ask itself—is a bad customer one who uses the rest room bathroom and doesn’t buy? How do you know? There’s a convenience store outside of Tampa, Florida called the Pit Stop. I was driving in the area and asked if I could use the rest room.

“Of course you can the woman said; I have the cleanest rest rooms in the area.” She was right. It had a hair dryer, smelled great and cut flowers! I’ve never forgotten it. I also decided to get gas and a sandwich.

How about stopping the customer and asking her if she was okay? Maybe she would have seen the sign and they could have said, of course you can use it if it’s an emergency.

Even my local Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t have a fit if you use their rest rooms.

Shall I call  restaurant and ask if they think it was a good idea to send the note to the customer? Stay tuned.

By the way, what do you think about it?What would you do?

Lisbeth Calandrino helps businesses build loyal customers through customer service training and social media marketing. Her book, Red Hot Customer Service provides tips for attracting and keeping customers. She can be reached at redhotcustomerservice@nycap.rr.com.

This week I  taught a class in goal setting  for a customer service department. While doing my research I came upon some interesting information about goal setting. Yes, you can read the ‘Secret,’ memorize your goals and say you’re going to be the best. But being the best is more than a mindset, it’s a lifestyle. (If you  haven’t read the ‘Secret’, it’s based on the law of attraction. Basically what you think about is what you get and attract.)

If you want to win you have to act like a winner. A couple of things we know about winners -they don’t give up. They may fear failure but they continue on there path.

Winners also keep   promises to themselves.

Breaking a promise is different than not getting   your goal. A promise is more emotional. Remember ‘cross your heart and hope to die?’A promise is about emotion—you don’t want to break a promise.

Winners look and play the part of the winner. So, maybe what’s more important is deciding you want to be something—make it personal and decide to keep your promise.

For the past 4 years I’ve been lift weights at the gym and keeping score. I have dozens of sheets with numbers—how much I’ve lifted and what day of the week. They’re goals. I like keeping score. It makes me feel like I’m doing something.

But, am I really? I seem to have lost my reason for going to the gym. As I look at the numbers, I realize I haven’t pushed myself very much. My excuses are my rotatory cuff pain and my old ski injury.  I shouldn’t say I haven’t improved or reduced my body fat, because I have but I’m bored. I found an old Jillian Michaels CD, the 30 Day Shred.  I decided to start with the beginners 30 minutes of weight training and aerobics, what a difference. After the workout I felt like I had done something.  Jillian knows what she’s doing. For the first time in a long time I felt I was doing something for myself.

I remember as a kid, my mom broke promises. There was always a good reason why we couldn’t do something but when you’re small the reasons don’t matter. Mom seemed to be okay with us not taking our trip to NYC to see my cousins because I got the measles but I just cried. (I don’t think we ever went to NYC that year to see them.)

Maybe I don’t make promises because I can’t depend on myself to keep them?

• How about some promises to yourself? To be healthy would be a good promise if you want to live longer.
• Promises to enjoy life and do the things that give you pleasure.
• Promise to find things to love—a person or a pet or your garden.
• Promise to become the best mom you can be to yourself.
• Make a few promises to yourself and see if they feel different than the goals that you can’t remember.

Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible.

Hannah Arendt (1906 – 1975)

Lisbeth helps businesses build loyal relationships with their customers through customer service training and social media marketing. She can be reached at redhotcustomerservice@nycap.rr.com.

Businesses with great customer service stay in touch with their customers.

I  must admit I love the clothes and shoes in Macy’s.

In the 70’s I had a Macy’s credit card and used to receive offers from them. It seemed like once I stopped using the card I never heard from them.  Every time I would purchase at Macy’s the clerk would ask if I had a credit card. I would tell her yes, but they could never find it. I just paid cash, purchased less and wondered how they lost me.

Did  I forget to pay a bill? How could Macy’s lose me?

Yesterday I was in Macy’s Shoe Department and found the most unforgettable pair of shoes. Of course the clerk asked if I had a credit card. This time I decided to say I didn’t have one.

“Let’s get you one, she said, there’s a 20% discount today if you get a new card.”

After 10 minutes of questioning back and forth,  she finally said, “They want to talk with you.” Now I’m nervous. Are they going to announce  over the loud speaker that  Lisbeth Calandrino is a deadbeat?

I thought they would tell me I had an unpaid balance of $10.00 and they’d crossed me off their list. Instead they asked my name, address and phone number and then said they wanted to talk to the clerk.

“You have a card she said, how come you haven’t used it?”

“They won’t let me,” I replied. She laughed and said, “That’s strange.” It may be strange to her, but every time I told the clerk I thought I had a credit card, my purchase was denied.

The clerk announced that Macy’s has decided to send me a new card. (By the way, no 20% discount for me. The 20% discount is only for new card holders.)

I guess they’re trying to tell me  I can’t put one over on them.

So how do businesses lose customers? Do they  decide some customers are better than others? What criteria do they use? Frankly, in this case, I just think it’s a case of not paying attention.  I should be receiving offers and discounts automatically from them.

Great customer service is remembering your customers and staying in touch with them.

White House/Black Market never loses me. Cachet knows where to find me. As a result of their coupons, discounts and special offers, I’m at both  at least twice a year when the seasons change. There have been many times I wanted to charge something in Macy’s and pay it off in two payments but passed on my purchase.

Your most valuable customer is one who has purchased from you. Why would you forget them? They didn’t spend enough?

I’ve told lots of people over the years about my Macy’s credit card problem and have avoided shopping there with my friends   The only reason I was there yesterday because I was doing a SodaStream demonstration.

(By the way, you must see the SodaStream commercial they wouldn’t air on television.)

Consider your past customer is your connection to your next new customer. When my friends want to go shopping, I always say, let’s not go to Macy’s.

When you don’t keep in touch with your customers, they make friends with your competitors. Not going to Macy’s has forced me to check out new stores, and get new credit cards. Oh well, I guess I’m not that important to Macys.

I read a statistic that the average business loses 10% of their customers yearly.

I found some other statistics that might be important to you if you own a business.

1. 73% of marketing managers of various large companies credit “Repeat purchase behavior” as integral to the definition of successful customer engagement –Forbes Magazine
2. A survey asking which is the most important marketing objectives, shows that 29.9% think that it should be customer acquisition, and 26.6% think that it is customer retention.
3. However 62.2% admit that they concentrate on customer acquisition, with only 20.6% focusing on customer acquisition. –Emarketer

Want more information on repeat and referral business? Check out my Surfaces Blog from 2012.

Lisbeth helps businesses build loyal and profitable customers through customer service training and social media marketing. Her book, Red Hot Customer Service is about to be published in its updated version.  To book her for training  or speaking, she can be reached at redhotcustomerservice@nycap.rr.com.

If your job is customer service, I know you will appreciate this post.

Today I went to Albany City Hall to pick up a parking permit. Many of our downtown neighborhoods have limited parking and after many years, we now have parking permits. Of course I waited until the last minute but I thought this would be a good test of customer service.

While waiting for some help, I noticed a diagram showing where the sticker is to be placed on your car window. Interesting, huh?

Notice the diagram on the side with the different types of cars and trucks. Does this mean  the back side window means something different depending on your type of car? Are some back windows in different places?

At first I laughed but still decided to ask the woman where I should put the sticker. “It goes on the back window on the driver’s side, she said, this diagram will help you.” She wasn’t condescending, she didn’t snicker, she was very nice.

I figured I was on a roll so I should continue.

“How many times have you been asked that question, I said. “Most everyone asks that question even if they look at the diagram. It’s something new and people just want to get it right.” Nice answer. I don’t know who does the customer service training for the City of Albany, but they did a good job.

I thanked the woman, purchased my sticker and drove home. I decided to take Madison Avenue to look at the car stickers and see if everyone got the message. I could hardly believe what I saw, at  least 7 parked cars had the stickers  in the wrong window. One was actually in the front window, ouch.

I actually spilled my coffee–I couldn’t stop laughing. As I parked my car, I noticed the  car in front of me had the sticker in the wrong window.

I can understand how difficult it is  to be nice to some customers; particularly after you’ve answered the same question a million times. It takes a lot  of patience, thoughtfulness and an understanding of human beings.

People are  often not focused on the task at hand, have other things on their minds, or just don’t care. It has nothing to do you.

A well-trained  customer service person gets it; they know the world doesn’t revolve around them. (It revolves around the customer; the customer knows that.)

What can you do if you have a job where you have a repetitive task, and answer the same questions repeatedly?

1. Remember that people appreciate a smiling voice on the other end of the line or in person. It makes you seem friendly on the outside. No one will know what you’re thinking. My suggestion, think happy thoughts.

2. Most people don’t mean to be stupid; stupid just happens.

3. Don’t take it personally. It’s doubtful that the person is trying to annoy you unless it’s someone who studies customer service for a living. (That’s me.)

4. Treat every question as if it’s brand new. It may not be new to you,  but it is to the customer.

5. Every day is a brand new day; start the day off with an appreciation that you are around to enjoy it.

6. Resist the temptation to tell the customer, “I told you so.” It never helps.

7. Be thoughtful, the next time it might be you.

Lisbeth Calandrino helps businesses build loyal customer relationships with their customers. She does this through customer service/sales training and social media marketing. She can be reached at redhotcustomerservice @nycap.rr.com.

Today, 43% of the world’s population is 25 years old or younger. This youthful group is impatient and ready to change the world. Change for this generation “has everything to do with people and very little to do with political ideology,” according to a new global survey, some 70% of young people believe that social media is a force for change, says the survey. To read the rest of this article, click on the link.

After I posted this statment  on Facebook, I received several comments about how difficult it is to know your customer.

I understood the comment but thought, a customer is still a customer, what has really changed is how they communicate. Through the years the demographics may have have changed but how they communicated was still the same. We all used the  telephone,watched  television and  read newspapers.We also used the Yellow Pages.

It appears that this is about to end.

Think about it; the new generation isn’t reading the traditional newspaper. They’re subscribing to Google feeds.   If you’re not familiar with Google feeds, check out this highlighted link.

Here is the list of the generations:

2000/2001-Present – New Silent Generation or Generation Z
1980-2000 – Millennial or Generation Y
1965-1979 – Generation X
1946-1964 – Baby Boomer
1925-1945 – Silent Generation
1900-1924 – G.I. Generation

Ask yourself, how are they communicating? Who is my present customer and am I speaking their language? Will they be my customer in ten years? If not, who will be my customer and what communication tools are they using?

The Baby Boomer and earlier may respond to direct mail, emails, or a newspaper advertisement. If so, get their addresses and find ways to communicate using direct mail. Next ask yourself,  how long will they be my customer and am I prepared for the next generation?

Which of your  customers are using  social media, smart phones, texting and ‘show rooming?’ (Looking through your showroom and then ordering online.) Are you up on these tools? What is your strategy?

Are you joining  your customers on Facebook, Pinterest, etc.? This is probably the Millennial and Generation Z.

Imagine that  Generation Z knows little about ‘life before Facebook.’ Can you communicate with their language?

Customers give a business worth; without them there is no business.  Today’s business owner must be savvy and able to deal with today’s sophisticated consumer.

If you’re planning on being in business in 10 years,you must be prepared to connect using their language.

Whether you like social media or not, your next wave of employees will expect it. They have grown up with social media and it’s their primary communication tool. If you choose not to use the tools, you run the risk of alienating and losing employees.

By using social media tools, communication can be a lot quicker both internally and externally. Social media helps with internal branding and commitment. Looking at your Facebook page and positive comments will make everyone in your company feel proud. What about the generation after them? They will come with  their own set of social media tools and standards. Other challenges will be your training program. What are your online standards?

Once you define your customer base, connecting will be much easier.

Lisbeth Calandrino helps businesses build loyal relationships with their customers. She uses various tools including social media communication, customer service training and customer retention strategies.

I recently connected with Angela (Mullins) Boggs, Asst. Mgr. Rite Rug/Writer/Diva from the Louisville, Kentucky area. She is very active on Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media outlets and online discussion groups.  Angela talks about how she is building her businesses at Rite Rug. One of the things that is very evident is Angela’s willingness to partner with other professionals in similar fields. No doubt this is one of the secrets to her success. We love the fact that she gives a copy of Fabulous Floors Magazine as a gift to her customers. (Angela is also the author of the blog: Derby City Darlings.) 

I recently reviewed my ten most recurrent orders to see how customers found Rite Rug.  Five came from referrals from networking groups or past customers. One from on-line, one from a newspaper ad, and three were walk-ins at our showroom.

If that’s not an endorsement for networking, I’m not sure what is!  I’m a member of both Business Network International and Women in Networking, both categories exclusive groups that meet once per week (BNI) or once per month (WIN).

Home Expo Shows and other events are great places to connect to. That’s how I met my friends Marybeth and Vanessa, who design window treatments.  Now I have someone to refer for draperies, and they know someone for flooring!

I love getting repeat business from past customers and referrals from them also. To stay in touch, I follow up every installation with a phone call and handwritten thank-you note.  I also send holiday cards.

My realtor friend Barbara uses a mail service that sends a coupon to a local restaurant to all of her customers every month – it’s a fun little thank you, and keeps her name in front of them.   Another realtor friend, Jessica, does an email newsletter every month with market updates, home-care tips, and photos of her really cute Cocker Spaniel puppy, Joe.   (Jessica tells me people always remember Joe Cocker!)

Find ways to get involved in your community.   I’m a pet person too, so I enjoy donating Rite Rug’s discontinued carpet samples to a local animal shelter, and I always leave a stack of my business cards.  People adopting dogs and cats may need new flooring!

A furniture store I worked for hosted Open Houses and other events at the store to bring in new business.   My friend Tracy at Porter Paints hosts free color trend classes, for example.

I also visit other local businesses and take them copies of our ads, along with candy or even a copy of “Fabulous Floors.”  I get leads from one of our nearby competitors this way – they don’t sell carpet, so they send me their customers who need carpet, and I give their name to customers who need products we don’t offer.

Social media is another quick and inexpensive way to promote your products.  I’m a huge fan of Facebook.  I try not to overwhelm friends with work stuff, but I do post sale info or photos of new products periodically, and I always get a lead or two when I do.

I use Linked In to keep track of networking friends.  I haven’t used Twitter or Pinterest as much, but I just discovered Houzz, and am quickly becoming addicted!  It’s similar to Pinterest in that users keep online files of design ideas, and can look for local contractors and photos of their work.  I also write design features occasionally for my friend Tre’s blog, Louisville Homes.

These are just some ideas. Remember, everyone you meet is a potential customer.  When I worked in furniture, I once sold a sofa to our mailman.

Lisbeth Calandrino helps business build lasting loyal relationships with their customers. She does this through, customer service/sales training and social media marketing. She can be reached at redhotcustomerservice@nycap.rr.com.

On line success with Greg Di Tisi

Although most business owners know the world of social media exists, there are still some hoping it will disappear. The number of naysayers are dwindling.

A recent  survey found that two thirds of small businesses are spending more time on social media today than they did a year ago. We’ve come a long way baby–no longer do smart businesses see social media as something they wish would go away. They are aware it’s here to stay and it’s no longer a fad.

If you choose to ignore it, do so at your own risk.

Several months ago a long-standing business asked me if I might help them build an event for the retirement of one of their business partners. They said they had money to spend but hoped I would be frugal, and maybe we could use social media. Of course, I took that to mean they had a social media presence. I goggled the business, came up with some unpleasant comments and found 37 friends on their Facebook page.

I  didn’t know where to start or what to say? It was obvious that no one was tending to their social media presence.

How do you do it?

Running advertisements is the old way to build customers. Yes, the customer has to know who you are, but they already know all about you. They read that nasty comment about you on a social media site. They also saw your commercial on television with your wife and dog and were quick to pick up the TV remote to get rid of you.  Whatever news they’re looking for is getting sent to an app. they downloaded on their smart phone.

Don’t be discouraged, the  new way to do it isn’t that far off from the old way. You still have to get yourself into the   marketplace and find a way to build a relationship with a potential customer.

Social media has made it easier, cheaper and personal. This is an interesting article about social media from Forbes.

What does social media do? Foster communication with new tools. Here’s some information on the tools.

The problem for many people is that social media involves them getting in front of the customer and connecting with people instead of showing  their products.  Yes, people want to know you.

It’s time for you to go back to some old-time marketing tips. Before newspapers and television, there was handshaking and ‘word of mouth.’ Handshaking still exists, but lots of it is done on line,  and ‘word of mouth’ has become ‘world of mouth.’ The social media model brings people together in open forums where they show their likes, dislikes and concerns. People support each other’s causes, and we quickly know who we like and don’t like.

Consumers also leave testimonials about their experiences; some are good, and some are bad.  If you pass their tests, you have the possibility of having them for a customer.

Where do you start? Here are some questions that will get you on the right track.

• Who are my customers? Where have I been successful and who do I want more of? Has my customer base changed? What’s different about my customers?
• Where are my customers? Where are they on line?
• How do I get to them?
• How do I keep them coming back and referring my business?

If you don’t know your customer, nothing will work. Once you know who you’re after social media can help you find them and stay connected.

Want to get business? Go get social.

Lisbeth Calandrino helps businesses improve their customer service and build loyal customers. She can be reached at redhotcustomerservice @nycap.rr.com.

Joe Piazzo talks about how social media and the digital revolution have changed the film industry.

Joe Piazzo, film maker and video artist just completed a video for Fabulous Floors Magazine . He has captured the essence of the  event in NYC, Wool Uncovered. The video is embedded in Fabulous Floors Magazine.

I thought it would be interesting to talk with Joe about what’s new in film and video.

Everyone always wants to know, how does one become a film maker?:

I grew up in Agawam, MA and was  called a gear head. I was interested in cars and how things worked.

At  the age of 5, I got a camera. I started watching my uncles make home movies and wondered if I could do it better. In those days, they used an 8 millimeter camera, and the movies weren’t very good.   I started taking the cameras apart to see how they worked.

When I was 14 and decided movies were where it was at. I started skipping school  with my friends to  watch the remakes of the old King Kong movies.  I did a series of zombie movies and an animated film of my aunt’s smelly shoes. I filmed everything and turned them into movies.

My life changed when an innovative video production class came to my high school. It was the first in the country and after one day in class, I was sure I wanted to make movies. For the first time teaches believed in my talent and I was on my way.

I started making movies and won several film festivals while still in high school.  I was good enough to be accepted in the School of Visual Arts in New York City for cinematography and film technology. I studied fine arts and film production and went on to work in the film industry.

I spent many years working in New York City film.

Everyone has a video camera today, but the films don’t look like what you do. What’s the difference?

A true film maker looks through the camera and sees the soul of the other person on the end of the lens. You have to think about how you’re going to capture the photo and the essence of the person or object. Film school teaches you about technology and more important, how to think. You also think about how the product  will be used and what is this person or object really trying to say. If you’re going to be successful you’ve to deliver customer service and understand your customer.

It takes a minute to take the shot but sometimes hours to decide the outcome.

Speaking of ‘everyone has a camera’ how has technology changed your world?

There have been two communication revolutions that have affected our industry. The digital revolution radically changed how movies were made. Of course, the change occurred when film moved to computer-based technology. Now 90% is done on the computer.  Many of the ‘purists couldn’t handle the transition and dropped out. Technology was changing and the craft as we knew it was becoming obsolete.

The other change was social media. It changed how you distribute and display your finished product. For instance, if you specialize in film, you may not know how to market the product and where to place it to get the best exposure.  That was handled by the marketing industry which had nothing to do with us. Now you have to be able to edit, know lighting and computer graphics.

In many ways, it’s very sophisticated, and you have to be well rounded. The client needs you to help them market the finished product, and it has to be edited in a way that is useful on several platforms.  Because I had a  technical and artistic background, the switch was easy for me and also made it more interesting.

It sounds like suddenly  you weren’t a filmmaker,  you were ‘chief cook and bottle washer’ as they say.

I  guess I  was  always an entrepreneur and wanted to produce media on my own. Remember technology was very expensive and then came the media revolution. It started on the lower end to the consumer and made its way to the  Hollywood scene. Suddenly,  I didn’t need hundreds of thousands of dollars of cameras and hardware to compete with the big boys.  I needed  a great computer with the right editing software, and  now I could compete. It means I have to be always looking for the better way to produce a film and continue to  be up on technology. However, I love the use of social media and film and find myself in a new emerging industry. My background allows me to look at the technology in a different way. There are still technical issues to solve and I luckily have that background.

What about the smart phone technology?

Businesses have to realize that their customers are all different and are not’ getting their media from the same place. Few are watching DVDs. Many are ordering Net flicks or on Youtube. YouTube has become successful because everyone with a camera can find a place for their film. As a film maker you must help your customer understand where to distribute their film as well as their market.  They say email marketing is becoming obsolete; you have to understand the demographics and desires of  your customer if your film or commercial is going to cause a change. This is why it’s important for me to spend time with the client to determine the outcome—what are they trying to achieve. ,

Let’s say you’re filming a TV commercial with the local station. You need one that will fit several  markets and viewing screens. What works on a television screen is not the same as an  app for your smart phone.

Mobile content is shorter and unlike what’s formatted for TV. The web encourages you to connect with or ‘pull the customer in’ unlike television which we call ‘push marketing.’  These   are opposing media and so the television commercial doesn’t work with social media. The television commercial needs to be redesigned and edited if it’s going to be effective in these different markets. A good film person asks these questions, so they can design the shoot and film it the right way in the beginning. This not only saves time but saves money and makes the commercial more effective.

I think that clients appreciate the ‘holistic ‘approach to film and marketing. As a film producer my job is to make it work for the client.

What next for you?

To stay on top of technology and the social media revolution, so I can design what works for my clients. I love the process, building and putting things together. The world of film is magical, and I love being able to  grow with the industry and try new things. Working with clients and developing their marketing strategies is very interesting and satisfying.

It also may be time to revisit my aunt’s slippers and my zombie days!

Joe can be reached at http://www.facebook.com/joe.piazzo.

Lisbeth Calandrino helps businesses build loyal relationships with their customers through customer service and communication training. to check out her book, Red Hot Customer Service, just click on this link.

Customers visiting bricks and mortar stores and buying on line.

“Showrooming” is the latest revenge of the retail customers.

Customers that check  out your showroom and find the product on line and of course buy. I don’t think this is anything new but now it has its own name.

One study reports that 56% of these customers hadn’t planned on buying on line but the retail store experience was so horrible that they went on line. It’s back to bad customer service.

Bad customer service looks different these days: salespeople texting on their cell phones, playing words with friends while working with a customer or Angy Birds!

Case in point is a friend of mine who tried to buy from a local retailer but the retailer didn’t want to ship the product. Amazon.com didn’t mind—and at a cheaper price.

Want to know how to make your retail experience different?  Check out the  Apple Store Triple Convergence to see how you can apply the apple experience to your store.

Shopping in a retail store should be fun, interesting and inviting. Building an experience is about emotions.  Companies like Build-A-Bear build their whole business around feelings and creating the warm fuzzies.

How about a showroom and a museum?  How you can make the best of a showroom. Vitrahaus-interior design.

Okay, so Internet and price-check Smartphone apps have made it easier than ever for consumers to shop on line.  Mobile payments are the future,  95 percent of survey respondents have mobile phones, yet just 36 percent have already used them to make a payment. Many consumers also consider mobile payments safer than on line payments.

Wondering how to use mobile technology for your business? Interesting case stories from AT&T; how to  use mobile technology, and how to keep your competitors up at night.

Amazon has reinvented on line shopping, Sucharita Mulpuru, retail analyst at Forrester Research. “Amazon’s whole business is a loss leader.” I can’t believe that I can buy great books sometimes for fifty cents! If you’re going to give stuff away the customer will buy. But unless you’re Amazon you’ll lose your shirt and get the cheapest customers. By the way, I never buy full retail at Amazon.

I’m the dollar customer; do you really want me?

What about Wal-Mart testing same day delivery? Why compete with the low cost provider? You’ll only lose and if you win, you’ve really lost! I remember a large floor covering retailer in the midwest who told me (1985) that he could buy tile cheaper than The Home Depot and he could put them out of business. He had 10 stores at the time and was a  big force in the marketplace. It didn’t matter, in two years he was history.

Great  customer service moments? Today at the Thruway tollbooth I realized I was out of money. I didn’t have fifty five cents. The toll take said she would pay the toll for me and I should pay it forward. Will she do it for everyone? I doubt it but it made quite and impression on me. I spent t he day looking for a way to repay my debt.

I’m still feeling uncomfortable about the debt I owe.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO GET CLOSE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS? Talk to your customers.

How about this? Let me share my expertise with you. I will do a free third party assessment of ten of your customers. It will open your eyes to new opportunity  for  your business. For free!

Lisbeth helps businesses build customer loyalty through customer service training and sales training. Her book, Red Hot Customer Service is filled with great ideas for stepping up your customer service. She can be reached at redhotcustomerservice@nycap.rr.com.