Lisbeth Calandrino::

I was talking to a friend of mine about his business success.

“I never wanted to be a  business person,  he said, I just wanted to make people’s lives better.” My friend is a Catholic priest with a large mission.

I started thinking, how do most people go into business and what is their mission or intention? Is it to just make a lot of money? Do you have to want to make a lot of money to be successful?

Obviously caring about people is not a recipe for failure.

People that want to serve people are few and far between. Serving people is the basis for customer service but many companies seem to be on a different path. Are they afraid if they care about people they won’t make money? Are they thinking they will have to ‘give away the house’ to satisfy the customer? Companies like Zippos and Nordstrom are always cited for their customer service policies—exchanging items that have been worn, shipping articles without freight charges and just loving their customers. They are customer friendly and highly profitable.

So what makes the difference? It would appear that a mutual respect must exist between the customer and the business.

My friend went on to talk about the customer relationship. He is in the housing business and provides housing for many in need. Providing housing does not mean giving it away or leaving the  customer out of the equation—on the contrary. The consumer is considered an integral part of the plan.

“In order for people’s lives to be better, says my friend, they must also want better lives. When it comes to housing, they must take care of their property and be proud of what they have. This means no garbage or graffiti, and  caring for their next-door neighbors. There are noexcuses.”

Basically, if the customer isn’t part of the solution, they are part of the problem. (Who needs this kind of customer?)

It assumes there  is a synergy that  exists between the customer and the business. The responsibility for everyone’s success lies in the understanding that all involved must play a part.  In housing, for instance, people must take care of their homes and their neighborhoods. Without this partnership, neighborhoods will not grow and property will eventually deteriorate. This is what often happens in neighborhoods where people take little responsibility and are not held accountable.

Respect for the customer as well as respect for the business lies at the bottom of this equation. One must always be willing to examine the situation reflect on the original premise. Is this what we set out to do? Getting away from the original mission and path is a recipe for disaster.

Customers need to be treated with respect and dignity and held responsible.

The commitment to the community has been the cornerstone of  building and changing neighborhoods. I choose to call this customer service because it’s about giving and providing service for people.

Without this underlying passion for changing lives nothing would be accomplished for the customer or the business.

Lisbeth Calandrino helps business build loyal customers through customer service training and social media marketing. For training or speaking, Lisbeth can be reached at her web site: www.lisbethcalandrino.com.

I was in a small town outside of Knoxville last week when someone suggested a good restaurant for lunch. As we approached the door I saw this sign.

Even the first reading left me cold. I felt like they didn’t want my business nor me. I thought it was just me so I asked my companions what they thought. My companions were business owners; I thought I would wait for their comments. I thought I might just be a little touchy.

Actually I didn’t say anything for a minute but before I could, my friend Chris made a comment.

“What’s that all about he asked, don’t they want us here?”

“It sure doesn’t seem like it”, said his wife Sheryl.

Why would they put such a sign on the door? Were they trying to teach us a lesson? What was the lesson? Stop eating here or you’ve been really bad so we won’t be here to greet you.

Both Sheryl and Chris are business owners; in fact owners of several business. I was consulting with them about their business and helping them find ways to increase their customer base.

The more we talked about it, the more annoyed we became.

The sign made us think of other things: is the food fresh, are the employees annoyed, will they spit in our food?

Why not just say we are so busy that we’re giving our employees an additional day off. Thank you so much for being loyal customers.

The sign would have made us smile and feel good about being customers. Not signs that make us wonder what the sign ‘really means.’

I never forget the sign on the garden centers, “closed until Spring.” Like we might not know they’re closed for the winter. I would really like to see a welcoming sign inviting me in for an ice tea when they open. It would really be nice if they had the opening date on the window.

Winter in the northeast is really a drag; even if you ski and love winter sports. The first snow is pretty, then it gets dirty and annoying.

What about a sign that says, 250 days until Spring, petunias coming, new types of roses. Notes that tell us we’re unforgettable and they can’t wait to see us.

I have an idea about stupid signs.

Make your customers feel positive, Negative signs really are a turn off and really should be used as a last resort. Maybe when you’re turning off the lights for the last time and really don’t care.

The last thing a customer should see is a smiley face not a sign taped to your cash register saying you’re going to charge them $35.00 for a bounced check. Will the $35.00 make a customer think twice before they bounce a check?

I actually saw another sign that said ‘if you pee on the floor you clean it up.’ When I read that sign it made me kind of want to pee on the floor. I actually hadn’t thought about it until I saw the sign.

Tell me what you  think about the sign.

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 from her web site, www.Lisbethcalandrino.com.

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.

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.

For some businesses, customer service is just a department. To others it sets the  tone for the rest of the company. We’ve all experienced great customer service as well as awful customer service. Great customer service starts  when someone goes above and beyond and creates a memorable experience.

True customer service is more than please and thank you but it starts there. If you don’t have the basics down you can’t create a memorable experience.

It means an unexpected and pleasurable  event.

Last week, I lost my very old iPhone 3. The charging port was getting worn, and it was time to get a new one but being without a phone is devastating. My contract is with  AT&T, so they were my first stop.  I looked at phones and was more confused than ever. What in the world should I buy? I talked with the salesperson Avi but still couldn’t make up my mind so I decided to check with a few other  carriers in town and see what was available.  Phones are pretty much a commodity, but the customer service person makes the difference. Notice I didn’t say a sales person.

What’s there to sell? We don’t get sold anything any  more. By the time we go to the store we pretty much know what we want.

I asked all my friends about their phones. I stopped strangers in Best Buy and asked them about their phones, and I checked on line.

After visiting six stores and  four days later, I was getting worn out. I decided to go back  my original AT&T store on Central Avenue in Albany. I said to the salesman Avi, “I just need some kind of phone while I’m deciding.” His statement, “Why didn’t you say that, I’ll get you a loaner phone while you look around!” I went home with a phone and yesterday I went back and ordered my new phone from Avi. It’s hard not to buy from a guy who lends you a phone.

Case closed.

Having a consistent customer service message is important for any company. You should know your products, what’s new, and if there’s a company policy that should be explained to your customer?

Should everyone have a script? There are certain touch points that are important to every company,  and everyone should know what they are. The message needs to be consistent, but the delivery should be sent with your personality (Unless of course, your offensive; in which case you’re in the wrong job.)

Every time you miss one of these touch points you run the risk of losing a customer so these points need to be identified.  They are  different for every company but  once identified should be part of ongoing training.

So what are the points?

1. Show your customers love. When you call me by my name its music to my ears as they say. If you use it at least twice it’s even better. (If you use it more than twice it gets scary.)
2. Know your customer’s standard problems and have some solutions on hand.  It’s no secret that if you’re in the northeast and delivering products in the winter that delays are in inevitable. The key is to plan on it and have  solutions on hand.
3. Be proactive.  That means thinking for your customer. Is there something your customer always needs this time of the year? Should you remind them? Of course, you should. In the northeast, it’s time for a snow shovel, de-icer for your windshield and door locks and snow tires.  Is kitty litter still a solution if you get stuck?Suggest he get a shovel so your truck can get to this loading dock.
4. Should you “reinvent the wheel?” Maybe so; we’ve reinvented the phone a few times haven’t we?  Is it time to change your policies or at least review them?  How about a using a square wheel; would it work better?
5. What hidden tools do you have at your disposal? Do you have a  gift, a discount or special shipping when real problems occur? Do you have some hidden delights for your customers?  (It’s like giving the customer a loaner cell phone.) Think of your customer as your business partner. Ask how you can help them before they need help.
6. Remember it’s the holiday season; stress is at its highest. How about calling your customers and wishing them well?

Remember, red hot customer service means going out of your way, delighting your customer and providing a memorable experience.

Lisbeth Calandrino helps businesses build loyal customers through  customer service training and providing customer retention strategies. Her book, Red Hot Customer Service can be ordered through her web site, www.lisbethcalandrino.com.

Who are you?

I just completed some customer service training and asked the question: what famous deceased person would you like to talk to? The answers were very telling.

You’re probably wondering what this has to do with  customer service training? This is about communication and customer service has everything to do with communication.

Communication  is dependent on many things; mostly, how we see ourselves in the world. If you were to ask me, my values and what’s important, it may take me a long time to answer.  If I think you might disapprove, I’ll alter my answers to give you what I think you want.

Ask me which tool I think  I’m like and why and I’ll probably just think you’re crazy for asking. My suggestion is you stand back and try not to look too shocked.

One of the participants said she would like to talk to Marilyn Monroe about fashion and  living in the 1950s. I was amazed. The woman looked like Marilyn and had the same fun-loving attitude. It was as if she was trying to find out somethings about herself as well as Marilyn. It was so interesting.

Ask people which animal, they like the best and why and you’ll find out even more about them.  You’ve probably heard that people look like their pets. Not only do they look like their pets, but they also act like them. Cat lovers are certainly different than dog lovers. And then there are snake lovers. I don’t understand them at all.

I just took one of those tests and found out I’m a fun loving chimpanzee. Gee whiz.

My experience: fun people look for other fun people and serious people—well you know the answer.

Do you know who you are?  The more you know about yourself the more you can depend on yourself. I  remember my mother being hysterical when the little boy next door sliced open his foot. My dad yelled for me to get my mother out of the way while he scooped up the little boy. I realized at that point that my adult behavior was being formed. I immediately grabbed my mom, moved her from the scene and jumped into the truck with my dad. No squirming for me even if I wanted to!

You probably know people who are very inconsistent. They say they believe one thing, but their behavior says the  opposite. I remember doing a team-building exercise when a woman yelled; I’m not doing this anymore. Her idea had been rejected, and she was really annoyed. Later when the team reminded her of her outburst, she adamantly denied saying it! The whole experience was a little scary.

I believe training people to  deliver good customer service is an art as well as science. Many people know that their attitude is not the best and try to hide it. Unfortunately it rarely works. When things get hot, so do they. The best way to get them out of hiding is to engage them.

Companies need calm and understanding customer service people. These people need to be able to think on their feet and ‘go with the flow’ as they say.

One of the other keys to good customer service is to hire people who know their  values and can be counted on to be consistent. Of course this isn’t always easy but it’s one of the requirements of the job.

We want to be able to depend on them when things are tough and possibly confrontational.

You know the old saying, ‘when the going gets tough the tough get going’. By the way: it’s  a saying of Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969), US politician, businessman, and father of President John F. Kennedy.

Lisbeth helps companies build loyal relationships with their customers through communication and customer service training. To have her speak to your group, she can be reached at lcalandrino@nycap.rr.com.

Following the elections I had the opportunity to talk with a ‘well connected’ Republican. I asked him what he thought of the election–his statement was eye opening.

“If you you were doing sales training for a company  you would have said, if you don’t have a customer your product doesn’t matter .  I don’t think we  have a customer or if we do, maybe we have the wrong product.”

Interesting isn’t it? All businesses think they know their customers. The only ones that really know them are the ones who talk to them and listen. They listen even if they don’t like the message.

It’s not easy to hear something you don’t like but it’s essential if you want to be able to influence your customer.

Maybe you think your message is the greatest but your customer doesn’t think so. Susana Martinez, Republican  Governor of New Mexico made an interesting statement, and I quote, “Republicans need to stop making assumptions, and they need to start talking to younger people, people of color, and ask them—not talk to them—ask them, ‘What is it that we can do better? How do we earn your vote? How do we earn the ability for you to see that we can be the party that will make your life better and that of your children?’” This is a smart business person. She knows the customer is changing.

Just because  you believe in your message it doesn’t make it right for your customer. Okay so you say these are our beliefs, our ethics,  it’s the way the world should be. So what do you do if your customer doesn’t think the way you do? Do you stick with your message or do what it takes to win. Now do we have a moral dilemma?

The world is the way it is–not the way it should be.

Great customer service says you’ve got to know your customer–period. When it comes to politics, the customer landscape is changing. The customers look different and have a different agenda.

There are lots of great companies that said ‘here it is, like it or lump it;’ they’re mostly gone.

Let’s look at General Motors as they head towards bankruptcy again. Could it be they just don’t know their customers? How could it be they can’t develop a product that the customer wants? When was the last time they talked to their customers? Consider IBM who about a decade ago made the same mistake. They didn’t invest in the future; they invested in the present and were sure they  the knew it all. Eventually they got it right but it was a long  haul.

Dozens of  great firms have fallen into the same trap at one time or another. The problem is that it’s easy to ignore  customers who are different, the ones that full away from the norm.  Businesses have a tendency to  dismiss  customers who represent the future rather than present.

It’s like dismissing customers who use social media. (Check out the Pro Blog highlighted.) When you say you think social media is stupid you’re saying  your customers  are stupid for using social media. I bet they like that.

We often pay attention to those who think like us and ignore the rest.

And who had a better machine than Smith Corona? There are lots of them at tag sales.

Are the Republicans out of step with the new woman?  Women are different, and there are lots more of them. What about the Hispanic vote? It was clear from relatively early on that while the Latino vote came out solidly for Obama, it was women, particularly single women, who made themselves most decisively heard. (Check out the Guardian’s report.)

What can the election tell us about marketing our business? You had better know your customer. Great article from Ben Gran, Sail Blog.

Sticking to tradition will kill your business. Sometimes tradition is just tradition. You may remember this story, if not it’s worth a read. Check this out from Punch Stick.

The husband always loved a good ham so on special occasions the young bride would cook up a nice ham dinner. The husband noticed that each time she cooked a ham both ends were cut off. So the young groom asked why she did that. Her reply was simple, that’s what my mom always did.

On a Thanksgiving the couple was invited over to the home of the bride’s parents. When the ham was served the groom had the chance to ask his Mother-in-law why she cut the ends off the ham. Her simple reply, because that’s what my mom always did.

Now the groom was even more curios and on Christmas was able to ask the brides Grandma why she cut the ends off the ham. Her reply was simple, “We did not have much money and I could not afford a pan big enough to hold the whole ham so I just cut the ends off so it would fit.

Maybe somebody needs a new pan?

Lisbeth Calandrino helps businesses build loyal customers through customer service training and retention marketing. To address your business, she can be reached at Lcalandrino@nycap.rr.com.

The other day I  was driving on a major highway  and noticed a billboard on my right. I don’t slow down for billboards, unless I’m planning on being the accident of the day, but this one made me laugh. I decided to get off at the exit and make a second pass at it.

The billboard was simple: lots of white space and a one-line address; no city name, just a street number.

As I whizzed past the billboard and the exit I thought, “Where is 700 Central Avenue?” I know my way around, but I don’t think about the business numbers as I drive the highway.

Is it more of a women’s thing? Would a man automatically know the address? I was wondering what it was near and where should I exit. By the way if you Google “700 Central Avenue” it brings up about a dozen addresses in different states.

The number is meaningless to me; maybe it’s just me . I remember places by locations and landmarks not by numbers.

To check out my theory,  I reached in my book case for a copy of what I call my “gender marketing bible.” The book is called, Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps by Allan and Barbara Pease.

If you’re interested in gender differences, Barbara and Allan Pease are the best  and the funniest.  According to the book, I was on the right track; women are more likely to find places by their locations rather than their addresses. For instance, “next to Marshals on Central Avenue” makes more sense than  700 Central Avenue. Having both of the above is even better. How about including the city name so I can put it in my GPS tracking system?

To a man, it’s 700 Central Avenue and that’s good enough.  Okay so here’s the disclaimer, this is stereotypical and not everyone thinks this way. But if it’s true, to a woman 700 Central Avenue is just “out there.”

This prompted me to research billboards in general. What are the tips for building an effective billboard? I have never researched billboards and know very little about them. This article, Ads on Your Digital Billboard: You Are Your Customers’ Salesman, Not an Artist had three tips that seem very useful.

• Advertising messages should be created for, and directed at, the Heavy Using Customers in your category. I would think in this case women although men seem to be doing lots of the supermarket shopping.
• Women make (almost all of) the financial decisions and they buy (almost) everything—commercial as well as consumer goods. That doesn’t seem surprising.
• People over 50 comprise 29% of the population and they control 77% of financial assets (and they are the target for 10% of all advertising!!!) It’s interesting that more advertising dollars aren’t  spent on the over 50 crowd; I was beginning to think it was personal.

A billboard is a way to market your customer service. Directions to your business are part of customer service, and not everyone thinks the same way.  I thought maybe the billboard was a teaser; it was so exciting that everyone will get to the exit and go back and read it again—I wonder.

In order to get known a business has to market itself and its customer service to the target consumer. Customer service is a prevailing attitude that permeates the company—it is “the company” and defines your business.

If businesses defined it this way, they wouldn’t  be cryptic about their directions. Maybe I don’t have a sense of humor. I know I don’t have much time to shop or do anything other than work.

How about his; “We just came to town and to find us get off at the next exit, exit 5. You’ll find us at 700 Central Avenue.

Oh and by the way, when I get to the intersection do I turn right or left?

Lisbeth Calandrino helps businesses build loyal relationships with their target customers through customer service seminars. To have her speak at your next event, call 518.495.5380.

Quaker Oats man loses double chin

I heard that Larry, the Quaker Oats guy, just got a makeover.

The Quaker Oats PepsiCo brand is 134 years old. and Larry is looking a little tired. Since his makeover his double chin is gone and his hair is a little shorter. If you look closely, he looks like he lost about 5 pounds. Just the loss of his chin makes him appear younger. With some minor changes it changes the feeling of the brand.

The article said they left the crow’s feet around his eyes because removing them would make him too too young!

Can you really look too young?

The Quaker Oats company was founded in 1901 so it was time for a makeover.  Larry’s Quaker cousin, Aunt Jemima, traded in her  bandanna for a new hairdo several years ago so she was less of a “mammie.”

She also  lost 100 pounds. It’s probably time for another  new hairdo.

The Jolly Green Giant has become nicer over the years, more friendly but always in good shape. But maybe his language needs to be brought up to-date and he should stop yelling “ho.”

These are subtle changes but nevertheless make a difference. They make a difference to the brand and the customers.

Of course it started me thinking: Why did Larry need to lose five pounds?

One reason is that Quaker Oats represents itself  as a healthy choice cereal, one  which promotes energy and  the ability to lower cholesterol, and Larry doesn’t look that good. It goes together, the cereal is good and Larry looks good.

Would the customer think that Larry looks bad because he doesn’t eat Quaker Oats? Or if  I eat Quaker Oats would I look like Larry?  Larry represents the Quaker Oats brand and his looks need to  be consistent with his brand of “good  health.”

How about your brand? Who is your brand connecting to and who is your customer? How are you representing your brand? Are you and the brand looking tired and old?

What  are you doing to update you and your brand?

Let’s face it; the baby boomers are working hard at staying young and living a healthy lifestyle. One of the payoffs should be looking better but it’s obvious what you eat and drink can’t change everything.  So what does this mean to your business?

How you and your employees look certainly makes an impression on your customers. How can you be in the design business still wearing a haircut and clothes from the 70′s? (Unless your store has a 70′s motif.)

What about your showroom? When did it have its last makeover?

How can you be in any  business with a dirty showroom , old floors and chipped paint on the walls?

It’s important that you look well rested, up-to-date and have a great attitude. Looking good will make you feel better and probably improve your attitude. As people age they often begin to slouch which makes them appear even older. My doctor asked me the other day why I didn’t stand up straight  and I realized it was from carrying a heavy computer and projector through the airport for the last 20 years. Many of my trainer friends have the “computer bag” slouch. Now that I’m focusing on standing tall, I feel much better about myself and I notice I look better. This one was an easy fix.

By the way, if you’re wearing running shoes, they may be interferring with your posture.

In case you haven’t noticed, despite standing straighter, I haven’t gotten any taller.

As our customers get younger,  how will we connect if we look and feel old and tired? I noticed at Coverings that many of the social media wizards were over 60 and although they were older, their energy and stature made them appear young and vibrant.  My dad used to always say hanging around with old people will only make you older and if you want to stay young,  you need younger friends.

Attitude has a lot to do with how we look and feel about ourselves.

Teeth don’t need to look white washed but yellow teeth are a sure sign of aging; some over-the-counter teeth whitening will make them look better and you more youthful.

A manicure isn’t just for women and exercise is good for everyone.  The site,  “Cheap and Easy Ways to Look Richer, Younger and Thinner“  has some great ideas.

Good customer service means connecting with your customers. For those of you looking for younger customers, your appearance and  attitude can make or break your sale. Are you up to date in your conversation or  do you continually refer to “I remember when” or “the good old days?” The previous link is to an interesting article on customer service out of UK.

I had a young friend of mine do some mystery shopping for me. He said he liked the salesperson who was about his age until he saw the guy’s tattoo.  My friend has tattoos but he found the salesman’s tattoo distracting. He said he feels the same way about piercings and doesn’t wear his earrings to work. Remember when guys didn’t wear earrings?

Take Tony’s advice–get to know some young people and ask what they consider customer service. Maybe we don’t need to whiten our teeth.

Lisbeth Calandrino helps businesses build profitable and long-term relationships with their customers. For speaking and training, she can be reached at redhotcustomerservice @nycap.rr.com

The answer to this question seems clear. Of course you would change. The thought that obstacles would not occur in life or business is an unreal idea.  Ask yourself, “can I handle obstacles?” Again we go back to, “what would you do if you knew your couldn’t fail.” Lina Sanchez talks about it in her article in the Gwennett Network. We have no choice in life but to handle obstacles; even if we “don’t handle them” we’re handling them!

Companies often wait too long to change. As Eastman Kodak files for bankruptcy, the 131 year old company, with a great formula but one that couldn’t change quick enough. Who can forget the Kodak name,  the leader of inexpensive cameras? What we don’t know about Kodak is that  the company’s own researchers had invented the first digital camera way back in 1976. This put Kodak in a position where they could have dominated the industry and owning every category of cameras, printers, inks and more. Unfortunately it never happened. It’s been said that the Kodak leaders couldn’t imagine a world where pictures weren’t shot on film. This company had the technology but not the vision on how to use it. Kodak believed in saving family memories by capturing them on film–they were way ahead of the social media revolution. (If you’ve not seen this video on the social media revolution this will be an eye opener!)

 Nokia is another company that failed to act despite the fact that they had created a formula for a tablet-shaped handset.  They just couldn’t execute the plan. (The Harvard Business Review, November 2011 has many great articles on companies that couldn’t change.)

 Being a leader means understanding when things change in the environment, such as in our present economy the business has to change . Unfortunately making changes in one’s business because of environmental changes is very reactive and  good leadership should be proactive not reactive. As we see, some companies such as Neihaus Companies (which I featured in my last blog) are flourishing in this economy, why, because they have a  plan and have stuck to it. Having a plan doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible in fact being flexible and giving yourself “wiggle room” should be part of your plan.

 Here are 5 ways that you can help your business and your life be proactive.

1. Don’t wait for things to happen. Build your business on sound principles, and prepare today for the future. If you’re planning for an eventual new roof, prepare for changes in the economy and that your ideas may need to  be replaced. This leads to changes in your  differentiation and reviewing your competitive advantage. (Your customers can help you with this.)

2. Stop running in crises mode. If you are constantly reacting, stop and look at what you’re not seeing. Why would you let yourself get in this position? Being in constant crisis mode causes stress which can eventually lead to a serious disease for you and your business. Remember if you’re losing money you can’t make it up in volume.

3. I know this is old stuff but start goal setting and goal planning and hold yourself accountable. This should be done yearly not every 10 years.

4.  Include your major customers in your goal setting. Have someone interview them to find out their business challenges. How can you plan for your business without  information from your customers? How can you upgrade  your customer service unless you know what your customers want? I have done this with dozens of companies that are sure they know what their customers want and after the survey are amazed at what they don’t know. Learning from your customers will help your business stay ahead of your competitors.

5. Prepare for changes in the world. Globalization has changed how companies do business, what type of business they will do  and where they will do business.

When I write these type of posts I begin to think about my own life–did I plan for the roof?

Sorry about Eastman Kodak; they will be missed.

Lisbeth Calandrino is a business coach and speaker. Her book Red Hot Customer Service is used by many companies to improve their customer service business.