Make or Break Moments

Being Positive is Contagious – Catch it!

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:34 +0000

You’ve heard of giving yourself a pep talk, right? Michael Jackson sang about the Man in the Mirror - it all starts with us! Here’s an example of just how to start your day in a positive way! There is a lesson to be learned here! I don’t know about you…after watching that video pep talk – [...]

Customers Have to Pay at Claire’s

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:23:23 +0000

If you have a teen or tween girl – you’ve probably spent HOURS at Claire’s. The jewelry is fun and flirty and affordable. Although it is amazing how quickly the bill can exceed $40! Yesterday my daughter and I went shopping for a birthday present. The sales associate greeted us with a smile, a basket to [...]

Delight is Different Than Service

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:59:42 +0000

Do you delight your customers? I found an article written by Alain Thys that was published in 2007 that says it best: It’s funny that when discussing Customer Delight, most people start talking about customer service. While this nicely fits our managerial illusion of control, it also completely misses the point. Customer service is what companies [...]

Is Customer Service Part of Your Business Process?

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:30:31 +0000

I am working on writing a series of articles for a customer on the importance of developing and documenting business systems. You know what they are, right? How you do your business Who your customers are How you find them The 1,2,3s of producing your product/service Your billing and receivables process Employee relations and hiring/firing practices It is all pretty cut and [...]

Answering Your Phone: Is it You or Memorex?

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:48:44 +0000

Often our first interaction with our customer is over the phone. If you had to rate that experience from the caller’s perspective – how would you do? A+ – you answer the phone personally with a warm greeting and a smile on your face F - they have several confusing options with a menu that goes on [...]

Mocha Joe’s Builds Customer Relationships One Cup of Coffee At a Time

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:25:50 +0000

On the last Thursday of every month, you’ll find me sipping the decaf flavor of the day (black, no sugar) and talking about social media and ways to connect with customers with about ten other business professionals. We call ourselves the Akron Bloggers Community. It started a little over three years ago when Chris Brown of [...]

Hand Written Thank You Note – A Big Mistake

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:54:00 +0000

Have you ever sent a hand written note to a customer? A thank you letter? A birthday message? Emily Kelly had this to say about how she uses some old fashion methods to connect with her customers: Emily Kelly • I firmly believe in the power of “paying it forward”, giving others genuine compliments and sowing [...]

Marketing with Honesty to Build Customer Relationships

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:29:56 +0000

Last evening I had the opportunity to participate in a radio show – Reader’s Entertainment Radio - hosted by Sheila English. Sheila interviewed myself and Sherre DeMao – founder of SLD Unlimted Marketing/PR, Inc. Sheila led us through a series of questions which uncovered our philosophies of effective marketing and communication with our prospects and customers. [...]

Is There a Difference Between Customer Service and Customer Relationships?

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:40:58 +0000

They sound similar but do they mean the same thing? I asked the question of the Build Customer Relationships group on LinkedIn this week and overwhelmingly the answer was NO. Everyone agrees that customer service is the foundation – what gets customers in the door the first time and turns them from prospects to customers [...]

Individuals Make the Business

Deborah Chaddock Brown — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:49:25 +0000

Friday, August 6, 2010, I lost a dear friend, Bekah Facemire. We didn’t grow up together. Our kids weren’t in soccer together. We didn’t work at the same place. Bekah was the friendly, neighborhood cashier at Drug Mart. That’s where we met – at register 5. Bekah greeted every customer with more than just a smile and [...]