How to Unplug When You’re on Vacation

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Lea Steadman

“A vacation should be just long enough for the boss to miss you, and not long enough for him to discover how well he can get along without you.”
-JACOB MORTON BRAUDE

Do you have a vacation or even a staycation planned this summer? Do you plan to bring your work phone, tablet or laptop along with you? Take note of the quote above and take a break from your work as well! Here are some steps you can take to “unplug” while you’re on vacation this year.

Set Expectations
Discuss with your coworkers the fact that you will not be taking your work with you on your trip. Decide who will make decisions on pressing matters for you. This will help alleviate any anxiety you may have about leaving your work, as well as, save you some time when you return. If necessary, let them know where they can reach you in a true emergency.

#BusinessCode: Should you go #offthegrid while on a #vacation away from the office?

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Pick your Tech
Will you totally unplug from technology for the week? Or, will you still use your personal devices to connect with friends and family you might not have seen in a while? Maybe you can’t live without those vacation selfies! Decide what level of technology you will be using for the week. By making this decision before your trip you will be able to better stick with your unplugged lifestyle for the week.

Turn off Reminders and Notifications
Just like you’ll be turning off your wake up alarms during a relaxing vacation, turn off other notifications. This includes; Facebook, Twitter, E-mail and maybe even your text message and phone call alerts. This will help you fight the urge to check your phone each time it makes a noise or you hear a vibration.

Finally, if you can get away with it completely leave your devices at home or plan a trip outside of cell service and WiFi. Disconnecting allows you to reset and refresh your outlook, body and mind. You’ll go back to work more focused!

Do you completely go off the grid while on a vacation away from the office? Or do you still tend to do some work here and there?

The Do’s & Don’ts of Emojis at Work

Posted on July 15, 2016 by ABG Marketing

World Emoji Day is marked by the iPhone calendar emoji as July 17. In 2015, people began celebrating the day by posting their favorite emojis to Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites. Of course, anyone can have fun with emojis online, but what can employees do who are working all day? Is sending a celebration emoji in a workplace email appropriate, or should they maintain their place online and in text messaging?

Back in 1982, Scott Fahlman sent the first recorded smiley emoticon, “: – ),” in an email. He wanted the symbol to be used for jokes, but now the emoticons have evolved into a whole assortment of emotions. While Fahlman may not have been sending a professional email, many people wonder if communicating this way in the workplace is appropriate. There have been numerous inquiries about email etiquette throughout the years, especially within the past decade. Using too many exclamation points and adding text lingo such as “lol” or “omg” are both universally accepted as unprofessional. Many businesses prefer not to let their employees use them, but others have been more lenient if they are used in the right way. Emojis have been gaining traction over the past few years, so it’s time that we take a look at the do’s and don’ts of emoji usage in the workplace.

#BusinessCode: The Do’s and Don’ts of using #emojis in the workplace. #WorldEmojiDay

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DO:

Understand email etiquette – If you are ever unsure about whether to send an emoji email, then you should probably check with your coworkers to make sure it is okay to send. Check to see if your company has a style guide for how to send formal vs. informal emails.

Avoid ambiguity – Emojis can mean different things to different people. For example, what I think is an emoji for being upset, you may think is an emoji for being tired. If you do decide to use them, it’s probably best to stick to the simple happy and sad faces for less confusion.

Determine the right context – Should you be using laughing face emojis when discussing poor company performance? No. This example may be extreme, but examining the context of your email is important to avoid awkwardness or rudeness.

DON’T

Overuse – Just like using more than one exclamation mark is unadvisable, so is using more than one emoji. Adding too many of them to your emails may annoy others and cause confusion as to what you are trying to say.

Use to get a point across – What would you think if your boss sent you an email that said, “Bring those reports to my office tomorrow or you’re fired :)”? Your boss may be using the smiley to get the point across that he is joking with you, but this type of message can be misinterpreted. Being outright and frank with coworkers is always the best option.

Send to your boss – This may seem self-explanatory, but the majority of authority figures in your workplace want to be treated with respect. While you may think you are being friendly, your boss may think you are being unprofessional.

This outline of rules for emojis at work is not anything that should be set in stone. The guidelines for language and communication are changing every day. Five years ago, using emojis in professional emails was unheard of, but now 78% of Americans are using them at work, according to one survey. The truth is that communication evolves over time, and only you know best how to interact at your company. Some people may send an emoji email celebrating July 17, and others may not do anything at all. Whatever you do, we want to wish you a Happy World Emoji Day!

Do you use emojis for work purposes?

America on the 4th of July: The Freedoms We Have!

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Alyssa Smith

As American as apple pie…or maybe as #Merica as requesting “Free Bird” at the bar; there are a lot of things that are unique to being American. This 4th of July we will celebrate the 240th birthday of our nation. We are a special group of individuals. There are many things that we as Americans can do that those living elsewhere can’t. In honor of the 4th of July, let’s explore things that cannot be done in other countries and are uniquely American.

In honor of the #4thofJuly, let’s explore things that are uniquely #American.

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Baby Names: Have a baby on the way? Want to take a page out of Hollywood’s book and name your child something creative like Apple or SssT (Forrest)? You couldn’t if you live in Denmark. Denmark has very strict rules on what a child can be named or, even how a name can be spelled. The government even has an approved list of about 7000 names parents can pick from.

Ketchup: If you are from Pittsburgh you know there’s only one ketchup, and that’s Heinz. If you go to France there is no ketchup…well, at least not in their cafeterias. The country has banned ketchup of any kind in school cafeterias (expect one day a week) to help preserve french food culture. Here you can put ketchup on anything especially french fries.

Hair: I once had my hair colored a deep red, almost burgundy. I’ve also had it cut super short where it could be spiked in the back. Now I just color it a dark brown. However, if I lived in another country I may not be able to change up my look so much. I definitely wouldn’t be able to dye my hair lilac like or icy blonde like many celebrities are doing now. In North Korea they have select hair styles you can choose from; and in Iran you can’t be business in the front and party in the back since they’ve banned mullets.

Gum: Now, we’ve all been disciplined at least once for chewing gum in school; but what about as an adult? In Singapore chewing gum was once illegal. In the past years they’ve eased up on the rules. You can now chew sugar free gum, but only if you have a prescription.

Travel: How many times have you been planning a trip and had to worry about whether your passport will get you there? Probably not many I would think. The U.S. has the 4th most powerful passport in the world. We can travel to most destinations without needing a travel visa. Afghanistan has the least powerful passport in the world. Citizens from Afghanistan can only travel to 24 countries visa free.

Freedom of Speech/Internet Access: As Americans we are quite proud of our Freedom of Speech and our access to information. Here you can express yourself (within reason, you still can’t yell “bomb” on a plane) without the government knocking down your door for expressing a dissenting opinion. We have uncensored internet assess. An IP address originating from America has access to pretty much any website. In China things are different. Internet censorship in China is huge. In order to control information and to ensure that information and opinions that differ from governments are approved messages, the internet in China is tightly controlled and patrolled.

Things That Are Uniquely American

Displaying the American Flag: Now especially, you cannot drive down the road without seeing an American flag in someone’s yard. In other countries, though, you normally only see it displayed on government buildings. In America, you see the flag everywhere.

Tipping: As a former waitress I find this interesting. Tipping is something that is pretty unique to America; and it confuses the heck out of foreigners (I may have been stiffed a time or two because of this). In many countries like Japan it is actually an insult to tip.

Sweet Tea: Looking at you southern states…

College Sports: Other countries don’t understand how college athletes especially college football players get so much celebrity status in the states. In other countries college sports are looked at as an “extra-curricular activity;” in America college sports get nearly as much coverage and bring in as much revenue pro-sporting events.

Muscle Cars: Need I say more?

Without sounding too cliche; I am proud to be an American. Our country is special, unique, and influential in many ways. As you celebrate this Fourth take time to remember our history and thank those who have served and helped shaped the country we live in today.

Did we miss anything? What else can you think of that makes America stand out as a country?

Happy 4th of July!

Steps to Better Marketing Team Building

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Natalie DeCario

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships” is a quote famously given by the legend, Michael Jordan. A lot of people get confused when it comes to the topic of talent. Most think it’s all they need to succeed. In some cases, such as professional basketball, it’s a huge part. Some people are born with natural abilities that make up their talent; there’s definitely a big difference between an individual who is 6’8” and someone who is 5’4” when trying out for a basketball team. Who do you think is more likely to be the first round pick? I’ll admit, there is some flaw to that analogy. Work ethic, hustle, and mental capacity make up the difference whether it’s in the NBA or in your marketing department.

When building or refining your marketing team, it’s really all about filling in the gaps between talent, brains, and hustle. Which brings us to our first step in building the ultimate marketing team.

When building or refining your #marketing team, it’s really all about filling in the gaps between talent, brains, and hustle.

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Step 1. Identify the gaps.

Let’s do a little audit with your current marketing team. Divide your employees into categories. The creative, the strategist, the analysts, and so on. Now identify the gaps. What are gaps exactly? Gaps are when your marketing team is missing or doesn’t have the right skill set to keep the cogs turning.

This inevitably means you need to grow your team and you’ve reached that “oh crap” phase.

The good news is that you’ve caught your dilemma and you’re taking the initiative to fix it. So good for you! You’ve now realized that there are blocks in your team that are preventing you from achieving your goals. Your talent gaps have led to performance gaps. The bad news is that performance gaps act as ceilings on your results.

What you shouldn’t do is go and hire 10 new people to fill these gaps. Schedule evaluations with your current team members to identify what’s working for them, what their passions are, and what you actually need. You’ll be surprised when you find that hidden pool of talent within your current team hasn’t surfaced until this point. Sometimes all it takes is being personal with your employees and showing them that your interest is to cultivate their passion.

Step 2. Be realistic.

If you had unlimited resources, you would create the perfect team in no time. The cost of the team would be unimportant. What you need to focus on is where you stand now, what resources you currently have available, and where it all exists in reality. Create a plan that outlines how you’re going to fill the remaining gaps. Minimize waste in your department to free up your budget and begin to position your team to scale.

Step 3. Worry about the gap, not the project.

Turnover isn’t a word that sits well with any business of any size. Sometimes it creates problems, but it’s exactly what you need to weed out the main gaps within your department. You can look at it one of two ways; you’ll have the waste of always looking for new talent, delays due to always trying to find that perfect talent, bringing people up to speed…OR you can look at it as a worthwhile investment in furthering your team’s strengths. Don’t hire contractors and agencies for what they can accomplish. Hire them for what they do best. There are agencies that can give you the world, but there are only few who can work with their passion. There are people who were made to do a few things really well; those people were designed to fill your gaps.

Now it’s time to begin again. Remember, a well-oiled marketing team is always going to be a work in progress and will be far from perfect.

Not everyone who starts with you will make it to the finish. Realizing that priorities and needs change in team members as well as the company, helps rationalize what could be a tough decision ahead.

Team building is a necessary part of business. Forming the right team is an art that few businesses have yet to master. Are you the next Picasso?

Humor Goes a Long Way With Red Nose Day

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Natalie DeCario

Red Nose Day! It’s a day of acting silly, sharing some laughs, and of course wearing the infamous red nose. Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day happens to be today–May 26, 2016. ‘Tis the moment to spread awareness and to support some really great causes.

The campaign’s slogan says it all – “Laugh. Give. Save a kid.” According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, “More than 16 million children in the United States- 22 percent of all children- live in families with income below the federal poverty level. That’s just the U.S. alone; Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day contributions also help children in the poorest communities in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. All of the money raised supports projects that ensure kids are safe, healthy, and educated. Red Nose Day is a monolithic biennial event that has been very effective at using comedy to raise money. Since its inception in 1988, it has raised over $650 million, with $108 million being raised at its most recent event alone.

Who’s involved? Some of the world’s top charitable organizations, that’s who! Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Covenant House, Feeding America, and The Global Fund are just a few of the organizations involved.

ABG Capital staff members raised awareness today by stopping by their local Walgreen’s and purchasing plenty of Red Noses for employees to wear around the office…and of course they had as much fun as they could while wearing them throughout the day!

So why is comedy the remedy for acquiring donors? The Comic Relief Foundation has tapped into a niche of the nonprofit world that really hasn’t been targeted before: humor. Laughing and being silly is working for the organization quite well. Everyone knows the old proverb “laughter is the best medicine”, but there’s a lot more power to humor than its medicinal qualities. Tickling people’s funny bones is also a great way to capture and maintain attention. Something Red Nose Day is accomplishing effectively, especially when partnering with a network as sizable as NBC.

Charitable organizations can use humor to help raise awareness, gain partners, and raise funding. Of course nonprofits should be mindful with regard to how they use humor; no one wants to be in the position of offending someone or making light of human suffering.

Comedy can be memorable and doing it the right way for the right reasons can indeed boost awareness and even more money. If it captures your attention, it’s already done its job.

Have fun today–Throw on your #rednose and red flair and do your part for this year’s #RedNoseDay!

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Also, tune into NBC tonight at 9/8c for the Red Nose live TV special and have some laughs. Happiness goes a very long way, and could be the cure.

Are you participating in Red Nose Day? How so?

4 Keys to Success from the Gazelles Growth Summit

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Natalie DeCario

It’s that time of year again–time for the annual Gazelles Growth Summit! ABG Capital’s top dogs are fortunate enough to travel once again to this learning event in Atlanta to continue their growth and education in the world of leadership.

ABG Capital, along with hundreds of other business owners, will learn from CEOs of some of the world’s top companies to understand their habits, experiences and insights to craft an industry dominating strategy!

This year’s summit is focused on Verne Harnish’s book Scaling Up- Mastering the Rockefeller Habits 2.0. There will be a buffet of knowledgeable guest speakers presenting, including Jim Whitehurst, David Butler and Aubrey Daniels just to name a few. Also, team workshops that focus on the “Rockefeller Habits 2.0” in a day-long spirit of “how-to” interaction, collaboration and networking will be featured.

Today we’re going to dig right into the meat and potatoes of Scaling Up and showcase how ABG Capital practices the four main strategies found in the book on the day-to-day.

To summarize the book (which is almost sacrilegious to do), Harnish focuses on four keys to scaling your business. Keys that allow some companies to “make-it” and the rest to fall.

The keys are:

Attract and keep the right people
Create a truly differentiated strategy
Drive flawless execution
Have plenty of cash to weather the storms

The People

The book states that the job of the leaders is to make sure the right people are doing the right things.

Your values and culture should be so strong that they act like an immune system, forming a system of protection against those who may not align, all for the greater good and health of your organization.

At ABG Capital we invest in our employees. We cultivate them and promote their growth and success. We shape our employees into their roles and allow them embrace their passions. When everything aligns, it’s almost magical. It’s wonderful to see our teams share our C.O.R.E. Values, make them their own and embrace their responsibilities. Our organization exists almost as an accounting statement. Each produced effort has a column with numbers of the extraordinary people responsible. It only becomes problematic when those names in the column don’t align with the work and values presented.

Some companies may think turnover is a scary outcome within their business. It’s actually a good outcome. Only when you invest in your employees are they at the peak of strength. Why? You’re weeding out the B and C players that eventually become toxic to your A players–the players in which you invest.

The only way to grow a company is people first. Invest in development and your outcomes will flourish.

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The Strategy

Core values are the rules and boundaries that define our company’s culture and personality. They’re also the rules and boundaries that define our strategy. We developed a set of C.O.R.E. Values that have helped define our niche, simplify our execution and turn our revenue into profit. Our strategy is differentiated due to the fact that each of our portfolio companies has a Profit Per X. Meaning that our companies individually have one product, service, technology etc. that sets them apart from the rest.

We each also have a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal), a long term goal that changes the nature of business. For example VoIP Innovations, one of ABG Capital’s portfolio companies, differentiates their X Factor, which is their BackOffice software that is unlike anything in the industry today. VoIP Innovations also has a BHAG of offering complete Choice, Automation and Control of their telecom services. Scaling Up teaches us that we need to sandbox our brand promises. Who are our customers? What are we really selling them? What are our three brand promises? And the most important; how do we measure?

The Execution

At ABG Capital we like to focus on three key components to steer our ship in the right direction: priority, data and rhythm. We pride ourselves in focusing on these three words in all that we do. What does that mean exactly? Well let’s break it down. Priority–when you come in to the office bright and early, just poured yourself a coffee and sat down at your desk, you should have a piece of work carried over from the previous work day that needs to be finished before your meeting. This task becomes your priority. Each business day should present a new priority; that one project, simple or complex that needs to be completed before moving on to anything else.

Collecting data requires us to have data. Key performance indicators (KPIs) must be identified, and effort needs to be expended to capture this information. ABG Capital’s KPIs vary between companies and KPIs enable us to measure how we are performing by revealing both areas in which we excel and those in which improvement is needed.

Rhythm is the heartbeat of your organization. Have a daily huddle. This 5-15 minute meeting should be implemented to discuss tactical issues and provide updates. Brief, daily meetings will help establish a rhythm, as can weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings. Meetings are useful for obtaining feedback, getting “real” information, reviewing KPIs and identifying problems that prevent things from running smoothly.

Meetings can even provide those all-too-rare opportunities to pat people on the back and “recharge their batteries.”

The Cash

In Scaling Up, Harnish says to never blame the industry for your company’s financial situation. “Well, this is just the way it is in our industry,“ isn’t a phrase you’ll hear uttered from top executives. Could you imagine Warren Buffett or Mark Zuckerberg giving a shrug followed by these words? In fact, Harnish says there are only two time-frames that matter: 90 days, 10 years and nothing in between.

Your 90-day plan is data driven, and you’re focused on overcoming the choke point. This is your time to review a daily report of available cash and to note why it has changed in the last 24 hours. Recognizing these changes and following the efficiency and progress of your “rhythm” will promote huge growth in the next decade. So no more excuses–only improvements!

Leadership in a Small Business

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Lea Steadman

At some point in everyone’s career, they will have a supervisor who gives them direction and expects them to be followed with no deviation. In most organizations today, this can be considered an “old school” way of overseeing an organization or department. This way of thinking has been replaced by models of leadership. Being a leader, rather than a “by the book” supervisor is incredibly important in any size organization, but especially in a small organization. So how do you ensure you have leadership in a small business?

Small organizations, such as ours (which has around 55 employees), need to use resources wisely. By leading your team, rather than telling them what to do, you are able to give everyone a voice which leads to ideas and invention; rather than just “getting the job done.” Leadership also inspires future leaders and helps with organizational succession planning.

“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” – George S. Patton

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The following, from General Patton’s book on Leadership, will help you understand the basics of good leadership. At ABG Capital, we try to inspire current and future leaders through innovative leadership training.

L – Leaders develop through ability, desire, and opportunity

E – Effectively develop people

A – Address issues proactively

D – Develop potential by leading and making decisions

E – Earn the respect of others

R – Respond

S – Single out and clearly define expectations

H – Have desire and trust to lead unpredictable times

I – Identify the right questions

P – Provide open, honest, trusting, and respectful communication

We’ll leave you with a few more Patton quotes to take with you and keep in mind while you’re leading at the office.

“Always do everything you ask of those you command.” – George S. Patton

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” – George S. Patton

Do you have any favorite quotes or mantras that help you as you lead your team?

A Day of Food Bank Volunteering at ABG Capital

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Natalie DeCario

Chances are, when you were in college, you were involved in volunteer efforts in one way or another. During that time, you learned how rewarding it is to give back to your community, first hand. The feeling of being part of an organization that helps veterans and military families, feeds the hungry, cleans up and cares for the environment or cares for seniors can be a very fulfilling experience. You positively impacted your community, made new friends and gained a sense of purpose with the time you spent volunteering. However, after you graduated, got a full time job, got married and had kids, the hours in the day now rush past in a blur. Even though you would love to still have the time to dedicate to volunteerism, life’s other demands tend to take precedence.

Fortunately, here at ABG Capital, our leadership recognizes the time constraints of our busy lives and builds time to volunteer into our work/life balance by organizing opportunities to give back during the work day. Our latest volunteer event took place last week at the Greater Washington County Food Bank who has been providing groceries and nutritional information and education to food-insecure residents of Washington County for over 33 years! Recently, they’ve moved to a new facility which they hope will maximize their efforts to end hunger and with the anticipated opening of an on-site thrift store, allow them to provide gently used clothing and household items to the community.

Last Friday, we joined them to pack Senior Boxes which go out for delivery to area seniors in need. We packed over 500 boxes of food and had a really fun time working as a team and getting to know the folks who make the GWCFB run! Here are a few pictures of our event!

If you would like to contact the Greater Washington County Food Bank and offer your volunteer services, you can check out their Get Involved page on their website. Also, not only do we take part in giving back through initiatives like these, we also give back through the Tapolci Foundation. Giving feels good!

Problem Solvers: Customer Service Rules, Part II

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Natalie DeCario

Customers want friendliness. They want to be greeted by a smiling voice and a “Hey, how are you today?” They want empathy, as well. They want to hear you say that if you were in a similar situation, you would feel the same way. A fair resolution to their problem is what all customers are looking for. A customer might ask you for a full refund and a replacement product as a solution and that would certainly make the customer happy but it doesn’t serve your business’s bottom line. Declining to provide any type of accommodation would certainly protect your profit margins but would probably result in a very unhappy customer. Meeting somewhere in the middle will almost always satisfy the caller. Following tried and true customer service rules is the way to do it.

Customers appreciate it when they feel that you are participating in the resolution of the problem. Assuring them they you have the solution and explaining the steps you will take, along with the steps that they should take, will engage the customer to participate in a good outcome. If their problem cannot be fixed, customers need alternatives. Tell them what you can do, not what you can’t.

Above all, customers want information, not excuses. They called to find out why they experienced a problem and what needs to be done in order to fix it. Excuses are usually offered with the hope that the customer will understand and calm down, but excuses are not helpful. The customer didn’t call to find out who is to blame for their problem, they called to find a solution. Don’t offer excuses, offer help. Assure the customer in positive terms that you can and will help solve their problem.

Remaining in a positive frame of mind is so important when speaking to customers over the phone. You have to work harder because they can’t see your facial expression and you can’t see theirs. You have to listen to their voice and the information they’re giving you. A trick you’ve probably heard, but bears repeating, is that you should smile because customers can hear it in your voice!

The first thing you should do when you are faced with a caller that has a problem is apologize. The customer’s feelings are critical and a sincere apology for the fact that the customer has a problem with your company will go a long way, then, offer sympathy. Why sympathize when you’ve just apologized? Aren’t they almost the same? It is true that they are similar, but there is a very important difference. Apologizing says that you regret the problem occurred. Sympathizing tells the customer that you understand their feelings about it.

Put yourself in the customer’s place. How would you feel if this happened to you? Let the customer know this. Once you’ve soothed your caller’s feelings, accepted responsibility for the call. This is different than accepting responsibility for the problem. More often than not, you are not the one who caused their issue, but you are the one who answered the phone, and by doing so, you’ve already accepted responsibility for the call. End the phone call on a happy note and then go find a way to relieve any pent up stress or frustrating feelings that you may have. Take a brisk walk, make a cup of tea, eat a piece of candy but don’t keep the stress cooped up inside you. If you do, you risk the chance of losing your cool on the next customer, or worse, a coworker or your boss.

Continuing from our last post, here is our list of five remaining customer service rules to follow:

6. Don’t Leave Customers Hanging

All communications with customers need to be handled with urgency.
Research shows that 95% of dissatisfied customers will do business with a company again if their complaint is resolved on the spot.

7. Always Provide What You Promise

Failure to do this is a sure way to lose credibility with your customer.

8. Assume Customers are Telling the Truth

The majority of customers don’t like to complain; in fact, they’ll go out of their way to avoid it.

9. Focus on Keeping the Customer, Not on Being “Right”

Focus on the quality of the service you are providing rather than just moving the caller off of the line.
Research shows that is costs 6 times more to attract a new customer as it does to keep an existing one.

10. Make It Easy

Make the customer’s job easy by doing your job well.

There you have it! If there was any doubt in your mind how to properly handle the customer service of your business, you should be all set now. If you missed Part One, go back for a refresher. Have you had the opportunity to problem solve for a customer? What did you do? How did you solve it? Tell us in the comments below!

Problem Solvers: Customer Service Rules, Part I

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Natalie DeCario

There is a quote by the CEO of LL Bean and it goes: “A lot of people have fancy things to say about customer service, but it’s just a day-in, day-out, ongoing, never ending, unremitting, persevering, compassionate type of activity.” I really like this quote because I feel like by the time you get to the word “ongoing” in this sentence, you’ve already begun to feel the doldrums of what it can occasionally be like to work as a Customer Service Representative whose whole day is filled with solving other people’s problems and listening to their complaints. But when you reach the word “compassionate”, it brings you full circle back to the idea that at the heart of every Customer Service Call Center, lies a group of people whose sole purpose is to help you. Those people know there are certain customer service rules that should always be followed.

Recently, I conducted a general training overview for the Customer Service Representatives that work for the Portfolio Companies here at ABG Capital. They all do very different jobs, but their one common and most important attribute, is that they are here to help our customers solve problems. Everything they do, every single day, is directed with one objective in mind: pleasing the customer. Our customer is the one person in our company who has the power to fire everyone who works here, from the CEO on down the line, and he or she can do so simply by spending his or her money elsewhere. Most of the team members who attended the training agreed that it was helpful in refreshing some of the Customer Service skills they’d learned in the past. Many of them took away some new techniques on how to provide truly excellent Customer Service, going above and beyond what is expected, and even how to deal with the occasional difficult caller.

So how do you provide this excellent level of customer care? What do customers really desire? The answers are probably more straightforward than you think. Providing excellent customer service means providing a quality product while satisfying the needs and the wants of the customer. If you can manage to do these two things, you will have a repeat customer. Excellent service results in the continued success of your company, increased profits, higher job satisfaction, and even better teamwork. When your coworkers see you modeling a positive attitude and going above and beyond, it fosters the type of environment where everyone wants to contribute to a high level of service. Good service equals lasting relationships, average service can result in steady customer relationships that could be lost if something better comes along and poor service will almost always result in lost business.

Here is our list of five rules for providing excellent customer service:

1. Commit to Quality Service

Create a positive experience for the customer.
Go above and beyond customer expectations.

2. Know Your Products

Help win a customer’s trust and confidence.

3. Know Your Customers

Tailor your service approach to their needs.
Get to the root of customer dissatisfaction by talking to people and understanding complaints.

4. Treat People with Courtesy and Respect

Every contact with a customer leaves an impression.
Use phrases like “Sorry to keep you waiting,” “Thanks for your order,” “You’re welcome,” and “It’s been a pleasure helping you.”

5. Never Argue with a Customer

Be solution focused rather than problem focused.
Research shows that 7 out of 10 customers will do business with you again if you resolve a complaint in their favor.

We had some open discussion at the end of our training and heard some great customer service stories. Some stories were about really successful resolutions, some were so funny the whole room was laughing, and some delved into the harder to solve situations and what to do when you’re faced with an irate caller or a problem you can’t fix. As always, we love to hear from our readers, so if you have any customer care tips or a great customer service story, please leave us a comment. In our next blog post, we’ll continue with Part II and give you five more outstanding customer service rules!

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Problem Solvers: Customer Service Rules, Part II

Problem Solvers: Customer Service Rules, Part I