(Time to read this Blog is about 2 minutes)
Before we get to the main topic, here are a few things to get you thinking:
- My quote of the week:
“The 2 most valuable things you have in your business are your Team and your customers’ trust. Anything or anyone that endangers either of those must be fixed or eliminated immediately.”
…Donald Cooper
- Quick Biz Tip: Every business in the world is currently looking for talented staff. Some businesses have given up…but some are getting creative. A Building Supply retail chain on Vancouver Island, Canada, is posting videos on Tic-Toc and YouTube about their workplace culture and job and career opportunities.
How might you create a series of short video clips of a few of your Team members talking about what makes it so great to work in your business. They could talk about your culture of integrity and respect, the pay, benefits and recognition, the opportunity to be creative, to learn, grow and be heard. Then, talk briefly about job and career opportunities.
Donald’s breakthrough ‘Marketing Guide’ for Tourism & Hospitality. If you’re in the Tourism & Hospitality industry in any way, my extraordinary 197-page, self-guiding, step-by-step ‘Partnering for Prosperity Guide’will help you and all the Tourism service and experience providers in your area work together to create, deliver and effectively promote targeted, seamless experiences and compelling visitor value that will attract more guests, make them want to stay longer and spend more money, come back more often…and tell their friends.
To access this powerful Guide, in PDF format, for just $48, Click Here.
Now, to this week’s important topic:
Stop pissing customers off!
As I write this Blog, I’ve been on hold with ‘Air Canada Vacations’ for 3 hours and 15 minutes. This is the 10th day I’ve tried to reach them…without success.
This appalling lack of service must be costing them millions of dollars in lost business…and so it should. I would have given up days ago, but I’m trying to confirm and pay the balance for an already-booked December 26th departure to the Dominican Republic with grandson Gus.
One thing I do know at this point is that I will never again book anything with Air Canada Vacations. I’ve had it!
Perhaps, as a lifetime ‘Million Mile’ member with Air Canada there would be a special number I could call, but when I punch in my Aeroplan account number, which I’ve had for 40 years, a recording tells me that the number is not valid. I had the same problem with Air Canada Vacations 2 years ago. They apologized and promised they’d reinstate my Aeroplan number in their system. Apparently, no one did.
Why am I sharing my Air Canada ‘tale of woe’ with you? Because I want you to scour every corner of your business, right now, to discover where you might be screwing up. The easiest way to grow your business is to stop pissing people off! So what might you be doing, right now, that stresses, confuses or dishonours your customers, staff or suppliers, or breaks promises?
For each thing that needs fixing, is it a ‘sense of urgency’ problem, a staffing problem or a systems, process or training problem? Do you lack the resources to perform wonderfully? Have you gotten complacent or, perhaps, are you simply unaware or in denial about the experience you’re delivering?
Set a meeting date and time, right now. Invite a cross-section of the best minds and hearts and most courageous truth-sayers on your Team to attend and report honestly on anything that makes it difficult, frustrating, dishonouring or unsafe to be a customer, an employee or a supplier.
I’ve said it at least 20 times in this year’s Blogs, but I’ll say it again because it’s so important, “Your front-line people know stuff and they hate it when you don’t ask!” So, ask, listen and then commit to fix what needs fixing. Specifically, what will be done, by whom, by when, at what cost, with what result, measured how and rewarded how? Finally, follow up.
If you actually take the time to do this, email me and tell me what you discovered…and what you’re doing about it. ‘Thanks’.
That’s it for this week…
Stay safe…live brilliantly!
Donald Cooper
Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability. He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.
