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T H U R S D A Y, J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6
CAPITAL IDEAS UPCOMING EVENTS JANUARY 13: ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS This three-hour workshop will show you how to build a business plan and teach you the basics of marketing, research and financials. ■ Where: District Ventures (2540 Kensington Road N.W.) ■ When: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. ■ Admission: $69. More info at awebusiness.com
FINANCIAL POST
CA LG A RY H E R A L D
C A P I TA L Q U E S T I O N
WHAT’S YOUR BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE LESSON OR TIP? Entrepreneurs talk about critical keys when serving their clients “In one word: Listen. Listen to what your customer is saying or asking. Poor customer service comes from not understanding what the customer needs and only by listening will we reach that understanding. Not understanding the customer needs has set you on the path to failure. Good customer service is its own reward for both parties in the transaction and you can see how fulfilled it makes people. That feeling then becomes part of the motivation to provide good service in the future. And this then benefits the organisation as a whole, all from something we are designed to do but often do badly: listening.”
JANUARY 19: FAST-GROWTH CHAMPIONS Three amazingly successful female entrepreneurs, from three different industries will take the stage to share their powerful leadership stories, secrets of success and how their innovative approach has helped drive their companies to be leaders in their industries. ■ Where: National on 8th (225 8th Avenue S.W.) ■ When: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. ■ Admission: $20 for members $30 for non-members. More info at calgarychamber.com
Peter Stow, president of Isomass Scientific, isomass.com
“Love what you do! Many entrepreneurs develop a business built on their passion. When they do this, their enthusiasm and love for the business becomes an integral part of their service. This is contagious to the customers and is an easy way to deliver excellent service. Recruit a team who share this passion and your message will continue to be delivered to clients. When you continually focus on why you started the business, your passion allows you to stay positive and deliver the best in service for your clients and inspire your team to do the same.” Megan Armstrong, owner of Dogma Training and Pet Services, dogmatraining.com
“As a business litigator, my job is to balance giving advice with advocating a position, and achieving an objective. The key to customer service has turned out to be these three questions: what was the original objective? Has new information or circumstances changed that objective? What’s the most practical business-like way to achieve the objective? Sometimes even the client needs to be reminded, because the process and ego can otherwise skew one’s judgment. During a stressful process, we must regularly stop to reflect — can the situation be resolved practically, in a way that complies with the appropriate principles. Has a new opportunity for resolution appeared? If so, do like Peyton Manning; ‘call an audible’ and adjust.”
FEBRUARY 16: BIZCONNECTIONS Meet, mingle and munch with other entrepreneurs, professionals and service providers. ■ Where: Bow Valley College North Campus N124 (345 6th Ave S.E.) ■ When: 2 to 4 p.m. ■ Admission: Free. More info at businesslink.ca For more great events, visit capitalideascalgary.com/ calgaryevents.
C A P I TA L QUESTION
Brent Cooper, partner at McLeod Law LLP, mcleod-law.com
Elisha Chin, owner and event producer at Mint Event Management (minteventmanagement.com) says customer service starts and ends with communication. “Listening to your client and truly understanding their needs is key to providing excellent service. This will allow you to accurately deliver your service and give you the opportunity to go above and beyond their expectations.” P H O TO S U P P L I E D BY : TH E MOU S TU D I O
What are your business goals for 2016?
“It sounds cliche, but treat the customer like family. Would you provide the same level of service or compassion if the person you were dealing with was your grandmother, sister or nephew? If your level of service emulates the way you would treat those closest to you, then I think you’ll be serving your customer very well.”
A new year means new goals. It can be a whole new slate of plans or maybe catching up on things that eluded you last year. That’s why we here at Capital Ideas are interested to hear what you are striving for in 2016. What are your business goals for 2016? You can answer the question in two ways: Open today’s Capital Ideas email if you’re a member or visit capitalideascalgary.com. We’ll publish the best answers, along with your business name and website address, on January 14.
“Simply just being warm, friendly and caring goes such a long way in attracting and retaining great customers.”
Dale Macdonald, director at Elite Sport Performance/The Knee Clinic, elitesportperformance.com
Christine Reimer, president at Bridge the Gap Accounting Services, btgaccounting.com
“We work very hard at providing good customer service at Raven Bay. Dare I say, that the customer is not always right. I don’t believe anyone is always right. We do, at times, have customer support issues at Raven Bay and when we do I subscribe to these steps. 1. Have patience and I try not to react. There are always two sides to every story. 2. Support your team. Even if one of the team has made a mistake make sure that they know you are there to back them up. 3. Get all of the facts. This takes time so you need to give your customer a time frame as to when you will get back to them. 4. Come up with more than one solution to the problem. Everyone likes to be part of solving a problem. Do your best to come up with solutions that are win / win. 5. Be as sincere as possible in the discussion with your customer. They may not know they are part of the problem. 6. Get closure and move on. Issues can make your client / vendor relationship stronger.” Don O’Dwyer, CEO at Raven Bay Services, ravenbay.com
“Every customer is unique with a very specific goal in mind. We emphasize the importance of active listening as we gather our customers’ needs. At Sylvan, we are dealing with our clients most valuable asset, their child. We must respect that they are the expert in their child’s needs, but have reached out to us as experts in education. We provide the best customer service experience when we are authentic and present in every interaction.” Lesley Mitchell, franchisee at Sylvan Learning, sylvanlearning.com
These answers are in response to a question posed by Wellington Holbrook, executive vice-president of ATB Business. Here’s his best tip: “Probably the best lesson I have ever learned is that no matter how good the service (fast, easy, or whatever…), nothing ever replaces the experience that is created by a personal connection that a client feels when they know that you are looking out for them. Personal care and attention shown to a customer goes further than anything else, every day, and I have literally hundreds of my own personal experiences to back this up.”
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Find the full posts on these members’ LinkedIn profiles or at their website. We’ll curate a selection every Friday in our LinkedIn group, Capital Ideas Alberta. To bring yours to our attention, email it to hello@capitalideascalgary.com or post to LinkedIn with the hashtag #capitalideas.
From “Planning your 2016 digital strategy” by Ryan Hnetka, founder of App Guys Inc. (appguys.ca):
“In 2016, don’t you want to make your online presence work harder for you and your business? Here’s a few things to upgrade, update or completely change for next year.”
From “Strategies for Small Business” by Toni Guffei, marketing strategist at Ratio Marketing Inc. (ratiomarketing.ca):
“Looking ahead to 2016, I’ve been keeping an eye of what’s to come. There are a few relevant predicted trends that I think small business owners might want to consider when planning for 2016.”
From “4 Tips for Getting More Out of Your People in 2016” by Hamish Knox, president at Sandler Training in Calgary ( hamish.sandler.com):
“Your organization’s most valuable asset is your people starting with you, their leader. Below are four tips to support you in getting the highest return on that asset in 2016.”
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