Happy New Year!
Just when we all got really comfortable writing 2018 on all of our correspondence, they go and change the year on us. What a year it’s predicted to be!!
We wrote about building a plan for the new year, and while some of you have already tackled that task, I am betting there are those of you who have not. Why is that?
Maybe it’s because our brains are just a little tired from all the work we did in 2018 to make it such a great year, and the thought of trying to come up with a brilliant new plan for 2019 is daunting.
At Central Comm, we are always looking for new ways to serve our customers better, but sometimes the harder we look the more difficult it becomes to form the vision.
I came across this quote in an article posted on the Entrepreneur.com site, and although the original post was created in 2015, this particular excerpt resonated with me:
“Napoleon Hill, wrote, “It is in the quiet that our best ideas occur to us. Don’t make the mistake of believing that by a frantic kind of dashing around you are being your most effective and efficient self. Don’t assume that you are wasting time when you take time out for thought. Thought is the foundation upon which all else is built by man.”
I think it’s relevant because all too often we are frantically trying to come up with the next new thing which will set us apart from our competitors. Sometimes it’s good to simply clear our minds, and just start listening instead thinking too much. What new things are customers asking for? Is there perhaps a more efficient way to implement those services? And, what is it that keeps our customers loyalty?
Perhaps, instead of a big meeting and a brainstorming session, it could be good to ask everyone to turn off the noise for a few hours and without any pressure, just sit and think. Try to remember the best interaction with a certain customer, and yes, try to remember the worst one. What made those interactions what they were? How did you handle those situations?
Last but not least, remembering that most of what we do comes down to how we treat people. Central Comm is first and foremost a people business. You could say, “what? You answer phones”. That’s true, but the reason we answer phones is simple. People want to talk to people. They don’t want voicemail, they don’t want someone to just take a message. When they need help, or clarification, they want to speak with an individual who can solve their issue and let them get on with their day.
I believe that is one aspect of our service that should always be at the forefront of how we do business. Going in to this new year, I hope we listen and continue to meet or exceed the needs of our customers will innovation and great service.
At your service, Central Comm