Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on September 17, 2009 under making a difference | 
We are all tightening our belts – physically and figuratively. In a recent edition of Direct Mail News, they provided a chart showing the percentage of change consumers have made in their lifestyle spending habits. Needless to say – only a small percentage have made little or no changes.
One area where prices are going up and packing is shrinking is at the grocery store.
In an effort to eat healthy, we’ve heard about just shopping the outer aisles of the grocery store and avoiding the prepacked, processed foods. In fact, on the Today Show this morning they had a segment called Meal or No Meal where three chefs were given a budget of $25 and challenged to produce a tasty, healthy affordable meal for FOUR. All had selected fresh ingredients in an effort to save money.
But fresh foods spoil.
Have you ever purchased a load of lovely grapes only to turn around and find they are halfway to becoming raisins? Have you opened the refrigerator to pour a glass of milk and noticed the Sell By date had passed?
Before you throw the food down the drain, check out Still Tasty. They have a wonderfully comprehensive site offering advice on how to keep fresh foods, fresh LONGER and how to decifer those dates. What does “Best if used by” really mean?
Still Tasty gets it. They understand that the customer is on a tight budget and they want to have their food last as long as possible. For instance – my red grapes that go bad…it is because I bring them home and wash them all. Still Tasty says – store them in a perforated bag in the frig and only wash them as you prepare to eat them. Great information!
Still Tasty is making a difference! Thanks for a great resource. I’ve saved it to my Favorite web addresses.
What sites have you found that exists to offer great value and save money for consumers?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 20, 2009 under making a difference |
Do you ever get so bogged down with the day-to-day business of …well, of business, that you lose track of the fact that you are making a difference in the lives of your customers? Sometimes a less than satisfied customer can set us off and color what we do and we look in the mirror and say “why do I do this? What ever made me think this was a good career path?”
That’s why I advocate keeping a file of “feel good” emails, notes and letters. You know what I’m talking about; those little messages that customers send that let you know they are pleased with the experience. It might be a short “thanks for your help” message or a long, heartfelt card, but whatever the message – it is an indication that you provide value.
How do I use that file?
- If I’m feeling blue – I’ll open a few messages and read them – I’m transported back to the experience and feel good all over again
- With permission – I have used some of the messages as testimonials for my website, marketing materials and speaker sheet
- I send a few to my family – it’s easier to have someone else brag about you – especially if you have a sibling that always seems to do better – you can show concrete evidence that you are great too!
- It reminds me of why I do what I do – just a simple confirmation that I’m on the right path
Do you have a file of “feel good” messages? It’s never too late to start. Create a new folder on your desktop or in your file drawer and just drop those little messages in as they come along.
I’d be interested in hearing how you use the messages that you’ve received from customers. Add your idea to the comments section. Thanks!
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on June 9, 2009 under Child Moments |
I attended a committee meeting last evening at one of the member’s homes. During the meeting the phone began to ring. She excused herself to take the call and was soon back at the table. Again the phone rang and the process was repeated.
This happened five times. The rest of us continued talking and ignored the ringing phone but finally she filled us in.
“I’m so sorry but my son just did a great thing at his baseball game and people are calling to tell me about it.”
That’s great! A homerun? A no-hitter? A triple play? We all speculated as to what this wonderful thing could be that would cause so many people to call.
“No. A little boy on the other team threw himself on the ground after being struck out. His team members left him there but my son went over, helped him up and told him it was okay and then walked him to the other team’s bench.”
We were all silent for a moment. Dante, the boy in question, is only eight years old. The other player had thrown a temper tantrum, as young kids are apt to do, however, most kids would point and laugh. Not this young boy. Dante felt the pain of his competitor and reached out a helping hand.
It was a little thing, really. Almost not worthy of a blog post. But the message in this story seems rather large to me.
- Reaching out to help the competition is newsworthy
- At the end of the day; helping others is more important than the end result
- You are never too young to understand the value of putting yourself in the other person’s shoes
- Lending a helping hand might not be the popular thing to do (witness his team mates who left him crying on the field) but it is always the right thing to do
- Compassion and empathy live on in our next generation
Little eight year old Dante is my hero today. I wonder if put in a similar situation if I could have been brave enough to do the same thing. If I saw a competitor struggling or a customer having an ackward moment – would I step in or pretend I didn’t see? How about you? What can you learn from this 8 year old?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on January 19, 2009 under Connecting Moments |
Today is the day we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Our soon-to-be-President Barack Obama has coined it a Day of Service – a day to give back within our community.
I remember years ago sitting in a marketing meeting for Pearle Vision – it was in the late 80s and we had over 1400 locations. A disagreement was taking place over how to spend marketing dollars. As a relatively new regional manager I asked a “silly” question – or at least that was how it was perceived:
“If each of the stores used their percentage of the marketing budget purchasing advertising within a three mile radius – wouldn’t that have the same effect if not better, as if we spent the money on television or radio nationwide?”
My idea was viewed as silly for of course you shouldn’t do anything unless you can do it on the grand scale. However, that is totally opposite of what Obama is asking of us. He says:
We need your service, right now, in this moment – our moment – in history. I’m not going to tell you what your role should be; that’s for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part; ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history. I am asking you to change history’s course.
Each person making a stand, making a difference in their own community.
In the email from David Plouffe, Campaign manager for Obama he says:
Monday is not only the eve of an inauguration that brings all of us so much hope, it’s also Martin Luther King Jr. Day — when we recognize the power of one man to bring about change by serving his country.
Help kick off an ongoing commitment to serve our communities by taking part in this extraordinary day of service.
Sign up to attend or host an event in your community and help rebuild America one neighborhood at a time.
The grassroots movement you helped build was always about more than an election. It’s about bringing much needed change to Washington and our communities.
I learned from Church of the Customer of another great resource to discover the local opportunities for giving back within your community. Visit US Service and enter your zip code for a place that needs your help today.
Today is a Make or Break Moment for our country. Each man, woman and child has the opportunity to make a difference.
What will you do?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on October 16, 2008 under Customer Moments, First Impressions, Missed Moments, Perceptions |
How many times do you make a purchase and the cashier says “Have a nice day?”
How does that make you feel?
I once heard a comedian say “I get stressed when someone tells me to have a nice day. The pressure. I’m doing the best I can to make it a mediocre day.”
Someone else responded to the expected sentiment “don’t tell me what to do!”
Do we even realize we say it? If not – how can we possibly mean it? Are we just “parroting” a script someone provided?
It may seem silly to pick apart a simple 4-word phrase, but those are the Make or Break Moments that we miss.
One of my past bosses – David Minnix, current VP Stores for Dots clothing chain – has more energy that 8 people combined – it is one of the many things that attract people to him. His positive attitude, smiling face and awesome outlook on life make you want to be near him and do whatever he says because you just know what ever it is will be great! He is kind of like a human version of Tony the Tiger and his 
’GREAT!’ catch phrase.
David ends his conversations with “Have a FANTASTIC day.”
Sure, the cynic might quip “how is that any different?” but it just is. The change of the one word, the emphasis on “fantastic” coupled with the smile and direct eye contact let you know that David REALLY wants you to have a nice day. In fact, the energy that David puts behind that phrase lets you know that the universe will surely make it happen just because David has deemed it!
Such a small difference. But powerful.
Listen and be aware today of the phrases you hear others and yourself say. Is there sincerity? When you are sincere, does it make a difference?
Reach out – be aware and have a truly remarkable day!
