Read More "4 Ways to Deal with Uncertainty and What We Can Learn from It"
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]]>You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
No one could have guessed that shaking hands and having a large family gathering would be outlawed activities in 2020, yet that is the new reality we collectively face. The current COVID-19 pandemic has catapulted the word ‘uncertainty’ into everyone’s lives and rightly so. We are facing twin crises of health and the economy, with major uncertainty over employment, catching or coping with the virus, finances, relationships, and the question on everyone’s lips is when can we all return to normalcy?
Many of us are feeling stressed and anxious with the unprecedented levels of disruption and the adjustment to our new reality. It can be very difficult during this time, even for the toughest of people, but there are actionable ways to deal with it and even learn from times of uncertainty.
Here are 4 simple practises to deal with uncertainty:
- Acceptance
It is natural for humans to demand predictability and to want to control everything, however, embracing uncertainty is an essential part of living, as very little is constant in our lives. When bad things happen, some people prefer to ignore it, however our feelings can catch us by surprise at a later time. Therefore, take the time to acknowledge your feelings, whether it be feelings of stress, sadness, frustration, worry or anxiety, and allow yourself to feel those emotions and to come to terms with them. As hard as things are, you are not alone in this and expressing your feelings to a loved one, a close friend or seeking professional support may help and bring you one step closer to peace of mind. The act of letting go and accepting things “as is” encourages us to move on and to draw our focus on things that we can control.
- Self-care
When everyone is feeling on edge, the best way to stay healthy and calm is self-care. Doing everyday things that relax and centre you, makes you feel physically and emotionally safe and brings a level of control back to your life will be nourishing for yourself and others around you. Try to maintain some balance in your life with enough sleep, exercise, and brain stimulation each day. Such activities may include reading, exercising, going for a long walk, cooking, playing games, or learning a new skill. With all this uncertainty, it is common to seek information constantly to retain some certainty, however, it can be counterproductive as the onslaught of media coverage on COVID-19 may add to your anxiety. Make self-care a priority as these little acts for yourself can be an immediate mood booster and bring back some confidence you may have lost.
- Positive Thinking
In these times, we can often feel powerless and anxious but it’s how we frame it that can help us exercise agency over these unfortunate circumstances. Your mindset is the one thing you can control, and it is super important when it comes to battling unforeseen hardships like the Coronavirus. Try your best to be positive and to focus on the things you have and not what you’ve lost. Being grateful for the little things is powerful for your mind as it opens news waves of thinking that are more likely to help you come out of this favourably. There is creativity and strength in turning uncertainty into possibilities. The effects of Coronavirus will be long-lasting, likely to cause a recession, but as seen in the past, communities will recover, re-form and resume after this pandemic has passed.
- Compassion and Kindness
Everyone could do with a bit more kindness right about now. Australians are becoming more anxious about the threat of the Coronavirus and it’s very likely that your neighbour, friend, or the person you walked past on the street, is feeling emotions of stress and ambiguity as well. Be conscious of how people are feeling and be kind towards everyone. Pay it forward and spread some positivity to others that are facing unfortunate circumstances.
Practising social distancing makes us more distant than ever, yet we do not have to be disconnected from each other. Call or video conference your friends and family to chat, eat a meal together virtually, workout, or play online games together. Show compassion and kindness to others during this trying time as people need it now more than ever.
Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.
What we can learn from uncertain times?
Resilience – Uncertain times test our mental toughness and our will and character. Life has been upended and these trying times continually push us down, but this presents us with the opportunity to bounce back stronger with a greater sense of awareness and appreciation.
Resourcefulness – In the face of chaos, the skill to manage stress and demonstrate critical problem-solving is valuable. For many business professionals, it has forced us to refresh business models and approaches. For example, with everyone working from home, is there a need for businesses to attain large real estate footprint to do business? Companies could instead integrate strategies like outsourcing virtual assistants and adopting flexible workspaces to pay for space when and where they need it. These strategies reduce business costs and create elasticity, which is crucial for business growth and success.
Sometimes it can get overwhelming, even when you’ve been practising these skills. If you require additional support, please contact any of the following support services:
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]]>Read More "Customer Service & Customer Experience (CX)"
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]]>Customer service and customer experience are often used interchangeably, however, not all customers who receive a service have a good experience.
Customer service is something that is provided to you, anyone and anything could deliver that. This could be when you’re on the phone with your telecom provider, chatting with an automated web chat, paying your groceries or checking in to a hotel.
While all the providers deliver customer service, you can either have a horrific or memorable experience. The customer experience is the whole journey you’re taken on by the company, from the first moment of contact- to the delivery and aftercare. It is the feeling you get while you’re interacting with all channels of the brand.
We all know examples of bad customer service, and we know how it makes us feel: not understood and often frustrated. But how can we make sure that the customer’s journey is an enjoyable ride that they want to take over and over again?
First and foremost, the ride has to be a user-friendly one, any bump can throw your customer off and right into the hands of your competitor. True user experience (UX) goes far beyond giving the customer what they say they want. There must be a seamless merging of all aspects of your product/service, which starts from the first moment your customer interacts with your product/service, until after the payment is completed.
The UX process can be applied to both digital and physical products, such as websites, mobile apps, cars, pamphlets, fitness equipment etc.
To map out the user’s journey- we need to make sure that we find out it is going to be worth it to buy the experience, by asking:
• Is the final destination desirable? (Market research)
• Is the destination findable? (SEO, marketing, social media)
• Is the road to get there accessible? (IT)
• Would it be useful to get there? (Market research)
• Would you be able to convince people to take the ride? (Sales/marketing)
All the attributes together determine if the end product is valuable, and when they are all in sync with each other, we talk about great user experience.
But user experience is only a small part of the customer experience. The user experience (UX) is the customer’s experience with a specific product or service of the overall brand, while the whole brand including all its channels and the feeling the customer gets while interacting, is the customer experience (CX).
Leading companies understand that they are in the customer experience business, and they understand that how an organisation delivers for customers is beginning to be as important as what it delivers.
McKinsey published their insights on key aspects of how to improve the customer’s experience.
The conclusion: move from touchpoints to journey.
But where does this journey start?
The answer is: right in the heart of the organisation, at the management level. The management task begins with considering the customer—not the organisation—at the centre of the exercise.
Management should consider taking the following 3 steps to improve the customer experience:
- See the world as the customer does during all touchpoints of interaction. Identify with the customer and understand their journey to the complete, end to end experience.
- Shape interactions, digitise processes and refine new approaches in the field.
McKinsey’s report describes that one tool leading customer experience players deploy is behavioural psychology, used as a layer of the design process. - Structure the organisation, align all departments and measure outcomes of what the customers are saying.
As we all know, great customer experience goes hand in hand with customer loyalty. However, it also makes employees happier, achieves revenue gains of 5 to 10 %, and reduce costs by 15 to 25% within two or three years. But it takes patience and guts to train an organisation to see the world through the customer’s eyes and to redesign functions to create value in a customer-centric way.
Luckily, all Victory Offices’ corporate receptionists and managers are highly trained in delivering
6-star customer service so you can focus on every other step of your customer’s journey.
Our 6 star front of house staff won’t only answer the phone in a professional manner on your behalf, you can also decide where we direct that phone call to ( e.g. your mobile/voicemail). However, if you don’t want the call to be redirected, we can write down the details and message of your customers, and forward that message through to your email.
But that’s not all, other secretarial services we offer to make your life easier are (not limited to):
• Mail/package handling
• Local envelope delivery
• Meeting & greeting your clients with a cappuccino, latte, T2tea or water
• Binding
• Laminating
• Printing & scanning
• Diary management
• Witness in document signage
• Minute taking in meetings
• Assisting in organising your events
• Organising your flights and accommodation
• Writing your happy birthday/Christmas/thank you cards
• Buying (Christmas) gifts for your clients
• Other admin duties as required
Would you like to find out what else we can do to help your business succeed?
We’d love to hear from you! So give us a call, send us an email, or better still- come in for a coffee, have a tour, and meet our lovely team!
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]]>Read More "Customer Service: How To Make Your Business Customer-Centric"
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]]>A company that answers every call with a friendly and professional welcome will leave a greater impression than one that goes to voicemail. Implementing a strong customer service strategy should be a priority for any business that wants to thrive. The power of a customer is critical to the success of any company. If your customer is not at the forefront of your business decisions, then you can bet that they will find another company that puts them first.
So how do you make sure that your customers choose you and keep choosing you?
Know Your Customer.
Customer satisfaction is a vital metric in the success of any business. The best way to guarantee customer satisfaction is to give your customers what they want, when they want and how they want it. To do this, you need to know them. Understanding who your customers are is essential, so dig deep. Get to know their likes, dislikes, hobbies, occupations, ages, gender. The more you know about them, the better!
Ask and Listen. Don’t Tell.
If you’ve ever wondered what sets some of the best customer service businesses apart, it’s this: they ask their audience what they want. Surveys and polls can offer great insights into the customer’s experience. You can find out exactly what your customers are thinking and feeling, without the guess-work.
There is a wealth of customer experience insights just in the way one uses a website. For example, how long are they on your page, what’s the bounce rate, what are they searching for, how are they being drawn to your website? All of this information paints a larger picture of the customer’s journey.
Be Available.
Phone. Email. Social Media. Smoke Signal. Morse Code. Customers want to know that they’re valued. They want access to information, products and services in a variety of forms, across a number of mediums. For a new business or a sole-trader, this may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Victory Offices can help you.
“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs
How Serviced Offices Benefit You And Your Customers.
Victory Offices is here for you so that you can be there for your customers. We offer Secretarial Services to all of our clients to help with the small things, so you can accomplish the big things. Our friendly, professional reception staff across all of our locations can help you with:
- Answering your inbound phone calls; never miss a call again!
- Printing, binding and laminating documents for your business
- Greeting your guests and clients at reception, ensuring a professional first impression
- Handling your incoming mail and delivering packages right to your desk
Victory Offices is dedicated to your business because your success is our success. Don’t settle for good customer service; exceed the benchmark and provide your customers with our award-winning service that will keep your customers coming back.
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