Making a Bad Choice the Right Way
This is a bad Reman U. I mean it. It hasn’t been thought through, agonized over, contemplated, speelchecked or proofreaded. I didn’t have a blinding insight nor did I have one of those everyday experiences that suddenly feels like an analogy for good work/life decisions. What I do have is a deadline, a commitment – ultimately, a promise. I would rather sign my name to a bad Reman U than break a promise. So, this is a bad Reman U, but maybe that’s a good thing.
Insurance: How Much is too Much?
There are all kinds of insurances to be had depending upon what we want or need to protect. Some of it we are told we must have because it’s the law and some we want to because we sleep better at night with the feeling that we are covered if anything should happen. Unemployment insurance and worker’s comp are examples of insurance that’s mandatory in most of the United States and for most jobs, but not all, and the lines that are drawn are not always easy to see or understand. Sometimes they depend on the number of employees and even, to an extent, the types of work being performed. That’s why it’s important to consult with an insurance expert in your own state.
Managing Money: Bills and Taxes
Terry Greenhut gives suggestions for managing money. One important rule: avoid a tax audit.
Who’s Telling Your Brand Story?
Jennifer Porter asks: Who’s telling your brand story? You can’t control what is being said, you can lead it.
Leading by Example
One of my first lessons upon going into business for myself was that if I wanted employees to follow and respect me I had to show them that I was the real thing, that I was someone who knew what I was doing and one who would keep my word to them no matter what. That wasn’t always easy to do; first because in the beginning I wasn’t the real thing. I had never worked on a transmission till I opened the shop, and I had never been in a business in which I had any employees who answered to me or for whom I was responsible.
Revisiting two excellent companies: Owner Must Solve Problems, Be Nice
Except maybe for me, I don’t know of anybody who enjoys bringing a car into a shop for repairs or services. I think I like it because it gives me a chance to evaluate the shop from a customer’s point of view instead of that of a consultant’s. I get to see first-hand how customers are being treated, how the facility stacks up against others, how well the problems are diagnosed and the repairs completed, and whether or not I get that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from believing that these people actually care and appreciate my business.
Disruption comes in many ways, often
Most of us accept that we have to adapt to whatever is thrown at us and we make changes accordingly and often rather quickly. There are some, however, who will stick staunchly to the way they’ve been doing things for many years whether it’s right or wrong and no matter how costly it may become.
The Cog in Your Customer Experience Strategy
At the shop, they were able to remove the stubborn cog in a few minutes and the service guy walked me to the register. “That will be $17.64,” he said. Hmmm, I thought. It was a bit more than I expected, but certainly worth the time and effort I saved not fighting this with a vice, torch, and other Medieval devices. “Really?” I asked him, wanting to confirm that was the correct amount. The line item in the receipt read FREEWHEEL REMOVAL – and my project was a cog removal. He confirmed. I shook my head, paid and left.
Millennial Marketing Can Be Awesome for Your Business
Encountering a millennial in the workplace is pretty normal for most of us now, depending on the industry. If you’re in a business that utilizes technology, then there’s a bigger chance you’re surrounded by millennials – or maybe you’re a millennial yourself. If you’re in the automotive or machining industry, it may be different. Regardless of your industry, you probably have people talking about millennials whether it’s good or bad, true or false, right or wrong, the stereotypes are out there in full force.
12 Ways to Build Better Customer Relationships
Deeply connected, trust-based, and authentic customer relationships are hard to come by. When you know how to create these relationships with your customers, you’ll win their loyalty, earn referrals and enjoy repeat business for years to come.
Tone It Up
Tone is important when working with others in pretty much every capacity. Even on a close-knit team, caps or a poorly worded (or punctuated) joke can come across as exhibiting a negative tone. If you let it, it can influence your tone and that of those around you. How your tone is received is how you are received.
Are Customers Any Tougher Now than They Once Were?
I received an email recently from one of my readers who seemed to feel that I’m teaching the industry to be too nice to customers in an effort to get their business. Is there such a thing as being too nice? Maybe if you spend so much on a customer that you could never have a chance of making it back, but other than that I can’t see how you can be too nice. The gentleman also seemed to feel that customers are more demanding, harder to sell, and possibly nastier than they used to be. I think they just have a lot more information available to them than ever before and it’s making them feel like they are in control.
