It is the foundation of your business.

Without your customers, you don’t have a business. It is that simple.
So how is it that this area of all industries is so often an afterthought in a business model or an ‘oh sh%t’ moment with so many.

Customer Service teams in many places are treated as lowly staff. It is seen as an outsource opportunity or a cost to be optimised or cut if margin is getting tight.
I don’t know how many customer service team members tell me they are treated as the least important and quite often treated poorly.

These people are those that touch your customers, sometimes literally. It is seen as a role for those that have little experience or few qualifications.

Customer Service requires empathy, thinking on your feet, solving problems with almost no resources at your disposal, a calm demeanour, ability to take abuse without cracking, being able to read people (often over the phone) and much more. You need a tough skin with a soft centre. You need to care.

Giving your Customer service team limiting scripts, no power, treating them like cr@p and then expecting them to put a smile on their face and treat others well is a hard task.
But so many, every day, do a sterling job. They do it because they care. They try their best because when they are dealing with someone angry or in pain, their humanity drives them to try and help.

Are you taking advantage of that in your people? Are you lucky that your customer service is as good as it is or have you intentionally empowered your team and treat them well, pay them fairly? See them not as 2nd class citizens but fundamental to your business.
How have you costed your Customer Service team in your budgets? As a marketing spend and fundamental team or with the smallest amount you feel you can get away with? Have you costed your product to include the customer service you need to deliver?
You can often find ways to include Customer Service as a delivery entity that makes you money, not a cost. Have you tried?

These people are as close to your customer and have the chance of finding opportunities for you. They can be the voice of your customer to improve your products and services. How often do you include them in your product management cycles?
As I say, they are fundamental.

Happy customer = increased revenue

Satisfied customers at least gives your business a reason to exist
Without customers you have no business, with bad or non-existent customer service you have no customers.

You do the maths…

I have been working remotely for over 16 years. My mother had a successful career from home for most of my childhood. I hope the things my mother taught me and that I continue to do may be useful to you:

Build a clear set of routines that shape your day
Have a clear start and end to your day, get up, get dressed. If possible, have a distinct place to do your work (preferably not the bed or a sofa).

Plan your ideal* week
Your schedule should be based around your most important commitments and fit your energy patterns. If you don’t know what good looks like, you won’t be able to achieve it. What does your ideal week look like? Include regular breaks, that includes a longer one around the middle of the day (lunchbreak??) and a decent walk outside. You can use this template to draw it out.

Chunk your time
Break down your tasks into achievable chunks. The human brain can only really focus for max 40-50 minutes in one go.
Where you had co-worker distraction to remind you to take a break, now you could use your children's boredom levels, they have a natural focus rhythm.
When my daughter was younger, I would start her on an activity and at around the 40 mins mark she would come in and ask to do something different. That was the time we would sit and have a break. I would set her up again and the next hour carried on that way. This only works obviously with children you can leave to their own devices. It does sometimes work if you are sitting with them as they see your focus and can often get on as you are role modelling the behaviour, they act accordingly.
Or give yourself reminders (the pomodoro technique may be your friend).

Be realistic
Humans are not machines; your brain and body can do deep focussed work for ~4 hours (probably less) and we all know that work fits the time you give it (Parkinsons Law).
Leave the rest of the day to recharge, be with your children or have scheduled social time.

Do your 'one thing'
Productivity is not being busy, it is about doing the right things with the right effort. Plan your day to ensure you do the most important thing that will progress you forward, first. Perhaps, releasing the pressure may mean you get to do your second thing too.

In these unprecedented times, focussing on our family as well as holding down a job, we need to give ourselves a break and feel proud that we achieve one thing a day!.
*Ideal is a dynamic concept that shifts as life changes.

To go about creating your own structure, you can go through it step by step on this webinar - https://youtu.be/cyFQxBvIJcU

You may enjoy our Being Brilliant and human newsletter, where we curate and share human, practical and realistic approaches to life and work for those who are following their own path and are juggling multiple projects or streams of focus.

A smiley welcome from the owner? A personal connection? Knowledge of you or your family outside work? Genuine warmth and care? Or perhaps it’s free Italian ice cream?

Okay, so not every business can offer the ice cream…. But my local Italian restaurant- Barracuda based in Amersham can… and the 2 brothers who own it Esatteo and Marco offer all of the above. I was there yesterday for lunch with my family and we are all fans… not only is the food great, it’s all locally sourced and freshly made on site by one of the brothers… There is nothing like being greeted in a friendly way by the owner of a business who genuinely cares…. And the ice cream…. Well of course my boys love that, helped that they have an enormous tub of sweets they offer all their young customers.

Why am I telling you about yesterday’s lunch that my family and I loved? Well I’m currently reading Fanocracy by the brilliant and inspiring father / daughter team: David Meerman Scott and Reiko Scott and it got me thinking about why we love going to Barracuda. It’s because they have all the ingredients that David and Reiko talk about that make businesses a success…. They have thought about what will make their restaurant more than a simple restaurant, they have thought about what will make their customers love them, come back, recommend them and be fans… just by being human and reaching out to their customers in a way that everyone wants to be treated.

In Fanocracy David and Reiko talk about the fact the secret to success is to think beyond the product a business is selling and think about the customer experience first…. The way the customer is made to feel, their emotions and what they want, will help make your customers into fans…. They can explain it best: “Fanocracy means turning fans into customers and customers into fans. Fanocracy means an organization that puts the needs and wishes of fans ahead of every other priority. Applying the strategies in Fanocracy will make your company more likely to dominate your category and win business.” You can read the first chapter of the book here:  https://www.fanocracy.com/.

Of course, I’m always talking about the importance of client care and how by listening to your customers, acknowledging them as people and understanding their needs you can garner loyalty, trust, repeat business, recommendations and hopefully they will become your advocate or better yet – your fan…. Who doesn’t want fans?!
​
I must admit, I’m only half way through Fanocracy, but after my lovely Sunday lunch followed by the beautiful Italian ice cream and the welcoming smiles from Esatteo and Marco – I couldn’t wait to write this piece and let you know about Fanocracy – read it, embrace it and become a fan! Oh, and if you are anywhere near Amersham – go to Barracuda! You won’t regret it!

Remeny Armitage 
​Turning your clients into advocates.

Will things get easier?
Will it be simpler?
Will you know more?
Will you have more time?
Will your kids be older?
Will your savings account be fuller?
Will you enjoy it more?
Will you be less afraid?
Will you have paid off more of your mortgage?
Will you have more to lose?
Will you be happier?
Will it take longer than expected to get going?
Will it be harder?
Will you have more to lose?
Will you learn more?
Will you be better?
Will you be worse?
Will you be more scared?
Will you have more support?
Will it be quicker?
Will you have less?

​You may enjoy our Being Brilliant and human newsletter, where we curate and share human, practical and realistic approaches to life and work for those who are following their own path and are juggling multiple projects or streams of focus.

Ghilaine Chan
​Activating people to work better together and flourish. Working on interesting projects with people I like to work with, strengthening how you motivate yourself and collaborate with others.