Don’t Die In The Middle of Texting by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.

Did you know that one out of four accidents are caused by texting while driving? To save your life switch your cell phone to the "off" position, and place it out of reach as soon as you get in your car.

I was driving my brand new 50 year Anniversary Ruby Red Mustang with my husband in the passenger seat on a bright clear sunny day with temperatures in the 40's on April 18, 2015. We were waiting patiently at a yield sign for the traffic to clear when we felt a heavy jolt on our seats. The SUV behind us had plowed into the back seat of our new Mustang. My husband immediately called the police. I quickly got out of the Mustang and walked behind my mustang before the driver backed up and left the scene of the accident. I looked at the driver, a young woman around 21, and noticed she was texting!

I quickly took a picture of the back of my new Mustang which had her license plate embedded in the bumper of my car. Her SUV was not damaged other than her missing license plate stuck in the back of my formerly new now damaged Mustang. The back of it looked like a folded accordion. At least no one was hurt.

The police and fire department were there within 10 minutes of the accident. We showed the policeman her license embedded in our Mustang. The policeman removed it from the back of the Mustang with great force handing it back to the SUV driver, instead of impounding the evidence!

The young woman a few minutes later, told me how sorry she was about damaging my new Mustang. She said, "I was on my way to College to take my final exam as I have been sick. My final was postponed until today!"

The young woman's mother showed up and didn't want her daughter to sign the police report admitting her guilt.

My damaged new Mustang was driven to the dealership and then to the local repair shop.

Meanwhile the young woman who ran through my new Mustang with her SUV while texting had her insurance company representative call me. She said, "It was your fault and the police do not count as witnesses. Our insurance company will not pay the claim!"

I told her insurance agent I had a passenger in my car who was a witness as to what her client had done to my new 50th Anniversary Mustang and her clients license was imbedded into the back of my car. I had taken a picture to prove it! 

After her call, I called my insurance agent and told him what she had said and asked him to handle it!

It took 6 months and over $12,000 to repair my 50th Anniversary Mustang to look like new! The fire department sent me a bill for $200 and the repair shop gave me a bill for $200 after the insurance was paid.

My insurance company paid the claim and eventually forced her insurance company to reimburse them for their client's damage to my Mustang.

Most people are conditioned to respond immediately to the needs, alerts, and messages of other people. Just like a lab rat addicted to drugs, our brains have been rewired to respond.

In the United States drivers who are texting cause 1 out of 4 traffic accidents a year. That's 1.6 million crashes every year. “Nearly 330,000 injuries” and deaths are “caused by texting while driving”.

Is your life worth not being able to wait a few minutes to respond to the ping or alert you've just received?

One thing I've found useful is to switch my cell phone to the "off" position, and place it out of reach.

If you need your phone for navigation, disable the alerts from all apps other than your map app. They'll be there when you arrive at your destination. Most importantly... you will arrive at your destination safely!

Madeline Frank, Ph.D., is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available wherever books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

Outstanding Customer Service

Do your sales associates at your business give “Outstanding Customer Service”?

Shopping At An Apple Store:

Last weekend my husband and I went to the Apple store in MacArthur Center in Norfolk, Virginia at 11am to purchase several Apple products we had researched. The store was very crowded with customers when we arrived.

At the door of the Apple store, a sales associate wearing an Apple logo shirt, greeted us with a smile of welcome, and remembered us from our last visit. She tapped in our names into her Apple phone screen sending an email to another sales associate to assist us.

A minute later, one of the 11 sales associates in the store, smiled, and asked us what we needed after shaking our hands and introducing themselves. When the sales associate didn’t know the answer they quickly excused themselves and asked another sales associate for assistance and came back with the information within two minutes.

We made our purchases in less than 15 minutes. We bought an Apple TV Package, a cable to connect the Apple TV, and an Apple watchband.

What three things did the Apple Store sales associates do to give us “Outstanding Customer Service”? 

1) Their sales associates had positive attitudes, were likeable, and we trusted them.

2) Their sales associate “listened” to what we wanted and needed in the Apple product and told us the benefits of the product and how much it would cost. The sales associate had the solution to our problem.

3) The sales associate had a passion and eagerness to share their knowledge of their Apple products with us. The sales associate knew everything about their products and if they did not know the answer to our question they quickly excused themselves and asked another sales associate for assistance and came back with the information within two minutes.

What are three steps you need at your business to give “Outstanding Customer Service”?

1) Your well-trained sales associates “greet” your customers at the door with a smile, wearing your store uniform to identify them, (Apple logo on shirt), introduce themselves, ask for your customers name, shake their hand, and ask what service your customer needs.

 2) Your sales associates "eagerly and politely" assist your customers as "quickly as possible". We were assisted within “a minute”. When your sales associate does not know the answer to your customers’ question, they quickly excuse themselves, and ask another sales associate for assistance and come back with the information within two minutes.

3) You business should have enough well-trained sales associates to help your customers. There were 11 well-trained sales associates at the Apple Store each in charge of different aspects of the sale. One sales associate brought the products to us. The well-trained sales associates at the Apple Store worked together as a team.

To give “Outstanding Customer Service” at your business just like the Apple Store, train your sales associates following the above 3 steps and your business will give “Outstanding Customer Service” too!

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

 

 

Lessons from Jobs and Mulally on Fixing Your Business by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Don’t let your business rely on past glories and successes. Keep pressing forward to change and improve your business by prospecting, selling, and marketing no matter what state your business is in.

How Steve Jobs saved Apple;

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company he had co-founded 12 years earlier and was forced out of, Apple was 90 days from bankruptcy. He made the tough decision to bury the hatchet and revive Apple by asking for $150 million cash infusion from long time rival, Bill Gates of Microsoft.

When it was announced that Apple would partner with their rival, Loyal Apple fans booed! Jobs knew without the cash, Apple would not survive.

Jobs then, simplified Apple’s product offerings. They had a dozen versions of the Macintosh computer and offered a huge assortment of other products. He asked, “Which ones do I tell my friends to buy?” When he didn’t get a simplified response, he drew a grid on the white board and wrote in the top two spaces, “Consumer and Pro”, and on the sides, “Desk and Portable”. On this grid he listed “4” Apple product offerings; a laptop and desktop for business, and a laptop and desktop for personal users. This action reduced Apple’s product offerings by 70%, cutting operation expenses in half, reduced the workforce by 3,000 people.

Steve Jobs decisive actions and tough shakeup paid off! Apple went from losing $1.04 billion the first fiscal year following Job’s return, to turning a profit of $309 million 12 months later, in 1998.

Steve Jobs saved  Apple with the following 3- step plan:

1) Revive Apple by asking for $150 million cash infusion from long time rival, Bill Gates of Microsoft.

2)  Streamlined Apples products from 15 to 4 products, reducing Apple’s product offerings by 70%.

3) Cutting operating expenses in half and reducing workforce by 3,000 people.

Alan Mulally was hired as Ford’s CEO and President:

Alan Mulally was the former CEO and President of Boeing. He had worked at Boeing for 37 years. Ford hired Alan Mulally in 2006 as CEO of Ford to save the struggling car company from bankruptcy. The automobile industry in the United States was known for running on a “status quo” basis, on an existing state of affairs. Detroit and the auto industry were sinking in debt, living on their “glory days” when Detroit was America’s wealthiest city. Ford continued to use outdated tactics and beliefs.

Alan Mulally was an aerospace engineer who had no preconceived ideas of how Detroit operated. He saw the potential and tapped into the talents and resources at Ford that had been ignored.

Bryce Hoffman said, Mulally as CEO of Ford Motor Company followed this 3-step plan:

1)   Streamlined their product line up just like Jobs had done at Apple and used the money he saved to give Ford’s remaining products Class-leading features and..styling.

2)   He worked with suppliers and the United Auto Workers Union to create a winning environment for the both of them. The concessions from the union were necessary to keep the automobile production in the United States and to profitably produce the new vehicles.

3)    Mulally relentlessly focused on team and culture. Ford shed its caustic careerist culture by showing the company’s executives how they could be “more successful working together as a team” than they could ever be as rivals. (Created his “One Team”: “One Ford” Mantra)

Mulally in a little over 3 years made Ford Motor Company profitable and they didn’t need the Government bailout!

In fixing your business it is a good thing to have an outside expert come in like Steve Jobs and Alan Mulally did. Apple and Ford were going bankrupt, had to many products, cost overruns, and work forces that did not work as a team. They each cleaned house by borrowing money, cutting down the number of products and there by cutting costs down, and creating workers who worked together as a team. By following the 3-step plans of Jobs and Mulally you can repair your business too!

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

Blue Print For Customer Service by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Is there a blue print for amazing customer service? If so what would it look like?

 For businesses to survive whether they are brick and mortar or online they must create amazing customer experiences.

I have been buying groceries at Farm Fresh Grocery Store in Poquoson, Virginia for several years. Their cooked food department has amazing customer service and their customers keep returning for their tasty food and line up to buy their freshly cooked products daily.

What makes this store so special?

The Manager and assistant cooks know me by name and I know each of them by name. We have a "relationship". Customers enjoy buying from people they like and trust. Friendly helpful sales service makes your customer feel special!

We ask about each other's families and they are willing and happy to spent a few seconds talking to you. The employees are not only knowledgeable about the layout of the store they are eager to help you find something. They are also quick to engage you in conversation if you look like you have had a hard day at work. They are eager to offer a caring ear and other times point out a bright spot that you hadn't recognized.

They care.

Happy customers tell their friends and neighbors about their experience. Word- of - mouth sales will continue to be the top generator of business in any business. Creating a fantastic customer experience primes the pump for telling their friends and neighbors about their experience.

The chef is quick to tell me "I just made up some fresh roasted chicken, Madeline, you owe it to yourself to try some."

When you make your selection they will wrap it up or if they have run out of it, will tell you it will take 10-15 minutes for them to cook up your selection and to please continue shopping and they will have it prepared for you when you return.

What are the three steps for your blue print to have amazing customer service at your business?

1) Hire for attitude. Your salespersons must have a positive attitude and smile at their customers. They are friendly and have a caring attitude, know their customers names, and truly care how their customers are. Your salespersons are personable and they enjoy their job.

2) Your salesperson "listens" to what you customers want and need to know about your products and then tells your customer the benefits of each product and the cost.

3) Your salesperson is passionate and knowledgeable about what they are selling and knows everything about the products they sell. They enjoy helping their customers solve their problems and become friends and as expert, Jeffrey Gitomer says become a "trusted adviser" to them.

By following this three step blue print for amazing customer service there will be a line of customers waiting to do business with you.

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com