The first example is the Best Western Rewards program. Not being much of a traveller, I’ve never bothered with this type of program in the past, figuring I’d never accumulate enough points to amount to anything. This summer they ran a promotion where you would receive one free night’s voucher if you had two Best Western stays within a specific time period. Since I was already planning two stays within the allotted time, I figured I might as well as sign up. I received my free voucher this week and am looking forward to another night away in the near future – something that wouldn’t even have happened otherwise.

I am just beside myself with delight to have received something so valuable, and so quickly.

Now, let’s look at Sears Canada. According to my Sears card, I’ve been a “valued customer” since 1983. Back then you needed a Sears card to place an order, and when they introduced Sears Club, I collected a lot of points purchasing major items for my home. But here’s the catch. Although you get two points for every dollar you spend, you need at least 1000 points to cash them in, and your points expire after 24 months, so essentially you have to spend at least $500.00 every two years to get any reward at all.

Maybe that’s fair – maybe people who only spend $100 or $200 per year don’t deserve to be rewarded. But let’s say you reach that magic number of 1000 points and cash them in for a $10.00 gift card. If you don’t use that gift card within six months, it expires!

I’m sure the purpose of this system is to encourage consumers to do more of their shopping at Sears, but for me, it has had the opposite effect. I don’t see any value in using my Sears card when I have to closely monitor my points balance to see whether I have enough to redeem; my points will probably expire before I do; and, even if I manage to squeak through, I’m under a time limit to enjoy my reward. Now if I want to buy something at Sears, I just use my regular credit card and receive points from my financial institution which don’t expire.

It’s very nice to call me a “valued customer” but words just aren’t enough!

Take a look at your own Customer Loyalty Program, if you have one, and ask yourself: are you really rewarding your loyal customers, or are you making them jump through hoops?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Are You Really Rewarding Your Loyal Customers?.

There were cards in the room that explained how much energy is consumed when towels and bedding are washed every day and outlined the procedure to follow if you wish to reuse these items. Since I was only staying one night, it wasn’t relevant to my stay, but I was happy to see it none the less.

Our room was equipped with china coffee mugs and real glassware, which is much more pleasant to use than disposables, in addition to reducing waste.

When we checked in, the climate control in our room was set to Fan Only, and we had the ability to adjust the settings and even to turn it off and open the window. They even used energy-saving light bulbs!

Overall, I felt it was a good reflection of the company’s stated policy and satisfied my personal environmental concerns as well.

It was a marked contrast to my stay at a different location of that same hotel a few weeks earlier. Upon arrival, I noticed a poster in the lobby stating that the hotel had implemented green initiatives, but I can only hope that the owner-operator of that location is purchasing carbon offsets, because that poster was the only indication of eco-awareness that I saw.

There was nothing in the rooms to indicate how to request that the maid leave your sheets and towels in place for you to reuse, or even to suggest that this was an option. The room was equipped with paper cups and Styrofoam coffee cups, and this bothered me not only on an environmental level, but on a comfort level. When I pay to stay at a hotel, I expect it to be at least as nice as home, if not nicer. Throwaway dishes just don’t cut it!

To top it off, the air conditioning was cranked so high that the room was freezing cold, and looking out the window, you could see the curtains blowing in the other vacant rooms as if there was a tornado in there.

As a business owner, this experience reinforced how important it is that we do what we say we are going to do, whether it’s about environmental responsibility or anything else. Customers may or may not care whether you donate a portion of your income to charity, but if you say that you do, you’d better do it! Otherwise, it’s better to say nothing at all.

Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless.

~ Author unknown

How about you? Do you walk the walk, or do you just talk the talk?

Photo copyright 2009 Janet Barclay

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Underpromise and Overdeliver

In other words, don’t create expectations you can’t meet. If you believe you can complete something by Wednesday if you really pull out the stops, don’t tell your clients you’ll have it done by Wednesday just to make them happy. If you encounter unexpected complications or interruptions, you won’t be able to meet that deadline, and your clients won’t be happy after all! Instead, say you’ll have it done by Friday. Then, if it’s done by Wednesday, or even Thursday, your clients will be really impressed, and know they can count on you in the future.

Show Your Appreciation

Reward your regular clients with occasional freebies or discounts. Send a greeting card instead of an email from time to time (a VA can help you stay on top of this). Be sure to thank them when they send other business your way, possibly with a gift card or a credit for a free service.

Take the Time to Check In

If someone is doing business with you on a regular basis, they are probably happy with your services, but you know what they say about ASS-U-ME-ing! Make a point of touching base every once in a while just to see how things are going.

Are they 100% satisfied? If not, how can you improve?

What are their future plans? Is there a way you can help, either by providing additional services or by connecting them with other professionals? A client who comes to you for a specific thing may not be aware of the other services you offer.

What do you do to keep your clients coming back?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on 3 Simple Ways to Create Client Loyalty.

By subcontracting, not only do you save the client the time and trouble of locating another service provider, but you have the opportunity to earn some income. This can work well if you already know someone with the necessary skills, particularly if you’ve worked with them before and have an existing subcontractor agreement in place.

On the other hand, if you need to find someone with the required level of expertise, it may be more trouble than it’s worth. If there aren’t many people with that particular skill, how long will it take you to find someone who is willing to take on a subcontract? Will you be able to make enough money from the arrangement to make it worth your while? What is the likelihood that you’ll need to call upon this person again in the future?

I rarely work with subcontractors myself, preferring to refer clients to service providers they can deal with directly. However, when the person requesting the service is an existing client, or a potential new client who also requires services which I can provide, I will tap into my network and contact someone with whom I already have a working relationship, or who is recommended by someone I know and trust, to discuss the possibility of a subcontract.

It’s important to remember that your subcontractor’s work, good or bad, will reflect on you, so you want to be absolutely confident that they can complete it on time and according to your quality standards. When you’re not familiar with the required task, it may be difficult for you to assess this, which is another factor to consider.

Do you use subcontractors? Why or why not?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on To Subcontract or Not to Subcontract?.

The term was coined by gerontologist Dr. David J. Demko in 1998 to identify people born between 1946 and 1964 (baby boomers) who are “breaking new ground, re-defining aging and re-inventing retirement.”

Moses Znaimer, the founder of Citytv, Much Music, Fashion Television and other channels targeting Canadian youth, is developing new media so he can continue to serve his audience, now that they are no longer youth. As he says,

“They were the dominant generation then… they remain the dominant generation now. Zoomers are a growing, vibrant and affluent community. They look at the world with optimism; they are engaged and aspire to enrich their lives and the lives of their communities.”

There is a good lesson here for all of us who run businesses, large or small. Once you’ve identified your target market, it’s vital that you stay in tune with their interests and activities if you’re going to continue to serve them well.

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Is Your Client a Zoomer?.

Most of the time it’s not a problem, but there have been a couple of occasions where it literally took weeks for a payment to reach me by mail, particularly from one client who lives about 500 miles from me. Last month, I was pleased that her cheque reached me in a matter of days, and noticed that she had sent it Air Mail. I emailed her to let her know I had received it and thanked her for sending it by Air Mail. This was her reply:

“If I knew that the simple words “Air Mail” were required, I would have done that 2 years ago. Duh! It’s no more $; it’s just 2 words.”

So keep this in mind when you’re sending mail across the border, especially over the next couple of months when the volume of postal mail is likely to be higher than usual. It might not help, but it sure couldn’t hurt!

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Two Little Words.

Despite having cerebral palsy, which affected both his mobility and his communication skills, Bill refused to go on disability and convinced the Watkins Company to hire him as a door-to-door salesman in 1955. They tried to let him go after a few days on the job because his sales weren’t high enough, but he persuaded them to give him a month to prove himself. He far exceeded their expectations, going on to become one of their top salespeople. In fact, he continues to serve his customers at the age of 75 through his online store.

Bill achieved this level of success due to his determination and perseverance to overcome the seemingly insurmountable barriers with which life presented him. But there’s more to it than that – what about those of us who don’t face such obstacles?

The other reason for Bill’s success was his sincere commitment to helping people. He always went out of his way to find a solution to others’ problems, whether or not that solution involved purchasing one of his products. And that is something any of us can do. Here are just a few ways we can go that extra mile:

• Accept others for who they are and don’t be judgemental
• Share information that might benefit or interest our clients and other contacts
• Remember and acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions

For inspiration, I highly recommend that you watch Door to Door, which has won many awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for William H. Macy’s superb performance as Bill Porter. The DVD is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on The Successful Salesperson.