Swoz Consulting

A simple yet powerful reminder stands out at Chick-fil-A's corporate office - a few red chairs scattered among the white ones in each room. These chairs serve as a constant visual cue, reminding employees of their customers and the foundation of their success. This intentional design choice speaks volumes about Chick-fil-A's commitment to customer-centricity. It's a brilliant way to keep the focus on those they serve, even in the midst of corporate meetings and day-to-day operations. The red chair concept got us thinking: What visual reminders do we use in our own workplaces to stay connected to our core purpose? What symbols help us maintain perspective and stay grounded in our values? So I ask you: What's your "red chair" reminder? What object, image, or practice keeps you connected to your customers, mission, or key priorities? Share your thoughts in the comments. I'm curious to hear how others maintain focus on what truly matters in their work. #CustomerFocus #WorkplaceCulture #BusinessStrategy

Is your team delivering a customer experience that leaves them talking? As a manager, you know that creating Raving Fans is the key to sustainable growth and profitability. But how do you nurture that level of loyalty and advocacy? We want to introduce you to Legendary Brands Academy - an online training program designed to transform your employees into customer experience superstars. Through interactive modules, your team will master essential CX skills: ?? Uncovering Deeper Customer Insights ?? Achieving Operational Excellence ?? Developing a Customer-Centric Mindset ?? Delivering Personalized, Memorable Moments ?? Building a Healthy, High-Performing Culture Stop settling for lukewarm customer relationships. Equip your employees with the knowledge and tools to exceed expectations and turn your brand into the talk of the town. Legendary Brands Academy is an investment that pays dividends in customer retention, referrals, and positive word-of-mouth. Ready to unlock your team's full potential? Reach out to learn more about this transformative program. https://lnkd.in/eZjpMVUv #CustomerExperience #ManagerTips #EmployeeTraining #LegendaryBrands #RavingFans

As a company, we've long been advocates of remote work. The flexibility, work-life balance, and global talent pool it offers are undeniable benefits. However, our recent company retreat was a powerful reminder of something we'd almost forgotten: the irreplaceable value of in-person connections. Here's what we rediscovered: ??Spontaneous creativity: Impromptu chats often spark the best ideas. ??Team bonding: Sharing a meal or a laugh in person builds stronger relationships. ??Non-verbal communication: Body language and facial expressions add depth to our interactions. ??Cultural immersion: Our company values come alive when we're all together. This doesn't mean we're abandoning remote work. Far from it. We're now exploring how to create the best of both worlds: ??Regular in-person retreats or gatherings ??Optional co-working days ??Virtual team-building activities How can your business harness the benefits of remote work while nurturing the irreplaceable human connections that drive innovation and satisfaction? #TeamBuilding #CompanyCulture #Leadership

When you're doing your strategic planning, be sure to include your customers in the conversation--and be sure to put them in the right part of the conversation. At one stage, listen to them closely and at another stage ignore them completely. In the early stage of the conversation, when you're identify what ares to work on, listen closely to your customers. Whether you're talking about an operational improvement or a new product, don't prioritize it unless it really speaks to one of the major issues your customers care about. But when you're in the later stages of planning, trying to decide how to solve that problem--the tactics and tools of the new thing--you can ignore their ideas on what the right solution is. You're the expert on what's possible, not them. Customers are great at telling you what frustrates them and terrible at telling you how to solve it. If you want to learn more about how we help clients utilize their customer insight to make strategic plans, schedule a call: https://lnkd.in/e7V9eCm4

A planning process without the voice of the customer isn't a very good process. But just because your customers tell you something doesn't mean you should believe them. Henry Ford famously said, "If would have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse." When you're talking to customers, if you want to get more honest responses, don't ask what they like the most or want the most. Studies have shown that when people answer surveys, the positively worded answers about what they like reveal what they think they should say. It reflect their public image and aspirational values. That's not bad, but it's not actionable, either (see Henry Ford). However, the answers to questions about what they don't like are much more raw and reliable. The best data come from asking what frustrates them. If you want to learn more about how we help clients get reliable customer insight, schedule a call: https://lnkd.in/e7V9eCm4

As you do your annual planning, don't ignore the most important voice: your customers. You can spend all day guessing what they want. Or you could just ask them. When we do an assessment of a company's customer experience, we talk to the customers, not just the staff. And we always find that the customers care about something that the staff assumed didn't matter. Don't assume. Ask. To learn more about how we help clients get customer insight, schedule a call: https://lnkd.in/e7V9eCm4

When you plan for next year, you need to do three things to get the full picture: 1. Create a "map" of your customer experience. List all the touch points and steps in the process, from when they first hear about you to what they experience after you are all done. Then, describe what they experience at each point. 2. Create an alternative map. Identify possible upgrade options for each part of the process. Then, describe what this new experience could be like. 3. Finally, estimate each upgrade idea's cost vs. benefit and determine your path forward. When you're evaluating these options, ask yourself: -How much change is required to implement the new tool/process? -What's my existing experience and process? -How many new elements are in this new one? -How much benefit does my team get from the new tool/process? -How much benefit does my team get from the new tool/process? (this is usually more important than staff benefits) You probably don't have the capacity (energy, time, etc.) to implement all your ideas at once. But if you tackle them one at a time, you can transform your company. I can say that with confidence because I've done this many, many times for many, many companies. If you want to learn how we can help you with this process, let's schedule a call: https://lnkd.in/en3Sn8fw