Nobody likes dealing with complaints. They’re like a hot potatoe everyone avoids and pushes away, for someone else to deal. It’s also not something that anybody can deal. It requires a psychological thought process, the ability to empathize while distancing, an a hell lot of diplomacy.
You will find that most of the dealings with complaints is actually about agreeing with the customer. 9/10 times the company’s actually better off by giving the customer what they want. It has been proven more cost effective to do that then to dispute the customer’s argument, for the sake of advocating on the company’s behalf.
When dealing with complaints it can cause more harm than good to dispute. And there’s so much less grief involved in satisfying the customers’s needs. This is, provided their satisfaction level meets the companies’ obligations.
We’re not talking about agreeing with a customer to offer a paid holiday because they didn’t receive their order in time, it needs to be reasonable. This is where a lot of common sense is crucial to not allow the customers to take advantage when a company accepts the fault for an order gone wrong.
Not disputing, agreeing with the customer, fulfilling the customer’s expectations may even lead to a complaint full withdrawal. Now, at the point where the issue was not addressed well enough on first point of contact to prevent a complaint being recorded, that’s the ultimate complaint-dealing goal.
Again, honouring a business T&Cs at all times, and not only when “no returns/refunds are accepted after the 14 day cooling-off period”, is important. This reassures the customers upfront your company is transparent, impartial and fair if they ever come across a problem that needs sorting. The customers will trust you and your business.
Trust will build your business credibility, more “likes” and good online reviews, which will bring more business in. This can only happen by keeping up these values in a consistent manner.
Ultimately this is the level of trading you want your company to be at. A level that makes the customers feel safe in doing business with you from the start.
Coming from different countries to meet, we landed at different times. Sonia arrived in Greece 4 hours before me, which meant that she had to find something to occupy her time until I arrived. I told her to check in at the hotel, rather than lying around on her own. Being in a different country for the first time could be scary when you’re by yourself. And to be honest, after a few years of not travelling on my own, I was, a little.
When you start a family, travelling all of a sudden becomes a chore that very rarely goes according to plan. It’s way more demanding because we have to make sure the holidays will please other (little) beings as much as ourselves. The beauty of travelling with another adult is that you mostly rely on chance and just let yourself go with the flow. We can just brainstorm and pick and choose what we want to be doing without worrying whether everyone will be happy or not.
An activity plan has to be in place
The weather was beautiful for the entirety of the time, day or night. The Mediterranean water was absolutely lush! Warm like a spa… One of the things I appreciated – and found really useful – was that the hotel was open to giving their recommendations based on our situation. That is invaluable knowledge – tailored to our taste – one we wouldn’t get on Google.
Before going anywhere, we asked the hotel what suggestions they had, what they considered to be worth visiting, along with the associated costs. So, rather than only being directed to some very expensive boat trip or winery tasting – because those will be the most likely online recommendations -, we get a really local customer service.
The hotel actually provided us with a bus timetable so it was easy to plan at short notice and you’ll pay as little as €1.60 for a ticket. The buses (coaches) operate in quite a traditional way. The road rules seem quite random, so don’t get scared if you hear the bus driver shouting at other drivers. This is not uncommon. This doesn’t necessarily mean there is a terrorist attack, Greeks just have got quite heated up blood…
A local trafitional guitar player
One other thing that I was unaware of was Santorini’s mascot. Because of their tiny streets, they use donkeys to carry goods (and even people) around. Those who are brave enough to venture can have a go at going up or down the very steep stairs set across the mountain landscape. I didn’t do it, purely because I felt sorry for the poor souls…
Not for the faint-hearted
Quad bikes are a thing and a good choice if you’re staying for a week+ if you don’t enjoy walking (we chose to keep our step count going). It does give you some independence if you don’t want to have to rely on public transport. From 45 Euros/day, you can choose from quad bikes to buggies.
Then the food. The Tzatziki sauce, the Chicken Souvlaki, the Mousaka cheese… Just: O-M-G.
Milos Villas had a family of very welcoming cats, the kittens were always around and they were very friendly. One of them actually spent the night, as he followed us around so persistently, even I couldn’t resist, and I’m not a cat fan. It did add character to the stay.
I named him Dave
The hotel we stayed in was amazing. One of the days we decided to stay by the pool and enjoy the little hotel perks. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. We learned a little bit about Santorini, the culture, and a little bit of Greek and we were offered a wine-tasting session in situ. Moody staff can put you off of repeating but they were an absolute joy to be with. Till next time!
I like to think I am a very down to earth kinda person. My idea of luxury seems to be very different to most people’s.
I am an incurable romantic. I am incredibly touched by little things. Things that most overlook. A warm hug, a gorgeous sunset, a caring gesture.
Our world nowadays is so attached to the virtual, so easily seduced by one’s fake happiness, getting more and more drained into today’s society dark and ugly mental health sewers.
People have become disconnected from what is really important. Image supercedes reality.
More than staying in a fancy hotel for the holidays and spend all my sweat and tears well earned money for a few Instagram pictures, I choose an average one. And more often not, that has been proven the best choice.
I absolutely love random corners and spots
When going abroad I like the idea of getting to be closer to real life, genuine people, to be priviledged enough to actually learn the local culture. The concept of “being there, doing that” for me, is then true. And the photos I share are an honest representation of what I lived and my view of the world.
Risking to paraphrasing Shania Twain, fancy cars, expensive clothes, posh restaurants “don’t impress me much”.
Once more staying true to myself has paid. What you expect from a 5 star hotel may differ from the destination standard. This difference can put things in perspective.
To avoid disappointment I never go for the best but for the second best. A great stay is a combination of three things. It’s people, their culture and education.
It’s the people who make a difference. Not everybody is cut out to welcome, host and care. Certain cultures are better equipped to receive well than others
I have met people from all walks of life and that has taught me that people are always people, no matter their background. We all have the same needs, the difference is how we perceive and prioritise them.
It costs nothing to be polite and respectful, and for me that is priceless. Equally it is hard to find people with a good degree of common sense.
I have encountered people which my naive side expected those qualities and they just weren’t there. Others from whom I expected nothing and were an amazingly pleasant surprise.
I fall in love with people that consistently do the right thing, (especially when nobody’s watching). I cannot stand opportunistic people or people that don’t follow the basic rules common decency to get ahead of others.
Airports and hotels are disrespect hotspots. Why people get so miserable with their own kind when they are ON HOLIDAYS is beyond me.
People that are kind to others despite their troubles normally come from lower class backgrounds. Because they don’t have such an easy access to items most of us take for granted, they focus on real things, taking pleasure from making other people feel good, therefore they are more resilient. These are the world class hosts.
BFF Bucket list first destination
I see all the latin and Mediterranean people as such. They are friendly and caring and do go the extra mile to make us feel comfortable. That’s why we chose Greece to start our BFF Bucket list. And although we know life will get in the way, we will be keen on making this an annual tradition.
The Pandemic kept us all away from our dear ones for far too long. I mean, it’s bad enough going through that living in the same country, let along when all your extended family members and friends are in different countries.
So I’m back at the airport lounge.
But this is a new experience for me. I am meeting my best friend (who loves in the Netherlands) in Santorini, Greece. We can only mean so many “we gotta catch up sometime soon” promises…
Meeting to catch up over (probably quite a few drinks) and a little chill out and local sightseeing to do find THE compulsory ritual selfie.
We decided to book this back in April, when a lot of the travel restrictions ahead were still very fuzzy. We knew there was a good chance we might have to cancel but we thought it was worth the risk.
Plus the prices were good, the timing was right, the children would have settled in school (as if they ever) and we can use the long break without them, to recharge.
So we reserved a double bedroom in a 4* hotel on the most recommended time of the year to travel to Greece. When the weather in our respective countries of residence is starting to get grim, we nip into a warm one to give our end of summer ran a top up.
You must have noticed by now, I do love a bit of neologism, making new words up whenever it fits.
Today I’m gonna touch on the forsaken and underrated ethics topic. People don’t value it enough to blog about it anymore. I feel ethics still deserves its place in the world, now more than ever.
Having recently taken up a new job at a chartered institute, I’m getting to see how serious ethics can be taken, if you nurture a culture around it.
The values upholding becomes notoriously strong when everyone is (re)educated to respect them.
All starting with the institute need to sit an ethics test and a 75% score is the compulsory minimum. This alone, makes me revisit ALL my previous jobs. It really put things in perspective.
Maybe I reached a maturity level that has opened my eyes to what’s really valuable about your work environment. A strong ethics is a definite essential. It’s the base of everything good and correct: equality, mutual respect, solidarity.
It’s also common sense. I feel priviledged to be part of this fabulous organization. I am really happy to found an employer with values perfectly aligned with mine.
The impact on staff’s relationship is huge and many employers greatly underestimate the influence of work environment on staff’s productivity. Especially in a world where very few businesses practice what they preach because it’s either inconvenient or out of fashion.
Ethics leads to employer credibility, which drives creativity, productivity, world class customers service therefore, bringing more business.
We’re still at the airport security queues. Just joking! We eventually got to the beach.
After all unpacking ( I realized I actually brought so much clothes that I don’t expect to wear any twice for the two weeks), and much needed commute recharge, we head to the beach as priority.
My beach days have officially started.
It’s now all about dozing off or reading in the sun (while absorbing all available Vitamin D).
Following by a timeless blood flow stimulation therapy, dipping the full body in the cold sea. – I actually had a BPM warning on my watch! –
And what better skin exfoliator than the sun burnt Atlantic sand? Ah! I just can’t wait to retire…
The same as at the airport, my fascination by human behaviour is undeniable.
As I lay down and close my eyes to snooze for a while, I hear the voices and evesdrop the conversations nearby.
When you’re on the beach you get to “observe” people’s habits, how they treat each other.
I find people’s behaviours tell a lot about their personality. How loud people are, what words they use. All these features reveal a lot about a person.
I listen to how they discipline their children, if they’re soft or abrupt, how the children respond. It’s like listening to a bed time story.
I love watching people at airports. There’s something fascinating about guessing where people come from, where are they going, what’s their travelling purpose.
People are rushing like dizzy roaches to get through security, to go the toilet, to quickly find a good bargain in a shop, to check the boarding gates.
Relax…
When everyone is faffing about to get to their destination I am sitting here writing and relaxing. It’s quite inspiring, really. So I write.
Quick bite before getting through the gate and off we go. I am quite looking forward to this. It’s been two long years since I last got some fresh native air… This is the start of a longing two week family holiday.
I wasn’t too hungry, so just got myself a pack of spicy mixed nuts and a bottle of water. Mistake. One bad inhale and I had the worst cough attack in years. Very inconvenient and uncomfortable, in the middle of a pandemic. And it lasted right until the end of the flight.
Not even the wonderful Lavazza coffee managed to contain my coughing fit
Not impressed with the lack of Covid regulations monitoring though, particularly on the shuttles that drive us to the gate. Although everyone was keeping their masks on, no one was keeping their distance.
It was dark when we land. The killer back pain gives my age away after a two-hour flight. I feel sorry (and relate) dor the parents tirelessly carrying their children every so often. Flying takes its toll on them. They will sleep well tonight, that’s for sure.
As soos as we land, we hit the toilets. It’s an undeniable primary need. All we have left alas is an endless security queue at the exit, to make it all wortwhile…
For someone with the little recognized writing experience as I have, it is hard to find the right topic to write about. “Write about what you know well, write about what you enjoy” people and peers tell me. That’s easier said than done.
I do read people really well, and I deal with many different people everyday. And so I’ve done for years. So I find it easy to put myself in someone else’s shoes and find things to relate. Maybe I can talk a little about that in my very own way.
Let me reassure you the heading is not a typo. I have actually come up with a new word. Customers are all different from one another. Different genders, different ages, different cultures, different educations.
This is no news to anybody. Most of the emails we receive, whether they are Newsletters or marketing subscriptions have been tailored according to our characteristics. And these details are embedded in the automation systems that many businesses use today.
Clusters of customers (or clustomers, as I call it) grow over time. Businesses gather information to classify customers by a group of features. This is to ensure the customers get the information they’re actually looking for. Businesses need to (or hire someone to) do their prep work to help develop a long term relationship with their customers.
There is one common denominator to all: the customer intimacy. We have to agree that tailoring emails adds a certain level of intimacy to the communication. Not as close as being able to see our underwear colour. Yet. In a nut shell: “We write you knowing what your tastes are and what you want to avoid”.
But at the very base of this automation is a very crafty writer, who can map words in a way that resonates with you. So, in fact, none of them are 100% automated. There is no doubt there is leg work done in the background.
This is where hiring the writer can have a major impact. The tighter the niche the more effective the word. The writer needs to find the most effective way to touch the reader.
Tell me who you are and I will tell what you need.
Addressing customers should feel like addressing ourselves. So we need to ask ourselves:
What makes me open an email?
What tickles me to read it? Is it the images? Is it the headings? Or am I looking for a freebie?
What am I looking for when I subscribe a Newsletter? What insight am I expecting?
Is reading that email going to add value to my life?
Or is it going to waste my time and make me unsubscribe?
My experience dealing with customers directly tells me that they like:
Being addressed by their first name;
When I treat them like a person (different from any other customer);
That I am also a person and relate to everyday mundane things that are common to them;
That I pay attention and remember them every time;
That old view that people like to be addressed by their titles is overrated. Today there’s more of a risk to cause offense by getting a gender wrong than anything else. But that also should not matter in any case. If the text is impartial and clean from any stereotypical mentions and comments (or related sarcastic nuances) everybody’s happy.
The way I see it, people make businesses. You treat people well and they will return.
Building trust with customers doesn’t happen overnight. It is something that you weave over time. While you are building that trust you are sharing your insights and expertise. And you will want to do it in such a way that whenever the customer thinks “PRODUCT” he/she will be thinking “YOU”. This is how your brand comes about.
The relationship between the business and the customer grows wrapped in the combination of three characteristics that the customer generally appreciates (that we all apppreciate): transparency, reliability, credibility. Regardless of the business industry I can guarantee you these are the three main pillars at the base of the business-customer relationship.
It’s very often not the value of the product but the relationship you nurture that brings the customers back. I have realized that, even if the product we’re selling is only at an “acceptable” level in comparison to others, the customers will value a good honest chat where they will gain knowledge as value more than the end product.
Business-to-Business clustomers relationships are straightforward as they easily show what they want. They are mainly interested in the price-value perspective. It is true you are dealing with an individual. But this individual represents a business, so they don’t usually care if you know or relate to their personal likes and dislikes. Business-to-business relationships are simply logical ones.
Business-to-Customer clustomers are more based in personal emotions, hence require more time and dedication. But the reality of it is, it is more likely that a B2C clustomer to cross over a B2B than the other way around. B2C clustomers have a wider scope for expansion and if they had a good personal experience they will be more inclined to refer a business. And the potential for value is there already. Am I overcomplicating?
I question if the concept of normality is the same today as it was two years ago.
We can talk about a new normality perhaps, because we will never go back to the same normality we had prior to Covid.
Work: even some though some of us are gradually returning to the office, the vast majority will only do it 2, 3/5 days if any at all. Working remotely has forcibly become a new normal. But that also brought a double benefit. The commute is now also quieter and the environment is thanking us.
All very sanitised working areas and stations, following the current distamce guidelines
Shopping: is now (for me) actually more enjoyable. You may find the odd queue, depending on where you’re going, but it is quieter. There’s no pushing, no stress. So, ok, I still use the mask (and I will do, in more crowded places), probably for the next two years, at least.
Working out: if it’s outdoors, it’s never an issue. Indoors, yes it can become complicated. Again, less is better and quieter. At my gym, we have pre-measured designated spots and continue to keep the numbers down. However, after the last numbers have creeped up we decided to give it a break to safeguard our holidays.
Travelling: has become a luxury, more than ever. Not only you pay for the trips and the stay, but now you need to pay for mandatory Covid tests both ways. We are paying at least a third more for our holiday costs.
Holidays in the sunshine
Schools: This is a close one to me. The whole way the British Government has been addressing Covid in schools is just a big LOL. Bubbles don’t work (or make sense) and I don’t feel schools have done enough to stress the risks and consequences to thr children. They think they’re superheroes! They forget that they are as much of a walking weapon as they are immune…
Socializing: We will be living with a general suspicion of everyone around us being a possible carrier, wheather it’s a stranger or a family member. As if we were constantly in the middle of one of detective Poirot’s investigations. Our conversations will now always contain the words Covid, testing and vaccination.
The whole ritual of sanitising, wearing masks, scanning QR codes (another pointless act, to me) is all far from what I remember to be normal.
Let’s face it: Covid is not going away anytime soon. One more flu variant we will probably need a boost for every year.
Back to normal everyone. Just act casual. Nothing to see here.
Today I decided to have a full review of my calendar. Not in the sense that I am over booked or even fully booked but I need to know where I’m using my time on and which time slots I can remove, replace or move around to make sure my time is being spent effectively.
More than a time management exercise, this is a personal assessment. It helped me understand what really matters to me at this point in time.
I have always had very poor time management skills. Until recently I had never needed to focus on that aspect of my life because, well, life just happens, and I have always followed life’s flow without giving it a second thought.
Now that I did, I realise how much time is wasted while I didn’t plan. Not only that, but how much more stressful my life has been at times, because I just went along and often got caught by surprising events.
When we work for a company as part of the staff, there are a lot of things we don’t have to think about. Our time is “pre-scheduled” for us and we are just there to do our job and come home. Every single day. So we don’t really have a reason to plan much, unless we’re talking about holidays. We just manage the remainder of our time around the main working hours. I feel like I found a magic recipe! (A bit later than many, you will probably say).
Yesterday I decided to have a full review of my calendar. I’m not doing it for being over booked or any other issue. I felt it was time to find out what I’m using my time on. Finding which time slots I can remove, replace or move around, to make sure my time is being spent in an effective way.
More than a time management exercise, this is a personal assessment. It helped me understand what really matters to me at this moment.
I have always had very poor time management skills. Until recently I had never needed to focus on that aspect of my life. Because, well, life happens, and I have always followed life’s flow without giving it a second thought.
Now that I did, I realise how much time I wasted while I didn’t plan. Not only that. How more stressful my life has been at times because I went along and often got caught by surprising events.
When we work for a company as part of the staff, there are a lot of things we don’t have to think about. Our time is “pre-scheduled” for us and we are there to do our job and come home. Every single day. So we don’t really have a reason to plan much, unless we’re talking about holidays. We just manage the rest of our time around the main working hours. I feel like I found a magic recipe! (A bit later than many, you might say).
This has helped me clear my goals. Sometimes they get too fuzzy. That’s all the white noise around us. The media pressure that we get from all fronts of technology can be overwhelming.
Sometimes it’s good to reassess our priorities. It’s useful to focus on targets in a more realistic and achievable way. They don’t even have to be long term goals. Because if we schedule time in our calendar to review them we force ourselves to dedicate time to this. And we are bound to make changes to it.
I found it to be a very useful and healthy exercise. Have you tried it?
Nostalgic Mumma 