u003ch1 style=u0022text-align: left;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eu003cspanu003eHow to Attact More Clients During the Holiday Season u0026amp; Deliver Magical Service u003c/spanu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/h1u003enu003cdivu003enu003cpu003eThe holiday season is upon us! It’s the best time of year….even during a pandemic.u003c/pu003enu003cp style=u0022text-align: center;u0022u003e(Yes, we are still experiencing a pandemic, unfortunately).u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eEach of us have our own personal experience with this time of the year. Some love it more than others. For many it is bittersweet. And, then there is the holiday season during a pandemic. Getting around during the hustle and bustle of the holidays has always been stressful. Now, we are faced with experiencing holiday shopping AND social distancing. As we close out 2020, adjusting to virtual everything has become the norm.  However, traditional retail shopping still involves traveling to the mall and dealing with distracted drivers. Drivers who are multi-tasking during an extremely high traffic season are dealing with the added stressors of being safe.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eAs much as I love this time of the year, I have never liked the malls during anytime of the year.  So, I am experiencing this pandemic shopping the same way I have always.  I keep it simple and avoid the crowds as much as possible.  Amazon has been my saving grace!u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eThere is a reason behind this message…. Be mindful of others and follow the golden rule – Treat others as you would like to be treated.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eSometimes, we get caught up in ourselves and moving through our day, that we do not consider other people. I grew up in the metropolitan area and I would have to say, I was a pretty aggressive driver. I would blow my horn as soon as the light changed, became impatient with slow drivers and even shouted unkind words until one day my Mom said “u003cemu003eBe patient you don’t know what someone else is going through.u003c/emu003e”  The simplest message changed my outlook and lowered my blood pressure.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eLiving our day to day life during this pandemic has been uber stressful. The thing we tend to neglect is we are all stressed as customers and employees. As an employee you must be more empathetic and patient during the holiday shopping experience because customers are adjusting to an abnormally new way of life. From high rates of unemployment to working from home to homeschooling.  Stress is all around us.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eBusiness owners need to implement strategies to subside stressful peak seasons for their employees. They need to become proactive for the long-term because the forecast of this pandemic is unpredictable.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003eSo, here is the million-dollar question, how can businesses successfully and diplomatically cater to customers and their employees during busy and stressful times?u003c/strongu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eHere are u003cspan style=u0022color: #ff6600;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eFour Tips to Deliver Magical Service u0026amp; Attract More Clientsu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003e during the busiest and most stressful times.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003c/divu003enu003colu003enu003cliu003eu003cstrongu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eHire with a Purpose:u003c/spanu003e u003c/strongu003eAs an employer you should know your company culture inside and out. Hiring the u003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eright peopleu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003e into positions is of the utmost importance for the success of your business.  During the interview phase, ask questions to determine whether the potential new hire will be successful at providing the results your business needs to flourish. To find out whether they are a good candidate for a stressful environment, u003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eask situational questionsu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003e. Find out directly how they would handle stressful situations. You need to hire someone who does not fold under pressure.u003c/liu003enu003cliu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eOrientation/Training is a Must:u003c/strongu003e u003c/spanu003eMany companies hire and have the new person shadow another employee. This approach is managements lazy way of onboarding new hires. A company should have a structured HR training that allows for Qu0026amp;A. HR should cover company policies, benefits and important contact people. However, u003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003ethe most important training is job specificu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003e. Management must communicate expectations thoroughly and provide a handbook with the SOPs. An employee with unclear expectations is a set-up for failure during stressful times.u003c/liu003enu003cliu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eExceptional Toolkit: u003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eEmployees need the right tools and systems in place to be productive and effective to achieve an exceptional customer experience. Systems must communicate with one another and they must be seamless to the u003cimg src=u0022https://jacquelinemichele.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Attract-More-Client-Deliver-Service-PIN-200×300.pngu0022 width=u0022200u0022 height=u0022300u0022 alt=u0022chief experience officer, customer alignment strategist, customer experience, chief customer experience officer, Jacqueline Michele Ridley, Jacqueline M Ridleyu0022 class=u0022wp-image-2218 alignright size-mediumu0022 /u003ecustomer. Being able to get customers in and out quickly during busy times, especially during a pandemic is of the utmost importance. Also, u003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eproviding employees with the tools that position them to become experts in their field reduces customer stressu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003e. Answers and solutions become non-confrontational when dealing with irate customers if you have a concise toolkit for your employees. Allow employees enough rope to resolve issues without escalating it to a manager/supervisor.u003c/liu003enu003cliu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eSet the Tone/Remain Focusedu003c/strongu003e:u003c/spanu003e The basic skills needed in customer service is clear communication, patience, being personable, empathetic, apologetic and attentive. There are other skills however if you do not have the basics than you will highly not be successful during busy, stressful times. You must become skilled at listening and repeating back what you heard for clarification. Take the opportunity to u003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eturn a stressful moment into a positive memorable experience.u003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003enu003c/olu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #008000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eRememberu003c/strongu003e:u003c/spanu003e Each encounter with a customer is typically the first. Don’t take it personal because nothing in business (and life) is new. You have experiences that repeat with different people, just remember what you did the last time and improve upon it.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eThese tips can be used for businesses with and without teams. u003cstrongu003eSolopreneurs use these tips in preparation for building out your team.u003c/strongu003e The best way to onboard a new team member is to have a SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) in place. u003cspan style=u0022color: #008000;u0022u003eAnother great tip is to use Loom to record your SOP.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eRelated Post: u003ca href=u0022https://jacquelinemichele.com/5-surefire-tools-to-help-you-easily-connect-to-your-clients/u0022u003e5 Surefire Tools to Help You Easily Connect to Your Clientsu003c/au003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eThe impression you make during intensely stressful times can determine your longevity as a business owner.  When you alleviate customer stress, especially during the holidays and during a pandemic, you tend to increase your retention rate.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eCustomers want convenience, acknowledge this fact and use it to your advantage to gain customer loyalty and advocates. If you can provide a seamless experience, more than likely a customer will return to your business, refer other customers to you and report their experience to their social network.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #ff6600;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eIf you need to customize these strategies into your business, contact Jacqueline Michele for a u003ca href=u0022https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=20016253u0026amp;appointmentType=20992952u0022u003eClient Alignment Strategy sessionu003c/au003e.u003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #000000;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eWas this information helpful?  Please share on your social media and leave your comments below. u003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003e

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u003ch4u003eStarting a Businessu003c/h4u003enu003ch3u003e10 Steps to Starting a Profitable Businessu003c/h3u003enu003cpu003eu003cspanu003eThis u003cspan style=u0022color: #993300;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eBusiness Resource Guideu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003e is packed with tons of information to grow a profitable business.  There are links to valuable information on how to start a business.  This guide is u003cemu003eusefulu003c/emu003e, u003cemu003eapplicableu003c/emu003e and will put you in the u003cemu003edoing mindsetu003c/emu003e.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspanu003eu003cspan color=u0022#000000u0022u003eDownload it today and receive a u003c/spanu003eu003cspan color=u0022#008000u0022u003eu003cbu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #993300; font-family: 'Kaushan Script'; font-weight: normal; font-size: large;u0022u003eu003cemu003eBONUSu003c/emu003e  5-week Business Planner.u003c/spanu003e  u003c/bu003eThe planner willu003c/spanu003eu003cspan color=u0022#000000u0022u003e keep you on track as you complete each tasks. u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003e