Archive for "Tips"
Time to Embrace New Marketing Methods
Posted on November 26, 2010 by Ching under Coupons, Health, Tips.
This will sound like a Groupon testimonial, but it’s not meant to be. Although, I do love Groupons and am a bona fide Groupon junkie.
Several weeks ago, Ultimate Electronics ran a promotion where they were giving away a limited number of $25 gift cards at the door. They advertised it in their regular insert in the Sunday paper. Now, Brian and I subscribe to the Wichita Eagle, but we actually heard about it first from our friends Cory and April. (April is the goddess of deals. If there’s a deal to be had, she probably knows about it.) Cory said there was barely a line. I think he said there were five people, counting themselves, when the doors opened. I can think of several reasons for the poor turnout: (a) Wichitans like to sleep in on Sundays and don’t read their paper until later in the day, (b) people don’t subscribe to the newspaper anymore because you can get your news online, (c) those who do subscribe and read the news tune out all the junk/inserts, or (d) they only care about the RedPlum and SmartSource coupons and discard everything else. LOL.
The following weekend, Ultimate Electronics ran the same promotion and there was actually a line before the doors opened. We would have made it, but I didn’t want to give up my Sunday morning workout. Brian could have made it, I suppose, but he’s not as enthusiastic about deals as our friends and me. Anyway, I don’t have to survey the people in line that morning to conclude that they didn’t read about the offer from the ad in the Sunday paper, they likely heard about it from a friend. Just as Brian and I did. Word of mouth rocks. That’s a given. You can’t beat word of mouth advertising.
I’m not going to tell you that print advertising is dead because there is a time and place for it. However, if you want to reach people and get them in the door, you have to go where they are… Social media. People aren’t reading newspapers as much. They’re spending more and more of their time on Facebook. Yes, even the older generations. Shoot, my mom probably spends more time on Facebook than anyone I know. And, Facebook and Twitter posts are digital equivalents of word of mouth. (There’s many others, but these are the two big ones.)
With traditional word of mouth, I could probably tell a dozen people about your product/service/promotion before I lose my voice, but with social media I can tell about 600 Twitter followers and 800 Facebook friends how much I love/hate you without much effort. If my message gets re-posted and re-tweeted by a handful of people, the reach grows exponentially. See how powerful that is? (For more on social media, read my previous blog post about the summit I recently attended in Arizona.)
So back to Groupon and why I love, love, love it. You all know how much I love coupons and deals. With Groupon, coupons and deals go social. This is where we are headed people, just accept it. =P
Most of the time I pick up Groupons from companies that I love or already do business with (or at least am familiar with). For instance, some of the Groupons I’ve picked up in the last year are for Lucinda’s, Pink Boa, Pacific Coast Pizza, LaMars, In the Bag etc. etc. As I grew more comfortable with purchasing and using Groupons, it’s actually allowed me to try companies I’ve not heard of or done business with before. For example, I’d never been to the Kellogg Clinic (where I’m going for laser hair removal) or Fresh Spa Market prior to getting their Groupon offers.
I think the best example is probably my most recent Groupon experience, which was the catalyst for us switching dentists. Wichita Family Dental is a dental office located on the East side of Wichita. They’ve been at their current location for about a decade and yet we’d never heard of them or thought to try them. That is, of course, until their Groupon offer: take-home teeth whitening that’s regularly $230 for only $69.
I purchased the Groupon last month, but we’d been so busy that I didn’t get to use it until recently. (I had Veterans Day off so I came in on that day, remember? I’d written about it previously.) I was so impressed and had such a wonderful experience that I told Brian about it (followed by telling the rest of you about it through our blog). I told Brian, “I love, love, love Dr. Mendoza but I think we might consider switching dentists. Come with me to my follow up appointment, and you decide.” Brian went with me to my follow up appointment and was just as impressed. He doesn’t look it in the photo, but he was impressed. Trust me.
It doesn’t always work out this way. I mean, I tried Fresh Spa Market and didn’t switch. I still go to Beau Monde and Skin Essentials for facials and Serenity for massages. Groupon will get you new customers for your business, but you have to offer something that is better than your competitors in order to keep them. So why the switch to Wichita Family Dental? Let me give you our top five reasons.
- Reason #5: One-Stop Shop
They do everything from regular dental work to orthodontics to cosmetic dentistry. We wouldn’t have to be referred to another dental office. This works out great because I’m thinking of getting Invisalign next year.
- Reason #4: Hi-Tech Everything
They have very modern equipment like digital x-rays. Every dental station has a computer work station. There’s computer monitors mounted to the wall/ceiling so you can see your x-rays while you’re laying in your chair. They use really cool mouth cameras so you can see your teeth magnified on the screen. They don’t just tell you that there’s a potential issue with your tooth – they show it to you! The office is well on its way to being completely paperless (e.g. they use iPads instead of paper charts). I could go on and on and on. Of course, most people don’t really care about this stuff. However, for a couple of nerds like Brian and me, we think this stuff is awesome!
- Reason #3: Location, Location, Location
Their office is conveniently located within our little comfort zone. They’re so close to our townhouse that I could actually walk there! I know we won’t live in our townhouse forever, but we really like this part of town and will likely stay in the area when we’re ready to be homeowners again.
- Reason #2: Saturday Hours
They’re open every other Saturday so Brian and I will not have to miss work for dental appointments anymore. This is really a plus for me because I hate missing work for any reason.
- And the #1 Reason for the switch: Dr. Begnoche is Hot!
I saw him the first time that I came in. That’s another thing. Everyone seems really friendly. Dr. Begnoche and Dr. Pierson actually both came by and introduced themselves (not at the same time) while I was sitting in the dental chair. Except, Dr. Pierson said his name quickly (or I wasn’t paying attention because my mind was still on Dr. Begnoche and how young and good looking he is) that all I got was Chuck. When Brian came with me to my follow up visit, Dr. Begnoche was at some training for the Galileo (their neat x-ray machine) so Brian didn’t get to meet him. I introduced Dr. Pierson to Brian as Dr. Chuck because that’s all I could remember.
Anyway, I failed to mention the good looking dentist to Brian in my original sales pitch, but he discovered first hand when he went to his dental appointment yesterday. Brian said, “I had a different dentist.” So I asked, “Which one?” He replied, “I don’t know, but he’s cute.” LOL. Dr. Begnoche doesn’t even look old enough to be out of college. He must be like Dorian Gray or something.
Oh, and it didn’t hurt that they were running an iPad promotion on new patient referrals this month. Basically, if you refer a new patient then your name gets entered in a drawing for an iPad. I figured that I would refer Brian. That’s at least one entry. So anyway, this is my word of mouth way of telling you all you should schedule a dental appointment at Wichita Family Dental and tell them that I, Cherrie Brubaker, referred you. I could use a few more raffle entries because with the kind of luck I have, one raffle entry ain’t gonna cut it.
Until next time,
Ching
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My Take-Aways from the #CRSummit
Posted on November 21, 2010 by Ching under Tips, Travel, Web.
I had the opportunity to attend the Social Media Customer Response Summit held at the Westin Kierland in Scottsdale, Arizona a couple of weeks ago. There were several great presenters, namely keynote speaker Robert Lamb (AT&T) who wrote Improving Your Bottom Line Through The Contact Center
Lessons from AT&T’s
Social Media Journey
– be responsive
– be empathetic
– map out processes ahead of time
– know and communicate the necessary commitment
– never rest
– offer a clear means of accessibility
– ask your community for ideas and feedback
– measure twice, cut once (something that Lamb mentioned several times during the presentation)
In his keynote presentation, Robert Lamb shared the potential benefits that businesses stand to gain by engaging in social media: [a] competitive advantage, [b] market with targeted demographics, [c] enhance company image and customer loyalty, and [d] increased customer satisfaction. Lamb also pointed out that only 14% of consumers trust ads, while 78% trust peer recommendations. In today’s society, our peers include our social media connections.
As someone who relies heavily on web reviews and recommendations, I can relate to this. While I wouldn’t consider strangers on a review web site as peers, I will carefully consider web reviews of a product or service I’m buying prior to pulling the trigger. We usually do this as part of our pre-purchase reconnaissance whenever we buy anything, specially electronics items like TVs, cellphones, DVD players, etc. We also did the same thing when we were looking for an apartment earlier this year. We were ready to sign a lease at this new apartment complex in Derby, Kansas (where my parents live) until we read some horrible reviews of the place at Apartmentratings.com. We looked up reviews of two other complexes that made the short list before settling on the place where we currently live. Rent is actually considerably higher here than the two other places we considered, but the rave reviews were the biggest factor in making our final decision. This proved to me how powerful customer recommendations truly are… And now with the increasing ubiquity of social media, the impact of “word of mouth” is significantly amplified. When someone complains on social media, it has a huge impact on the company brand/image — which is exactly why companies can no longer ignore social media.
The second presenter, Marianne Curran, talked about the three main areas of focus: customer service, marketing, and public relations. There is no substitute for real-time human interactions so her advice is to listen and engage, be proactive and timely, and be prompt in your responses. She also shared some of their guidelines at Go Daddy of when not to engage such as when there is nothing actionable, when the comment is simply taunting or baiting, or if legal action is threatened. In these situations, it’s best not to engage in the social media interaction.
Social Media Tools Used by Go Daddy
Social Visibility – for broadcasting messages to multiple social networks
x.co – their URL shortener
CoTweet – for managing tweets
TweetReach – to analyze reach and impact
The interesting part for me is that in visiting with the corporate communications and public affairs rep who handles everything that relates to social media in our organization, I found out that he has established similar guidelines for himself when deciding whether or not to respond to social media mentions. He has actually created a decision tree. This is something that is easy to take for granted, but is important to establish so that there is consistency in how social media interactions are handled.
Curran’s keys to embracing social media are as follows: be open to engaging, respond promptly, know when to listen and when to engage, don’t avoid complaints, and work to turn critics into “super fans.” At Go Daddy they’ve seen an increase in their fans/followers and referred orders and were able to attribute these to their social media endeavors.
Steve Kaay mostly talked about AutoMD, a “comprehensive automotive repair resource designed to empower car owners with the best way to repair their vehicles” that is owned and operated by US Auto Parts. What is brilliant about this do-it-yourself automotive repair portal is that it’s helping to grow the DIY market. Rather than stealing market share from its competitors, US Auto Parts is actually making the pie bigger by educating customers through the AutoMD web site so there’s more than enough for everyone. I think it’s great because their efforts not only benefit consumers, but also their competitors. It reminds me of the “Got Milk?” and “Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner” and “Cotton: The Fabric of Our Lives” campaigns.
Social Media Customer Care Maturity Model
Level 5: Proactive Engagement
– proactive customer care
– proactive sales
– social media business intelligence
Level 4: Social Media Customer Care
– scalable engagement process
– managed process
– work queues
– teams activity reports
Level 3: Social Media Marketing
– social media strategy
– engagement marketing
– brand dashboarding
– minimal customer care involvement
Level 2: Social Media Broadcasting
– facebook page and twitter presence
– broadcast standard marketing via social media
Level 1: Listening (or Ignoring)
– occasional reporting
– reactive/surprised by social media
John Hernandez talked about being able to achieve “proactive engagement,” or what seems to me as the holy grail of social media, where a company is able to provide proactive customer care and harness social media business intelligence. By looking at chatter on your products/services and that of your competitors, you can connect with customers and target real-time opportunities. I think those few companies who have reached Level 5 have considerable strategic advantage over their competitors.
Hernandez also spent some time talking about and demonstrating SocialMiner, Cisco’s robust, scalable social media customer care solution (which you can learn more about by clicking on the link). It looked really cool, but was also a bit pricey. Unless you already use Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise, in which case I think they throw it in for free.
John Belanger talked about the movement toward customer advocacy, which made me think of what US Auto Parts is doing with AutoMD — members of the community answering questions from other members, helping and supporting one another. He shared with us the case of Piper of Love and how Yahoo! handled the situation. Yahoo! has adopted a customer centric view where the value proposition is focused on servicing all of the customers’ (and therefore, the customers’ buy decision dictates who the vendors will collaborate with). They’re using the See : Act : Learn social support models to further their customer advocacy mission.
Keith McArthur showed us this interesting video produced by Rogers Communications. It depicts the human connections empowered by rapid changes in communications technology in Canada and around the world. McArthur shared with us the Rogers social media journey and gave us the ten commandments of engagement:
1. Make it easy for customers to do business with you.
2. Respond to all direct questions within an hour.
3. Don’t replace customer care/support.
4. Try to divert calls from care/support.
5. Take it offline, when possible.
6. Always view the customer profile and recent discussions.
7. Ask yourself, “Will my reply help or make things worse?”
8. Be human — not sales-y or PR/marketing-like.
9. Treat all customers the same, but
10. Don’t feed the trolls!
Besides the ten commandments, McArthur also stressed the importance of transparency.
In talking about social media ROI, Garry Schultz said you have to consider the cost/risk to your organization if you do not take any action. It’s tough to put an exact dollar amount on that. You can talk about system costs, personnel costs, cost per contact of various communications mediums, but in the end fear is the best way to get the attention of company leadership — or so says LinkedInQueen, Eve Mayer Orsburn. We all had a good chuckle about that during the panel discussion, but it’s true.
By the way, Orsburn (author of Social Media for the CEO) recommends the following update frequencies: 7 to 10 times per day for Twitter and 1 to 3 times per day for Facebook. Also, the two largest social networks require different strategies. What works for Twitter won’t necessarily work for Facebook and vice versa.
I could probably go on and on and on about all the little morsels of social media knowledge I picked up at the conference, but I think Brian is ready for bed. Probably the best part of the conference, besides listening to each speaker’s account of their social media journey, is hearing from the other conference attendees and knowing that you’re not alone. Everyone is trying to figure this social media thing out and thinking about how to proceed. Some companies are much further along than others, but we’re all in this together and we can all learn from one another’s experiences and ideas. The sessions were interactive with good participation from the audience. I think that even the speakers learned from the audience and other speakers. It was a great conference and I’m glad that I was able to attend. I think there is another summit planned for spring 2011, though the date and location have not yet been announced. I highly recommend attending.
So sorry about the long blog entry. I promise the next post will have lots of pictures. Good night all!
Until next time,
Ching
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Ching’s Productive Day Off
Posted on November 13, 2010 by Ching under Health, Life, Tips.
Brian says I don’t know how to relax. He’s probably right. Instead of sleeping in on Thursday, like a normal person, I ended up getting up early just as though I was still going to work that day. I packed my day with appointments out the kazoo. I’m surprised I didn’t wear myself out.
My day started out with earning the mayorship at Kellogg Clinic where I’m getting laser hair removal done. Misty and I participated in a really awesome Groupon deal where you get three hair removal sessions for only $99. The sessions are normally $150 each, so it was a HUGE savings. I ended up getting two Groupons (the maximum you could buy for yourself under this deal), thinking that I could use all six sessions on my underarms. It turns out that you have to use each Groupon on a different body part. It makes sense because then you have to buy additional sessions to get the desired results.
Misty and I are both doing underarms and bikini. We’ve used up our underarm sessions and the results have been pretty amazing. We’re both thinking that we didn’t really have to go anymore. Except, I still have a few little hairs left and I think that maybe two or three more sessions should do the trick. It’s quite expensive, though, and with our Vegas trip coming up, it might just have to wait for now.
I started my bikini laser hair removal the other day. The downside of the bikini (aside from the fact that it hurts like hell – I don’t know how Misty does it – I don’t think I could ever get used to that pain – I thought it hurt 10X more than when he did my underarms) is that it’s normally $200 a session, so there is a $50 up charge each time. This is on top of the $99 that you’ve already paid for the Groupon (I really wish I would have known this because it makes a difference for a tightwad like me). Although paying $249 for three sessions of laser hair removal that usually costs $600 still gives you almost 60% savings.
Another downside is that, while getting additional sessions on my underarms is optional, additional sessions on my bikini is pretty much guaranteed. Brian told me that his coworker’s daughter who had her laser hair removal done at the same clinic went for 15 sessions before she was done. She didn’t use any Groupons, so she actually spent $3000 on it. She’s a professional volleyball player so she’s getting a lot of mileage out of it. For me, I’m just thinking that I could save a lot of money by not going to get my bikini waxed anymore. I think I spend about $2000 a year on waxings, a fourth of that on bikini. Since I’m cheap and usually stretch out my bikini waxings to eight weeks or more, I only go about five times a year on average (unless I’m going on a trip which prompts an extra waxing visit, but then I usually get my entire body waxed at that time). I’m guessing that I’ll need at least 10 more sessions after my first three so I’m estimating a payback period of five years on this kind of investment. I think it’s a wise decision, but coming up with the money to do it is a whole other endeavor. Maybe I need to start selling some magazines or having bake sales (Brian will do the baking, otherwise it won’t be edible) or start up a collection or something. Don’t worry, I won’t pretend to have cancer or anything. LOL.
So anyway, after my laser hair removal, I went straight to my teeth whitening appointment at Wichita Family Dental. This was another Groupon deal. What can I say? I’m a Groupon junkie. It’s sad because every time a Groupon comes out (which is everyday except on weekends, btw, for those of you unfamiliar with it), I find myself thinking “Can I use this?” because I really, really want to get in on it. So beware. Once you get started, it’s very addictive.
Speaking of Wichita Family Dental, I was very impressed with their office. Even though they’ve been at this location (which is within walking distance from our place, btw) for about ten years, the place still looks new. The interior and exterior are clean and nice, but that’s all pretty blasé. What impressed me most is that the dental assistants used iPads for patient charts. How high tech is that?
They also had flat screen monitors at every station so that you could look at your teeth photos and x-rays while you’re laying in the chair. I’m thinking now that they might even be able to play The Office on Hulu while you’re getting a root canal or something. How cool would that be? Brian is going with me today when I return for a cleaning and follow-up appointment. This way he can check out the place himself. Only nerds like us would be impressed with this stuff. LOL.
After the dentist, I spent a couple of hours getting pampered at Beau Monde. I hadn’t had a facial in a long time so I had scheduled it last month. I had gotten a $50 gift card from my in-laws for my birthday which I was thinking I would put toward my facial initially when I thought I was going to get a cheap $30 pedicure with Darcy. She bailed on me to spend the day with her beau, though.
I was pretty much left to my own devises. I didn’t want to have to leave Beau Monde and drive elsewhere for my pedicure after my facial and I had that gift card so I decided to splurge. The $30 pedicure turned into $48 (after my 10% discount, because I’m a bargain-hunter even when I splurge; although the discount didn’t even cover gratuity because I gave her $10 – blech).
I really prefer Samantha at Beau Monde, but she only works on weekends. You can get a good deal on last minute appointments if your schedule is flexible, though. If you check the Beau Monde web site on a day when you have some free time (in my case, I was off work on Thursday), they’ll usually post appointment times for the day that have not yet been filled and offer 10% off the regular price of the service to entice people to book.
Anyway, it turns out that the tech who did my pedicure actually worked with Brian at T-Mobile back in the day. They both worked there when it was still Voicestream. What a small world! We figured this out because Brian forgot to pack a lunch that day and so he came home on his lunch break. He stopped by Beau Monde on his way back to work. Brian who is awful at both names and faces wouldn’t have known any different had she not recognized him first.
The rest of my day was spent watching The Secret
It was yucky and rainy and all day and it’s the kind of weather that makes you want to stay in rather than go out. I told Brian that I would wish for better weather and that it will happen. Anyway, it was still raining a little bit when we got off work and went to his parents’ house for dinner. When it was time to go home, it had stopped drizzling. By the time I got ready to go out, it was a little chilly but actually nice enough that I could have worn a dress to the club if I wanted. By the time we got out of the club, it was nice (i.e. I probably could have walked to the car without putting my jacket on). It’s amazing that you can harness the power of the universe to make things materialize or come into fruition.
You all probably think this is hokey, and some of it is; but this truly is amazing and powerful stuff. So anyway, besides getting a lot of stuff done on my day off, I actually did some learning too. Imagine that. Oh, and to top it off, I got all of our laundry done in one day. Am I awesome or what?
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Find Everything Fast
Posted on June 25, 2010 by Ching under Shopping, Tips.
Ever gotten frustrated at the local supermarket because you can’t find anything? If you shop the Dillons Marketplace at Central and Rock Road or the one in Andover, have I got a treat for you! Check out these Marketplace maps!
This one is a map of the Central and Rock Road Dillons Marketplace. You can pick up a copy of this map at the store, right by the entrance. You could also click on the picture above to enlarge it, print yourself a copy and never get lost again.
By the way, there’s a store directory inside. I’m posting it here so that you can it print out as well. Now, you can’t say I haven’t helped you out. Reading my blog is useful after all. =P
Here’s a map and directory of the Dillons Marketplace in Andover so that those of you who prefer to do your grocery shopping there don’t feel left out.
I will post a map of the West side Dillons Marketplace also (as soon as I can get my grubby, little hands on it) so that the West-siders don’t feel like I’m discriminating against them. I want to help make your shopping experience easier, no matter what side of town you live in. Happy grocery shopping!
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Caring for Your Lingerie
Posted on April 20, 2010 by Ching under Tips.
We all want to make our lingerie items last as long as possible. The best way to achieve this is by not using the washing machine and most especially not the dryer. Using the dryer is possibly the worst thing you could possibly do to a bra.
The best way to clean your bra is to handwash and linedry it as previously mentioned. But what is the proper handwashing technique?
- Fill a basin with cold water. The sink will work just as well as long as you’re not washing several lingerie items.
- Use only a small amount of detergent. A little bit goes a long way. Also, most laundry detergents are pretty harsh so it’s not recommended to use a lot. Actually, most experts recommend using special lingerie detergents which are gentler on delicate fabrics. Check out the links on the right for some detergent options. (Special lingerie detergent isn’t cheap so some people use Woolite. I guess that’s okay as long as you don’t use a lot of it. If you have to use a substitute, consider using mild shampoo or hand soap.)
- Gently submerge your bras in the cold, soapy water with the clasps undone (unless you’re worried that the clasp will snag).
- Let the bras soak for a few minutes.
- Gently rub together the parts worn closest to your underarms. Remember to be gentle so you don’t bend or re-position the underwire or damage the delicate fabric.
- Drain the sink and refill with cold water. Let the bras sit in the rinse water, swishing them around to remove the detergent.
- Drain the rinse water from the sink.
- Rinse each bra beneath cold, running water.
- Never wring bras dry, specially ones with molded cups or foam padding. You may gently blot bras between two dry towels, but be gentle so as not to flatten or warp the cups.
- Lay flat to dry or linedry.
If these steps seem cumbersome and the bra’s care label says it’s okay to machine wash, then do so but proceed with caution. (I will not be liable for any ruined undergarments.)
The manufacturers know their products best so machine wash if you must, but be sure to carefully follow the care instructions listed on the label… Keeping in mind,
- Always use the gentle cycle.
- Use a lingerie bag to protect the bras from other garments.
- Clasp the band to prevent twisting and tangling during the wash cycle.
- Never dry bras in the dryer. Even if you wash bras in the washing machine, always lay flat to dry or linedry.
Sometimes the care instructions can be confusing, specially if there are only symbols and no words. Textile Affairs has an online guide to common home laundering and dry cleaning symbols to help translate.
I hope you’ve found this post helpful. If you have other tips or suggestions, please post them in the comments.
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