Keeping It Professional

We have all heard the phrase “keeping it real” but in business the key phrase to remember is “keeping it professional.” Staying professional in the workplace is one of the most important things to do for the chance of success. In situations of employee to employee, employer to employee, and employee/owner to customer; here are things to remember.

Keep your cool.

As a business owner you are going to run into amazing and crazy experiences. Some are certainly very stressful and how you handle yourself is going to be thought about later. You need to make sure you keep your cool, don’t panic, and stay professional. Handle the situation quickly and quietly, keeping customer satisfaction in mind. You will also have employees that may not get along or doesn’t follow the rules. If you have a situation involving an employee, don’t get drawn into a screaming match. Keep cool and professional as you defuse the situation, even if it ends in termination of the employee.

The Customer Is NOT Always Right.

Consumers have always heard the phrase “the customer is always right.” However, all business owners know this is not the case. Customers can be wrong and if you follow the rule of customers are always right, you are opening your business up to be taken advantage of. There are people who will try to abuse policies. Keeping a polite and firm tone, don’t be afraid to tell the customer “No” and stick to your decision. If you let them talk you into giving in, it tells them that if they complain long enough, they will get what they want and keep the same behavior in the future.

Don’t Sling Mud.

Social media now allows customers to leave comments on business’s pages and websites have options for comments on blogs. This means potential customers can see what other consumers have said about the product or service they received. It also means that they can see bad reviews along with the good. Don’t get into an insult or pointing match in a bad review. State the facts of the matter and stay professional in your responses. The more professional you are, the more your reputation as a good business will grow.

By staying professional, there will be less customer and employee conflict. Employees will have more respect for your management staff if they are treated well. Being respectful and professional will boost your retention rate as employees won’t want to leave. Customers will recommend your company to others based on the experience they had. Check back next week and we will be going over why getting and keeping engagement for your website and social media is important.