PROTECTING THE BRAND

Brand identity has become a hot topic for individuals and companies alike. Creating a brand takes  a great amount of time, money, and resources. This creation cannot be taken halfheartedly. It is very deliberate and calculated. How you position your brand to your customers will determine your future.

If you are in business for any length of time, you are going to face customer satisfaction issues. How you handle them are critical to remaining a thriving competitor in the marketplace. But for many businesses, repeat customer service issues are not only problematic for customers, they create dissension and morale issues for employees, too.

I'm Sorry
Is there such thing as too much concern for a customer or an issue? I worked for a company that had so man internal problems that were not corrected that every other word to our customers was, "I'm sorry." For this situation, for the lack of that, for not following up. Employees spent most of the day defending the company and protecting the brand, while at the same time, finding impossible solutions for customers. Imagine how that felt, day after day. Empathy, understanding, walking a mile in a frustrated customer's shoes every second of the work day. Impossible. Take action quickly before the actions take your good employees. To another company.

Take some time during your day to listen to your customer service teams. Do you hear the words, "I'm sorry" or other empathetic phrases too much. It could be a sign that you have internal procedures that are broken. Maybe a new product roll-out was not implemented well. Whatever the case, listen and find solutions. Ask your employees to serve on projects for improvements.

Protect your brand, because your employees are protecting you.

How do you protect your brand identity? What ways do you help employees balance protecting the brand and serving the customer?