News (blog)

I wanted to pass on this information I received from ICLMA Board Member Jackie Farley. There’s a scam email going around from a “Alex Fiks” and she wanted to share what happened when she contacted him…

• The email came directly to my yahoo account and not thru my Wise Women website. That is odd but not unheard of.
• He wanted unspecified services, was attending an unspecified conference in an unspecified location. 
• He was obviously from an unspecified country and his English language skills were odd.
• Once I started asking for specifics, he started talking about needing a quick answer and payment. I asked for payment up front on his credit card and he wrote back that he would pay all my fees up front but he needed me to process his credit card for other travel involving another party. 
• I could have gone one more step which I think would have involved my bank account or credit card but decided to cut him off there. 
• Once I sent him a no, I received the same original email this morning as I am sure he is trying to scam other concierge.
  

Don't fall for these traps! At the end of the day, they're looking to get your bank account details, or scam you into buying merchandise for them (that you won't get paid for). Others are looking to steal your identity.

So stay safe everyone!

Katharine and Jackie

I received a voice mail from a client the other day, and she said her name and phone number so fast that I had to listen to it three times before I could get the number!  Later, I received yet another voice mail and the gentleman must have been on his cell phone because the line cracked right as he was saying his name and number. Luckily I had called this particular client before so I was able to reach him.

In light of this, I thought I would offer you all a few telephone tips …

Please say your name and phone number twice!  First at the beginning, and then again at the very end. Please do not assume that the person you are calling can recognize your voice!  They may, and then again they may not. I’ve received dozens of calls where the caller just starts speaking and never tells me who they are.

Speak slowly … this is not a race!  I know you’ve memorized your number and can rattle it off fast, but that doesn’t help me when I have to listen to the message a few times before I can get the number.  Plus, if you left me a long message and gave the phone number at the end then I have to listen to that long message over and over again!  Can’t tell you how annoying that is.

If you don’t hear back from the person within a reasonable amount of time, let’s say 24 to 48 hours, then call them back. It could be that they couldn’t understand your voice mail and were unable to return the call. 

Return all telephone calls and emails within 24 hours or less!  Good customer service is the number one way to grow your business.

Until next time everyone!

A few years ago I was in Las Vegas on my way home from teaching a class. When I got to the airport, I found out that my flight had been delayed which caused a bunch of us to miss our connecting flights. Ah well!  I tend to be calm about these sorts of things because there really is no use getting mad about it. In fact, I was cracking jokes to the woman in back of me to lighten the mood a bit.

The gentleman in front of me, however, was different. He was so mad that I could almost see steam coming out of his ears. He was yelling and screaming at this poor young girl behind the counter. It wasn't her fault that our flight was delayed, but he didn't seem to care about that. He spent about 10 minutes banging the counter with his hand and yelling at her in loud tones, and then stormed off. As I watched him go, I wondered why on earth would you yell at the person who has the power to get you home?

Since I was next in line, I walked up to her counter and immediately noticed that she was doing everything in her power to keep from breaking down in front of me. She was so distraught that her hands were shaking!  My heart melted. So I put my bags down and looked her right in the eyes. I then told her to take as much time as she needed to get herself together because I was sure her supervisor wasn't going to let her go on a break. I then started to gently talk to her while she wiped her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

We chatted about the man and his situation for a few minutes until she had calmed down. I got her to laugh about it and she was able to move forward. She then put me on a flight and I headed towards my gate. As I walked, I looked down at the ticket and was stunned when I saw that had given me a seat in first class!  Plus there was a certificate that bought me dinner in the airport.

As I've said many many times ... what you put out in this world, you'll get back. Treat people like you yourself would like to be treated. That's the true key to business.

Until next time!

Katharine

I'd like to talk about emails this month. Many of you know how quick I am to answer emails, well it seems that I am not the norm. I've had to email dozens of people this week for various reasons and most have not emailed me back ... which drives me nuts.

So I'll say it one more time for those of you who are new to my column here ... PLEASE email people back!  Just a quick note will do.  A quick "I got it, thanks" would suffice.

When I don't hear from someone, I often will have to send out a second email, and if that doesn't work, a third!  I had that happen to me this week, but instead of sending the third email I simply picked up the phone and called them. Since it was about a speaking job they had hired me for, I was persistent and didn't give up on them.

Another client emailed me and asked if I could set up a telephone consultation with them. They went on and on about how urgent it was and how it couldn't wait. Then when I replied back to them lightening fast guess what happened? They took 3 days to answer me back. By then they were so desperate they wanted to chat with me the following morning. So again, I replied back fast, and again didn't hear from them for 2 days. We finally did connect, but the whole thing left a big impression on me, and it wasn't a good one. Will I refer them out to people?  Not likely.

If they treated me this way, how were they treating their clients?  What sort of impression do you think they're leaving?

See my point?

So please answer your emails as fast as possible. DON'T IGNORE THEM!  If you tell people that by hiring you, you are actually giving them some time back ... then you must respect their time and call or email them back in a timely manner.

One of the keys to business success is to treat other people like you want to be treated.

Until next month!

Katharine

Did you ever hear of the expression “there is no such thing as a second impression?”

While I agree with it, I also think your second impressions is just as important.

A number of years ago, my husband and I decided to update our dated backyard, so we interviewed a few landscapers.  We found the first landscaper at a garden expo in Raleigh. We chatted with him for quite a while at the show and genuinely liked what he said to us. His brochure looked great so we thought he would do a great job.  When he came to the house, however, he asked very few questions and wrote very little down. After a few weeks went by, he finally emailed his drawing, which a 10 year old could have done. He gave us absolutely no information on what plants he would plant or how much it would cost.  Horrible.  We never called him back.

The second landscaper also had an awesome brochure. He asked questions, wrote things down and suggested plants for our yard. We both loved him!  It's been over 6 years now and we still have not heard back from him.  Did we hire him?  No.

Eventually we hired a company a friend recommended. They had a nice website and asked many questions like the first two companies, but they did something the others didn’t. They emailed us back and followed up! They sounded genuinely interested in us and were incredibly warm and friendly. Did we hire them?  Absolutely.

Second impressions are just as important as the first one. If you promise to call someone back. Call them back in a timely manner. If you promise to meet someone at a specific time, then be there at that time. I can't tell you how important it is to your business!  It can seriously make or break you.  Follow up on all your proposals and follow through on all your promises, each and every time.

Your second, third and tenth impression should be just as awesome as the original one was. 

Over the top customer service every time is the key to a successful business.

Here are my ten "P's" of success!

Plan – Create a business and marketing plan

Publicity – print media, radio, television, direct marketing, networking and social media.

Persistence – Don’t give up!!  Never ever give up your dream. Determination and persistence is the key. Did you know that General Foods started in 1929? If they have the guts to start in a depression, you can start yours now!

Passion in what you’re doing.

Product - know your product inside and out.

People - understand the people you are selling to! They’re not just clients, they’re real people and you can talk to them. No matter who you talk to, remember that they are a person first. Everyone on the planet puts their pants on one leg at a time.

Prioritize – don’t do too much at once. Pick 5-10 things and then do them. Don’t be so widespread - know what you’re going to do first. Also, focus on one or two niche markets when you are first starting out.

Places - Network, network, network! Go to every networking function that you can find. Build an army of people who heard about you through word-of-mouth.

Promote - Market for new clients even when you don’t need any. Sure this month you have more work than you can handle, but what happens if the client pool runs dry next month. Then what? NEVER stop marketing!!!

Plus! Always give them more than they expect … go the extra mile. Customer service should be your number one priority!!!

Lastly, don’t let people tell you no! When they tell you “no” ask “why not?” Ask them why they are saying no … is the price too high? Do they already use a company for this service? ASK THEM!

Until next time,

Katharine Giovanni

This month I thought I would talk about publicity. Here are 10 tips ..

Be familiar with the show/publication. Your pitch should be about how your story will work for them.

Don't take "no" personally.  Perhaps it’s just not right for them, or they just did a story on your topic. I suggest you ask them if they can suggest another publication/show that might be interested. You never know what contact name you might get!

Keep your email short and to the point. DON'T send any file attachments because they won’t open them, or they’ll be deleted as spam. Just include a link to your website.

They prefer email over fax. It’s fast and easy and can be forwarded. It is fast to review, and can be easily forwarded to several others.

Prepare a “sound bite” – What if they call you? Well, I know very few media people who have the time to listen to your entire story. What to do? Prepare a 30-second elevator speech that will capture their attention. In 30 seconds or less, tell them why your story will make their show the best it’s been in years.

Follow-up – Follow-up with everyone. No exceptions. Also return your emails and telephone calls within 24 hours or less. Again, no exceptions.

Believe – Believe in what you are doing!  You can’t promote something if you don’t believe in it with all your heart. Speak with passion!!

Headlines – Make the headlines on your press releases attention grabbers … they should literally reach out and grab them and make them want to read the story.  Should be short, no more than one line.

Word of Mouth – Tell everyone you know what you are doing!! Network, Network, Network!!! Bring your business cards with you absolutely everywhere because you never know who you are going to bump into.

KEEP TRYING!  Never give up … if they say no just call again in a few months with a new angle or different story idea.

Until next month!

Katharine

Turn your email off.

Check your email when it fits your schedule and not the other way around. Read it at your own pace rather than the minute it arrives in your in-box.

Use your voice mail.

Let your voice mail answer the phone for a while. You can return the call later.  This way you can finish that report your working on! 

Take one thing at a time, one day at a time.

When you start to feel overwhelmed, try taking one thing at a time. Make a list of things you need to do and put the most urgent one at the top. Once you have completed it, cross it off and move on to the next one. Soon they’ll all be done!  

That’s what I do … I run two companies and one association out of my office so to avoid getting overwhelmed by it all, I do one project at a time. Otherwise I would go nuts!!

Until next time everyone!

Katharine

Why Hire a Concierge? 

By Katharine C. Giovanni

Why should you hire a concierge?  I can think of a hundred reasons actually. Here are just a few ...

People around the world are trying to squeeze thirty-six hours into a twenty-four-hour day, and when you do that you don’t do it very well. If you continue to do it on a regular basis, then eventually your body will resent it and you’ll get sick. Concierge are here to give you your health back. They’re here to give you the extra hours that you have been craving and will do what has to be done, so that you can do want to do like spending more time with your children or spending a few extra hours at work.

Companies around the world are also getting into the act. They are not only starting to use concierge, but they are making them a part of their corporate benefit packages. They are reasoning correctly that the less time people spend running personal errands during the workday, the more time they can spend at their desks and, subsequently, with their families at night.

Still not sure you need a concierge?  Here are a few more reasons why you need to hire us …

• The average U.S. worker admits to frittering away more than 2.09 hours a day, not counting lunch, on personal business. This costs companies an estimated $759 billion a year.” - Salary.com and AOL Survey.
• The average worker skips 24 minutes of his or her lunch break every day, the equivalent of approximately two weeks more holiday per year (figures from Data Monitor).
• Since 1969, family time for a working couple has shrunk an average of 22 hours a week. U.S. Government
• Workplace stress is costing the Australian economy $14.81 billion a year. Medibank-commissioned research
• Stress related presenteeism and absenteeism are directly costing Australian employers $10.11 billion a year. Medibank-commissioned research
• According to the Health and Safety Executive, 6.5 million sick days are taken every year as a result of stress -- costing £7m per week and £1.4m per working day.
• Approximately 13.7 million working days are lost each year in the UK as a result of work-related illness at a cost of £28.3 billion per year – National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

When looking at these statistics, it is easy to see why time has become the commodity of the century and will be even more so in the decades to come. The popularity of concierge services stems from the fact that people are stressed out, overworked, and need help dealing with life so they can spend their free time nurturing themselves and their families. As good workers become harder to find, businesses are looking for concierge services to offer as perks to keep valuable employees happy.

That being said, below is a list of 20 ways you can use a concierge (the real list of what a concierge can do for you is endless)…

1. Obtaining tickets to concerts, special events and sporting events
2. Transportation Services – train, plane or automobiles … concierge can get it!
3. Travel and Vacation Planning
4. Business Referral Service – need a landscaper or a plumber?
5. Restaurant Recommendations and/or Reservations
6. Pet services
7. Internet Research – need research done and you don’t have the time to do it?
8. Personalized shopping and delivery
9. Dry cleaning pick-up and/or delivery
10. Grocery shopping
11. Senior care
12. Picking up or returning a gift
13. Bill paying
14. Auto Maintenance
15. Home Organization
16. Notary Services – many concierge area a traveling notary and can actually come to you.
17. Delivering a Meal - breakfast, lunch or dinner
18. Prescription Pick-up and delivery
19. Repair and Service Calls
20. Sick Care – sick in bed? Call a concierge and they’ll do your errands, arrange for dinner to be delivered and can be on hand to help your family out

So get your life back!  Hire a concierge to do what has to be done so that you can do what you've always wanted to do.

If you are looking to hire a concierge, then I suggest you visit www.ICLMA.org and check out our international concierge directory. We have members from all over the world who can assist you.

Good Luck!

About the Author: Katharine is an award-winning author and the world’s leading concierge trainer and consultant as well as a Certified Concierge Specialist (CCS) and Speaker. She is one of the founders of Triangle Concierge and is the Chairman of the Board and Founder of the International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association (ICLMA) as well as the author of several business books including her award-winning book Going Above and Beyond and The Concierge Manual.

If you wish to re-print this article, that's fine. Just include the biography at the end of the article. Thank you!

copyright © 2011 by Katharine C. Giovanni, CCS