If you have a business that deals with any kind of customer or clients, which is essentially all businesses, you’re bound to have to deal with angry or unhappy customers on an occasional basis. And while this likely isn’t something that you look forward to, knowing how to handle these situations and turn them into a positive can be immensely beneficial to your business.

To help you see how this can be done, whether you work in a senior living facility or in a retail business, here are three tips for dealing with angry customers or clients. 

Seek To Acknowledge Them

One of the first things that you should do when you’re approached by a customer or client who’s unhappy is to acknowledge whatever it is they’re saying.

While it’s often easier to understand why someone is upset when it’s for a reason that you can relate to, at this stage in your communication, acknowledging what’s happened, taking responsibility for your company’s role in it, and assuring your customer or client that you’ll do everything in your power to rectify things can go a long way. 

Learn To Practice Empathy

While you’re expressing your acknowledgement of what’s happened or what’s going on that’s made your customer or client angry, one thing you should keep in mind is that they want to feel empathy from you. 

Simply saying that you understand what they’re saying and get why they’re upset likely won’t do it. To really be effective, your customer or client needs to feel that you see where they’re coming from and have empathy for them. This empathy should be apparent in what you’re saying, the way that you’re saying it, and what your body language is saying simultaneously. While doing this can take some practice, especially if it’s in a situation where you feel like things are getting blown out of proportion, committing to being empathetic can really help to smooth things over when tensions are running high. 

Make Yourself And Your Policies Clear

Once you’ve gotten a handle on what’s going on and have uncovered what you can do to fix things, you should then seek to be very clear with your customer or client about what you’ll be doing and what they’ll need to be doing to help get things right. 

Ideally, you should reach back out to them with a list of the next steps that will be happening and a reassurance that you’ll be taking care of things for them. By doing this, you can turn a bad customer service situation into a good one by leaving them on a positive note rather than a negative note. 

If you know that you’ll be dealing with angry customers or clients in the future, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how to do so effectively. 

The world of business these days is a pretty crazy one, and loads of companies are finding that they need to team up with other people to make sure everything runs like clockwork. One ally you might want to look for in your supply chain game is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. 

The thing about 3PLs is that not all of them are made equal! You must be super-smart when picking out someone who’s going to work well with your business. It needs to be someone who can streamline everything so it’s more efficient and saves you some cash at the same time. 

To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the top four things you should keep in mind when choosing which 3PL partner will be just right for what you’re trying to do!

1. Expertise and Industry Experience

When you’re trying to find the perfect 3PL partner, it’s really important to look at how much experience they have in your particular industry. You want to try and hook up with somebody who’s got a track record of dealing with all the same kinds of stuff that you do! 

When you get working with a 3PL provider who knows their way around what makes your industry tick, there are all sorts of benefits. They can bring different ideas to the table about how things could run more smoothly than ever before. 

It’s not only because they’ve seen it before but also because they totally get what kind of unique needs and challenges come up when dealing with your vertical.

2. Comprehensive Service Offerings

When picking out a 3PL provider, ensuring they offer all the services your business needs is key. That means going through everything carefully and making sure they have what you must have. 

These include figuring out how you’ll move stuff around, where it’ll need to be stored, keeping track of what’s in stock (or not), fulfilling orders, and if there are any value-added services that could really help take your business up a notch! 

Here’s something else important to remember. If lumper services are part of keeping things moving for you, be sure the 3PL provider has this under control, too. Loading and unloading is one area where every single second counts!

3. Scalability and Flexibility

It’s only natural that what you need from a 3PL provider will change and evolve as your business grows. That’s why when you’re picking out someone to work with, one of the most important things to remember is that they can scale up everything they do for you. So, there are no worries about being left behind! 

This means looking closely at their abilities: Do they have enough space for all the extra stuff you might throw their way? Can they help get all your items moving through exactly where they need to be going as fast as possible? Don’t forget about making sure their tech infrastructure can roll with any changes too!

4. Technology and Visibility

We’re living in a world that’s almost entirely digital, so it should come as no surprise that technology has become a total game-changer when it comes to logistics management too! If you want to find the perfect 3PL provider, taking a good hard look at their tech skills is an absolute must. 

You need to check out everything they’ve got – from how their warehouse management systems work to whether they can track all your shipments in real-time! If the 3PL partner you choose has access to top-notch tech solutions, then there are all sorts of perks. 

You’ll always know exactly where your inventory is at any given time, be able to monitor every single shipment on its way, and have instant access to important data whenever you want it. So don’t sleep on making sure this particular box is ticked when searching for somebody who will meet all your needs!

Final Thoughts

Being strategic about finding the perfect third-party logistics (3PL) provider is a huge deal! Why? Because when you work with someone who’s just right for your business, it’ll make everything go smoother and save you gobs of cash in the long run. Picking out a 3PL partner that can help streamline everything practically means saying goodbye to all sorts of headaches. 

There’s no more wasting time or money, no more running into roadblocks left and right, and no worrying if competitors will take you down. So don’t sleep on making sure that whoever you end up joining forces with has what it takes to give you a serious edge over everyone else out there.

As a business owner, one of your main priorities when it comes to customer service is to make your business friendly to senior citizens. Even if you’re not particularly focused on selling your products or services to an older demographic, making your business and the tools that you use for sales accessible to older people will not only help you to get more sales, but it will also help your business be more inclusive in general.

To help you see how this can be accomplished, here are three ways to make your business more senior friendly. 

Make Everything Accessible

One of the first and best things that you can do to make your business more senior friendly is to look at your business through a lens of accessibility. In an ideal world, everything about your business would be accessible to people of all ages. But for older demographics, this might mean making some changes that you hadn’t originally thought of. 

To help you with this, try to use your business in the mindset of someone who’s older or coming from an assisted living-type situation. Think both in terms of going to your physical location as well as using your digital services when you consider accessibility. This might include doing things like making sure people with wheelchairs or walkers can easily make their way through your store, that the text on your website is easy to read and follow, and more. 

Properly Train Your Staff

Another thing that you can do to help elderly people be more accepted with your business is to train your staff on what your expectations are for them when interacting with people of an older generation. Sadly, many younger people get impatient when interacting with older people, so learning what you as the business owner expect from them can be helpful. 

One thing you should focus on with your training is being helpful, respectful, and patient when working with older customers. This can take some practice. But if you can make a reputation for yourself as being friendly and helpful to the elderly, you could open yourself up to a new customer base. 

Be Accommodating

Something else that you should put your effort into as a business is accommodating the needs of the elderly population that you’re working with. 

In many instances, older people need places to rest while doing their physical shopping, people who can give them assistance, and other forms of physical and emotional support. So if you’re able to think about these things ahead of time and offer them to your elderly customer, this could be extremely helpful for them and great for your business. 

If you want to make your business more friendly to the seniors in your area, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you see how this can be done. 

It’s not uncommon to forget where you left your cell phone or even your morning cup of coffee. However, as we get older these simple slips can start to turn into something more serious. In some cases, it may even develop into something as serious as Alzheimer’s. Luckily there are ways to keep our memories sharp as we age. 

If you’re looking for ways to keep your memory going strong, then here are some of the best tips for combating memory loss.

Read

Statistics show that people who read regularly are five times more likely to have sharper memories. When you read, it stimulates the part of your brain that is connected to memory. Don’t worry— that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to read a novel a day to reap the benefits.   Something as simple as reading a morning article, or a few chapters of a book at night can make a significant difference in staying mentally fit.

Stay Active

Physical activity can make a big difference in how your brain functions. When we move our bodies we increase the overall blood flow.  Something as low impact as going for a brisk walk after lunch, or even dancing for minutes in your living can be enough to make a difference. The idea is to work up enough physical activity that gets your heart going. a good indication that your heart is beating fast enough is if it’s going at a rate that makes it slightly difficult to talk.

Go Out In The World

The more that we isolate ourselves from the world, the less our brain is stimulated. As we get older, we tend to stay in more, which can have a negative impact on our brains. Try to stay social and make a point to go on outings as much as possible. Whether it’s at a local event, or having dinner at a friend’s house, socializing benefits our mental and physical well-being.

Avoid Alcohol and other Harmful Substances

Even though we may enjoy an occasional glass of wine once in a while, it may not be doing much for our brains. People who consume alcohol excessively have lower cognitive skills, and in some cases may suffer from short-term memory loss. 

Some studies suggest that regular alcohol consumption starts to smooth the lines of the brain.  In other words, it’s safe to say that alcohol isn’t doing your brain any favors. 

If you do decide to continue consuming alcohol, consider consuming it in moderation. Cutting back or eliminating drinking and taking substances entirely from your life can be one of the best things you do to preserve your brain well into your older years in life.

Owning or managing a small business can cause a lot of stress, especially if you are new at it or are doing it all on your own. The important thing to remember is that it will be very fulfilling to watch a tiny business grow from the ground up and become successful. However, along the way you will have some challenges. All small business owners and managers go through the same types of issues and luckily most of them can be easily overcome if you put your mind to it. Here are 3 tips for managing a small business. 

Pay Attention To Aesthetics 

Paying attention to the aesthetics of your business is another great tip. This applies to your website, social media, logo and branding, as well as interior design of your store or office. If you do have a brick and mortar location that customers/clients will see, one great tip you should take advantage of is to install the right lighting for the mood you are going for.

Often, small business managers choose the most inexpensive lighting and it ends up being too harsh and bright. This can be very off-putting to potential customers or clients of yours, so look out for it. Choose lighting, paint colors, and art that put off exactly the type of vibes you want your business to emit, and you will start attracting the right type of clientele.  

Hire A Strong Team

Having a strong staff is extremely important for the overall success of any type of business, but this is even more true when it comes to small businesses. Depending on your size, you may not have enough in your budget to hire several employees so it is imperative that the ones you do have are hard workers who really believe in the mission of your company. 

If you are looking to hire but don’t know where to begin, try asking friends, family members, and current employees to see if they have anyone they might recommend. After that, you might want to try turning to one of the many websites out there that are made to help businesses find staff members that are good fits for them.

Keep Costs Down

Although there are certain areas where you should never cut corners within your business, it’s still smart to keep costs down as much as possible so that you never go over budget and end up putting your business in the red. Over time you will get the hang of staying within your budget and it will become easier and easier. 

Managing a small business can be harder than managing a much larger one in many different ways, but it can also be more fun! Hopefully, these tips help to ease any stresses you have that are related to small business management. 

Holidays, events or meetings, and other special occasions are ideal times to give presents to your clients and consumers. Giving branded and high-quality gifts to your recipients can assist to increase ROI (Return on Investment) and ensure that they remember you favorably for a long time. ROI compares earnings to expenses or financial investments. With a little thinking and planning, a company may achieve a higher ROI, a stronger image, and a more memorable experience.

Now, let us see how corporate gifts help in generating ROI.

Provide Gifts in the Correct Size

Giving priority to appropriate-sized business presents will pique the target audience’s curiosity. T-shirts, branded pens, bespoke coffee mugs, computer gadgets, and other such items are excellent examples of such gifts. Sending the appropriate size presents to the appropriate people will assist to achieve a high ROI. These presents to employees, many business owners acquire right-sized items at a lower cost. When these people receive these presents, they are grateful and their motivation to work increases dramatically. When all of the employees show their complete devotion and interest, this thing will earn a lot of money in the end.

Customers are encouraged to take action by using a call to action.

People are often fond of freebies. According to one survey, 60% of consumers who get gifts create a more favorable view of the giver’s brand and are more inclined to conduct business with them. However, asking your beneficiaries to do a reciprocal action after getting the presents is a good way to measure some obvious metrics for your ROI. As a result, including a compelling call-to-action button on your different social media profiles and website will enhance traffic and overall revenue. If a consumer receives a tailored and helpful item as a result of clicking a call-to-action button, he or she will form deeper, emotional connections with your business.

Low-Cost and High-Efficiency

Most business owners employ promotional business presents as part of an aggressive marketing effort to generate high sales. It is also a cost-effective technique to fulfill marketing objectives with elegance while providing excellent value for the entire expenditure. Furthermore, most suppliers and distributors provide high-quality items at reasonable pricing, which is quite beneficial to the business. Marketing efforts such as digital and social media marketing are widely available in the market. By offering branded promotional items as part of this marketing program, the total ROI of the firm will grow.

Conclusion

The above considerations lead to the conclusion that corporate gifts are both cost-effective and relevant to the business in terms of increasing leads. So, whether as part of a direct mail campaign, as a present to loyal clients, or as an exhibition freebie, promotional gifts are a terrific way to obtain awareness, interact with your clients, and so favorably affect your ROI.