Customer Service // 01

Truth: I hated customer service when I worked in retail.

Which makes me feel like a hypocrite to write about it and talk about it in a way that makes it seem like I'm an advocate. But my issue is really with the connotation, not the action. I actually can't even stand the term "customer service" - it feels so corporate and cold and jargon-y. It's a term we throw around when we feel slighted by a company or want to impress people by making them think we offer a superior experience.

I want to rename it, to make it cool again. Like Justin Timberlake brought Sexy Back. Anytime I want to come up with a different moniker for a commonly used word or phrase, I turn to my good friend thesaurus.com to find some synonyms. Here's what I found:

Customer: 

Definition: buyer of goods, services

Synonyms: client, clientele, consumer, habitué, patron, prospect, purchaser, regular shopper

Most of those synonyms also felt too corporate, so I went to client:

Client:

Definition: customer

Synonyms: applicant, believer, buyer, chump, consumer, dependent, disciple, follower, front, habitue, head, mark, patient, patron, protege, purchaser, shopper, walk-in, ward

Service: 

Definition: aid, help

Synonyms: account, advantage, applicability, appropriateness, assistance, avail, benefit, business, check, courtesy, dispensation, duty, employ, employment, favor, fitness, indulgence, kindness, labor, maintenance, ministration, office, overhaul, relevance, serviceability, servicing, supply, use, usefulness, utility, value, work

What if, instead of Customer Service, we changed it to Follower Kindness or Believer Benefits or Patron Help? Because isn't that what we're really doing - or should be doing? It's so easy to look at customer service the way I looked at it when I was in retail - a necessary evil of breaking rules to keep customers. But if we look at it that way, we're missing the point. 

They say that a brand is a multitude of experiences and that the way you feel after an experience will either turn you away or keep you coming back for more. Experiences are powerful things…and, in business, often directly related to how we service our clients. Service is the act of serving, something I think that, all too often, we forget is at the heart of what we do.

And when we look at it that way, customer service isn't just a tool we should pull out when a miscommunication happens or a client gets upset. It should be a standard we set for ourselves in every interaction, looking for ways we can SERVE the people who support us. Aren't our followers, our believers, really the ones who are doing us the favor?

I'll leave you with an example of great service that I experienced last week. Most companies have "cannot be combined with any other offer" in the fine print of their coupons/rewards/incentives, and it's something we've come to expect when shopping…and work around. I went to order something last week from Shootsac and had an old gift certificate and a birthday discount. There was only one discount code box, and nowhere to enter my gift certificate number. When I emailed the support address for help, I totally expected them to say the gift certificate had expired or that I couldn't combine the offers…and I had my panties in a ruffle ready to challenge it. But to my surprise, the person on the other side of the computer was so kind and offered to combine the two into one discount code that I could use for my purchase…and to top it off, he rounded up $5. I emailed back in such excitement telling him that he was pretty much the best person in the whole world and that I would be a Shootsac customer for life.

The best part about that experience was that it literally made my day. Throughout the rest of that afternoon and evening, I approached the rest of my activities with gratefulness, which in turn made me feel happier and friendlier, all because someone had shown me a kindness that I may or may not have deserved, and really without a reason. It's a small step that made a difference in my life - one that I plan to remember and pay forward.

A Study of Shoes and Customer Service

I don't know too many girls who aren't in love with shoes. When nothing else fits, shoes are the answer. No matter how ridiculous they are or how many pairs you already own - in the same color and style - there is no such thing as too much. Which is why I found myself the giddily-proud owner of the absurdly awesome pair above (they were on clearance at Target - how could I say no???).

I have a friend who sells shoes on eBay. Recently, she sold a pair of designer shoes to a customer and sent them off in a timely manner to the address provided in the buyer's eBay profile. A few weeks later, the buyer contacted my friend to let her know the shoes hadn't arrived even though the package tracking information indicated that the purchase had been delivered. Upon investigating the issue, the seller realized that the shipping address provided in the buyer's eBay profile was different from the one provided with their payment information, which was ultimately why the shoes had not reached the buyer. At which point, my friend called me to talk about how to resolve the issue.

Trust me when I say that I am not a customer service expert, but because I dealt with issues like this when I was working in retail, certain members of my cohort like to discuss issues like this when they arise. I guess I have been on both sides of the counter, so to speak. On one side, you as the seller, or business owner, have to abide by your business policies out of fairness to all customers and make sure you're not "giving away the farm." On the other side, the buyer, or the customer, has invested in your business and has a right to receive the product or service that they paid for. Additionally, our culture endorses a philosophy that the customer is always right because they hold the keys to your reputation, which can have a great impact on a business' profits. For those of us who operate online, our reputations rely heavily on customer satisfaction ratings that can be shattered by a negative review by one unsatisfied person.

A situation like the one my friend recently found herself in can be very tricky to navigate because neither party specifically did anything "wrong." And that's where I think so many companies, both large and small go wrong with customer service. We get so hung up on who is "right" and who is "wrong" instead of focusing on the real issue - communication. In almost every sticky situation that I have encountered in working with people, poor communication was at fault, resulting in mixed messages and disappointed expectations. Unfortunately, we can't undo poor communication after the fact, but we can apologize for the problems it caused and learn how to be better at it in the future.

I advised my friend that if the shoes couldn't be located by the shipping company and sent on their way within a reasonable period of time, her best course of action to repair her relationship with the buyer would probably be to offer an alternative replacement or refund the purchase price of the shoes. It sucks for her to loose out on that income, but unfortunately, mistakes are a cost of doing business. Even if they're not your mistakes. And at the end of the day, it is way more awesome to have somebody rave about your business because you wowed them out of a tough situation than to have them destroy the reputation you've worked so hard to build over the years.

The ideal solution to a difficult customer service situation is the one where both people think they got the best end of the deal. But when you absolutely have to choose, I'd go with letting the customer have the better end because the return will most likely be even greater than your investment.

2013 Goals

I love watching people come into their own.

Finding their style.

Following their passion.

Making a change to design a better life.

I think we all have a tortured artist somewhere inside of us, that part of ourselves that is always searching for something greater, something more. Some of us have it in excess – I swear this is what is at fault for my perfectionistic tendencies, which are often more of a burden than a blessing because the truth is that Marilyn knew what she was talking about. Imperfection is beauty. It’s just hard for me to see it that way right now.

But this isn’t about focusing on imperfections – it’s about the desire to continue to improve, to be better. Better at my craft, better at business, better at being happy. And god knows, right now, I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time, so I’d like to keep trending that direction. Thankyouverymuch.

So, in order to continue to improve, I’ve got some goals. And they say that people who write down their goals are some percentage more likely to make them happen. (Did you know that 23% of all percentages are made up on the spot? Yeah, I knew that too.) I don’t want to just write them down and keep them hidden away in my journal, I’d rather share them and say out loud…this is where I want to go this year.

2013 Goals:

// Go to a photography workshop

I’ve been dying to do this for several years now. Last year I went to the Sitehouse Go Live Workshop and got so much out of it…not just a new website and an education in Showit, the software used to build it (more on that coming soon!), but I made a bundle of new friends who I still keep in touch with via the awesomeness of social media (definitely the best part...I love following these girls and keeping up with how they continue to grow and improve). Now it’s time to do a workshop that will help me continue to grow as a photographer…but which one? Feel free to share if you went to one that you highly recommend, that really made a difference in your work…I’d love to hear more about it!

// Master off-camera flash

Most of my portrait sessions take place using outdoor natural light (aka the light from the sun), but not too many people have their wedding reception in those conditions. When I went to the Flashbus Tour stop in DC two years ago, I learned all of the theory behind lighting with flashes that are not attached to the camera, but at the time, I had just purchased my very first (single) speedlight (aka flash) and didn’t have a good way to practice the multiple-light techniques they taught that day. That was also at a time where I was trying to save every penny for gear purchases, and just this past year I finally bought another flash, so it’s time to put the knowledge to good use! I’ve practiced a little around my house (I mean, on my pets)…and can’t wait to really dig in and get this down!

// Get published

I love wedding blogs as much as the next girl, even though I’m already married. Yes, I still look at them to see what’s trending in the wedding world and to get photo inspiration too. In so many ways, this is my “I’m really a photographer” goal – the one that if I can make it happen, will make me feel legitimized. We all have those things, the goals if we accomplish them make us feel like we/or work are worth something, and this is that goal for me. Even though being published once is not the end of the road, I just want to make photographs that are worthy of blogs and magazines.

// Make new friends

This is my open casting call for friends. And of course I’m terrified that it’s going to come off as desperate, but at the same time I think it’s worth sharing, because maybe you are looking for a new friend too? If so, holla! I love working from home. I love working with my husband. But at some point we are going to get sick of each other (hasn’t happened yet, on my end…) and I also like to have girls’ nights for those times where watching another weird sci-fi/action/thriller movie is just not going to cut it (ugh, I so don’t want to admit it, but I love me some romantic comedies and musicals. As much as I don’t want to love them because they are predictable. But I also love weddings, so who am I kidding anyway?). So I’m going to work at getting out there and finding some peeps. And maybe some friends who love weddings and photography as much as I do…that would be cool too.

So there you have it, my “resolutions” of sorts. And if you feel like it…put yours out there too…and we can cheer each other on. 

Oh, and here are two fun pictures from the "office" today…I love my crazy coworkers. (ha…they do a lot of sleeping on the job. Must be nice.)

Hold me to it...this is gonna happen!

Go Live Recap + A New Website!

For months, I longed to go to a workshop. At the same time, I was struggling to design my online house to display my photo skillz. Yes, skillz. I grew up in the 90s, I can't help it. I also can't help my huge girl-crush on Promise Tangeman (and her hair - I desperately wish I could get mine to look like hers), the awesome designer behind a few of my favorite people's branding and websites.

So when I found out that Promise was hosting a workshop to help photographers get their websites online IN TWO DAYS, I knew it was going to be legendary. And that I needed to go.

It turned out to be more than I could wildly have dreamed it could be.

So two weeks ago, I boarded a Southwest Jet (on their 41st birthday no less! I heart Southwest!) for Phoenix. Side note: I'm not the type of person who likes to wing it on my travels - I like to have a plan to stick to...know where I'm going, how I'm gonna get there. But the night before I left, after checking into my flight, I was searching groupon for honeymoon deals and found the COOLEST boutique hotel running a deal that I couldn't refuse. So I took it (king-sized bed all to myself - my idea of living in luxury! I like to sleep horizontally, and flail a little too), not really sure how I was getting from there to the workshop the next day since I opted out of the too-expensive rental car that I am now magically old enough to drive. My mom suggested taking the super shuttle from the airport to the hotel, which I informed her was only for old people (only to say it to another workshop-goer to find out that she utilized the awesome blue bus - then felt bad for stereotyping), and which was too full of said old people to fit my poor weary soul in the 100+ degree heat. Instead, I hailed a cab; in my head it was very cosmopolitan, but I'm sure in reality it was far less impressive - the cab driver may have actually approached me upon seeing the lost expression that attached itself to my face. Speaking of unimpressive, my cab driver actually asked for directions to the hotel, and then proceeded to ignore the suggestions of my phone. Fortunately, we arrived, but I certainly wondered whether it was safer to get in a vehicle with a strange man than to just take public transportation (which turned out to be way less sketchy than the DC metro) on my own after dark. Long digression, my apologies.

Back to the workshop:

In my wildest dreams, I wanted a website and I wanted to work with Promise, who I look up to as a design innovator and who inspires me in so many ways. What I walked away with were 13 new besties, a new outlook on myself and my business, a new website, and a new creative platform.

In the weeks leading up to the workshop, we did a lot of homework, preparing us for the experience ahead - and doing the homework got the gears turning for the content we created in Phoenix. I put together a Pinterest board beforehand that was a definite jumping-off-point for the colors and style of the site I created. As part of the cost of the workshop, we were provided a Sitehouse design to customize at the event, which provided the ease of a template with a lot of extra versatility.

But what made it an experience that was life changing was being surrounded by other creatives, hoping to achieve the same goal. It is much easier to accomplish a task when there is a team to cheer you on - and you have two dedicated days to cross it off your list! It took me back to the world of high school swim meets, where no matter what, the team was behind you, yelling for you, and you didn't want to let them down. We celebrated the launch of each site with a margarita toast and lots of cheering (aiii - yaiaii! whoop, whoop!). On top of it all, Showit (the company who provides the design software and hosts the websites) provided amazing technical support - and once again, I was reminded why I like to work with companies who truly care about the success of their clients.

After being back for two weeks and thinking back on the experience, I feel inspired to continue building my brand and my business. The creative box surrounding me that I felt was a few sizes too small has finally ripped apart, and I feel like I have boundless new ideas. And while my website right now is not a perfect reflection of me and my business, I know now it's because I have so much more to create and it will evolve as I go out and make more pictures. I can't wait to see how it all will change and grow.

And one last story...while we were working on our sites, Showit was broadcasting the event to viewers at home. Somehow, Ben found out about it, and decided to tune in to be my stalker watch the fascinating process of building a website, which involves a lot of staring at a computer screen, shifting positions maybe once an hour. Clearly it was captivating...he claims he ONLY HAPPENED to have tuned in for a second - the exact one where my name was pulled from a fishbowl as the winner of an Align album design. Before I could text him to tell him, he had already sent a congratulatory message...such a sweetheart!