You probably have noticed J.C. Penney's heartfelt apology taking over the airwaves afterposting a 13 billion decline in revenue while trying to attract young customers to their stores.  In this newadvertising campaign, the company admits it made mistakes and alienated many of its longtime customers. The voice-over in its most recent ad, "It's No Secret" states: “Some changes you liked, and some you didn't. But what matters with mistakes is what we learn. We learned a very simple thing, to listen to you."

What if YOU make a mistake?

Admit it--  Managers often look to protect themselves instead of helping the dealership move forward. None of these actions will win back your customers; the only way to get past a mistake is to apologize sincerely and swiftly.

Be empathetic--While there are many things outside your control, you can train your staff to practice empathy when the customer is disappointed with an outcome.

Open your ears-- When a customer actually takes the time to tell you what’s wrong instead of hiding away and complaining online, is a great opportunity to learn something.Give the customer different options for communicating, including social media, email, phone, text, and regular mail. Make sure there are processes in place to  respond to these the same day.

Changes to be made--Tell your customer specific changes that will be made in order to correct a mistake. If you cannot come up with an action plan immediately, get back to the customer in a specific period of time to make sure this is done.

Do better--Customers get frustrated if they get repeat apologies for the same mistakes and nothing ever changes.

So how does J.C. Penney commercial end?

"Come back to J.C. Penney. We heard you; now we'd love to see you," the voice-over states.

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What do you think of J.C Penney’s campaign? Would you ever issue a heartfelt apology like this over the airwaves? Comment below! 

You probably have noticed J.C. Penney's heartfelt apology taking over the airwaves afterposting a 13 billion decline in revenue while trying to attract young customers to their stores.  In this newadvertising campaign, the company admits it made mistakes and alienated many of its longtime customers. The voice-over in its most recent ad, "It's No Secret" states: “Some changes you liked, and some you didn't. But what matters with mistakes is what we learn. We learned a very simple thing, to listen to you."

What if YOU make a mistake?

Admit it--  Managers often look to protect themselves instead of helping the dealership move forward. None of these actions will win back your customers; the only way to get past a mistake is to apologize sincerely and swiftly.

Be empathetic--While there are many things outside your control, you can train your staff to practice empathy when the customer is disappointed with an outcome.

Open your ears-- When a customer actually takes the time to tell you what’s wrong instead of hiding away and complaining online, is a great opportunity to learn something.Give the customer different options for communicating, including social media, email, phone, text, and regular mail. Make sure there are processes in place to  respond to these the same day.

Changes to be made--Tell your customer specific changes that will be made in order to correct a mistake. If you cannot come up with an action plan immediately, get back to the customer in a specific period of time to make sure this is done.

Do better--Customers get frustrated if they get repeat apologies for the same mistakes and nothing ever changes.

So how does J.C. Penney commercial end?

"Come back to J.C. Penney. We heard you; now we'd love to see you," the voice-over states.

--------

What do you think of J.C Penney’s campaign? Would you ever issue a heartfelt apology like this over the airwaves? Comment below! 

The new season of Game of Thrones is underway and I’m eager to see where the 7 Kingdomstakes us in the third season. This show adapted from George R.R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels has become more popular than ever, even being the most pirated show to date. As an avid viewer of the show, I wanted to point out managerial and leadership lessons that can be learned from the series’ characters and applied to your dealership. That being said, if you haven’t seen the 2nd season stop reading, as I will be revealing some spoilers.

What can today's manager learn from these feuding fantasy clans?

King Joffrey - Just because you have Power, doesn’t mean you have to use it.

Joffrey is by far, the most unqualified leader Westeros has ever had. Cersei thought she could be the puppeteer and control him, but Joffrey is a coward and he has no love for his people. Which we saw when a mob attacked him in the market.

Dealers: Managers need to realize that they aren’t always right. Good ideas come from all ranks of your dealership’s infantry. Be open to hearing ideas and even--complaints.

Stannis Baratheon - Know when to break the rules

Business leaders must be flexible and opportunistic – the opposite of the single-minded and stubborn Stannis Baratheon. A great weakness of Stannis is his belief in the red woman, Melisandre. Her religion scared away many who would have joined Stannis’ cause against the hated Lannisters. Yes, her super creepy shadow baby did kill Renly, but this red haired woman forced Stannis to attack King’s Landing and ignore the wisdom of one of his trusted advisors.  

 

Dealers: Be flexible and opportunistic. Know that it is okay to not follow the rules once in awhile when it concerns the best interest of your dealership.

 

Cersei Lannister - Be ambitious AND Assertive 

Cersei lacks assertiveness and the skillset to be anything but second in command. We saw this when she plotted her husband’s, King Robert, death and her attempt to rule behind her son, Joffrey. But instead of owning her newfound power, she merely sits back and lets Joffrey run wild.  

 

Dealers: Without assertiveness, ambition will get you nowhere. When you want to accomplish a new task or implement a new service at your dealership, you must properly train your staff and be stern. You can’t just sit back and expect to be successful.

 

Daenerys Targaryen - Plan for the Future

 

Daenerys has a lot of things going for her, she is humble, a servant-leader, and she hasDRAGONS. The only thing is that her dragons do take some time to grow.  As a result, she awkwardly attempts to get loans from the merchant kings of Qarth with no gain as she has found the richest man in Qarth had absolutely nothing.

 

Dealers: There are slow months, there are busy months, there are days when not one person comes on your lot or showroom. This is where you must plan for the future. Take a look at last year’s business trends and this year's predictions and try to plan accordingly.

Robb Stark- Do not Misplace your Trust 

The Young Wolf has the same fault as his father: blind trust. After winning a battle in the South, he loses in the North, and his own mother releases the only bargaining tool that Robb had against the Lannisters – Jaime. Goes to show that you must be careful where you place your trust.

 

Dealers: You need smart and dedicated colleagues to help your dealership excel. Hiring the right staff is essential to the success of your dealership.

 

Tyrion Lannister - Be creative in problem solving.

Tyrion has a lot of things going for him; he’s smart, witty, and shrewd, but he was born a dwarf. Because of his dwarfism, it has given him the worldview that sets his character apart from Lannister clan. Due to his quick thinking and not being afraid to take a risk, he saved King’s Landing from Stannis’ attack.

 

Dealers: When it comes to getting the most out of your digital showroom, be creative. Write blogs that are engaging, consumer driven, and that answer the questions your customers are asking. If you’re looking for a way to increase your leads, consider using live chat!

 

While anyone can rule with a sword, a true leader must serve in the interest of the majority. Unrestrained power undermines authority while power used in a thoughtful conservative manner grants legitimacy.

 

What do you think of the Game of Thrones character’s leadership styles? Which house are you rooting for to take the Iron Throne? Comment below!

The new season of Game of Thrones is underway and I’m eager to see where the 7 Kingdomstakes us in the third season. This show adapted from George R.R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels has become more popular than ever, even being the most pirated show to date. As an avid viewer of the show, I wanted to point out managerial and leadership lessons that can be learned from the series’ characters and applied to your dealership. That being said, if you haven’t seen the 2nd season stop reading, as I will be revealing some spoilers.

What can today's manager learn from these feuding fantasy clans?

King Joffrey - Just because you have Power, doesn’t mean you have to use it.

Joffrey is by far, the most unqualified leader Westeros has ever had. Cersei thought she could be the puppeteer and control him, but Joffrey is a coward and he has no love for his people. Which we saw when a mob attacked him in the market.

Dealers: Managers need to realize that they aren’t always right. Good ideas come from all ranks of your dealership’s infantry. Be open to hearing ideas and even--complaints.

Stannis Baratheon - Know when to break the rules

Business leaders must be flexible and opportunistic – the opposite of the single-minded and stubborn Stannis Baratheon. A great weakness of Stannis is his belief in the red woman, Melisandre. Her religion scared away many who would have joined Stannis’ cause against the hated Lannisters. Yes, her super creepy shadow baby did kill Renly, but this red haired woman forced Stannis to attack King’s Landing and ignore the wisdom of one of his trusted advisors.  

 

Dealers: Be flexible and opportunistic. Know that it is okay to not follow the rules once in awhile when it concerns the best interest of your dealership.

 

Cersei Lannister - Be ambitious AND Assertive 

Cersei lacks assertiveness and the skillset to be anything but second in command. We saw this when she plotted her husband’s, King Robert, death and her attempt to rule behind her son, Joffrey. But instead of owning her newfound power, she merely sits back and lets Joffrey run wild.  

 

Dealers: Without assertiveness, ambition will get you nowhere. When you want to accomplish a new task or implement a new service at your dealership, you must properly train your staff and be stern. You can’t just sit back and expect to be successful.

 

Daenerys Targaryen - Plan for the Future

 

Daenerys has a lot of things going for her, she is humble, a servant-leader, and she hasDRAGONS. The only thing is that her dragons do take some time to grow.  As a result, she awkwardly attempts to get loans from the merchant kings of Qarth with no gain as she has found the richest man in Qarth had absolutely nothing.

 

Dealers: There are slow months, there are busy months, there are days when not one person comes on your lot or showroom. This is where you must plan for the future. Take a look at last year’s business trends and this year's predictions and try to plan accordingly.

Robb Stark- Do not Misplace your Trust 

The Young Wolf has the same fault as his father: blind trust. After winning a battle in the South, he loses in the North, and his own mother releases the only bargaining tool that Robb had against the Lannisters – Jaime. Goes to show that you must be careful where you place your trust.

 

Dealers: You need smart and dedicated colleagues to help your dealership excel. Hiring the right staff is essential to the success of your dealership.

 

Tyrion Lannister - Be creative in problem solving.

Tyrion has a lot of things going for him; he’s smart, witty, and shrewd, but he was born a dwarf. Because of his dwarfism, it has given him the worldview that sets his character apart from Lannister clan. Due to his quick thinking and not being afraid to take a risk, he saved King’s Landing from Stannis’ attack.

 

Dealers: When it comes to getting the most out of your digital showroom, be creative. Write blogs that are engaging, consumer driven, and that answer the questions your customers are asking. If you’re looking for a way to increase your leads, consider using live chat!

 

While anyone can rule with a sword, a true leader must serve in the interest of the majority. Unrestrained power undermines authority while power used in a thoughtful conservative manner grants legitimacy.

 

What do you think of the Game of Thrones character’s leadership styles? Which house are you rooting for to take the Iron Throne? Comment below!

At ActivEngage we know that a happy employee will result in better services for your dealership and your online customers that chat. We take pride in keeping our Virtual Sales Associates (VSAs) happy and we do so by offering a multitude of perks and benefits.

I’m bringing this up because keeping your warriors happy (i.e. corporate culture) is your best marketing plan yet. Take a look at Suzuki of Wichita (soon to be Subaru of Wichita), they havecountless awards and have been named the #1 Suzuki dealership in the USA for 4 years in a row. That doesn’t happen by chance, and if you look further into their award page you can see that this dealership takes the time to recognize their employees.

Aaron Wirtz, Social Media Manager of Suzuki of Wichita states on maintaining a happy atmosphere:

"I feel that the biggest sense of team cohesion at Suzuki of Wichita comes from the work itself. While we do have Tvs, video games, free soda, and a claw machine in the showroom,  it's understood that those are for customers. You'll never see any of our employees standing around using them because there's enough work for everyone to do. People are rarely tempted to goof off because the feeling of accomplishment always trumps the fleeting pleasure of wasting time.

Since our salespeople are non-commissioned (salary based with customer service and volume incentives), there is a sense of working with customers instead of against them. This isn't just some line that we feed people to trick them into trusting us, either. It really is true. Yes, we're in business to sell cars, but the reason why  people come back for their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, even 7th cars is the way we treat them.

Don't get me wrong--employees are treated very well here. Every Friday, the company provides lunch for the employees, and on Saturdays, lunch is provided for employees and customers. This is not a cause of happiness, though, just one of its many effects. At other jobs I've had where morale was low, any sort of gesture from management (free pizza, prizes, etc) was only a cause for more complaining.  

Why do we have so many pictures of smiling employees? Two reasons:

1. People are generally happy here.

2. We make it a priority to document that happiness.

There's nothing fake going on, either. If you've ever been tasked with trying to make miserable car people have fun for the camera, you know it's next to impossible. If you can do it, you're better at persuasion than I am."

If that wasn't enough to explain the importance of keeping your employees happy, here are some additional tips to keep your employees happy:

Keep Communication Open

Business research repeatedly underscores the important role of the middle managers in building an open and honest rapport with employees. This goes beyond regurgitating the company line, which employees can usually spot as easily as an elephant in a driveway

Recognize Success

According to the principles of Six Sigma, a business management system initially developed at Motorola, employee recognition isn't a tool to incentivize success, but rather to establish a standard for excellence.

Set Clear Goals

Psychologists agree that people work their best and hardest when endeavoring to meet a specific, challenging goal. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Albertafound that people who focused on the meaningfulness of their jobs exhibited a 60 percent drop in absenteeism and a 75 percent reduction in turnover.

Provide Growth Opportunities

Career experts rate career development opportunities as one of the top five most important benefits that employees wish for.This especially rings true among the emerging Generation Y workforce. Integrating that need for variety and feedback while potentially improving job performance could prove to be the perfect storm for honing the newest wave of recruits.

Give Employees Respect

A crucial part of nurturing engagement is acknowledging and utilizing the unique skill sets that employees bring to the table. Thomas Britt, an organizational psychologist at Clemson University, suggests that if people aren't tapped for their talents, it squanders engagement and diminishes job commitment.

Provide Feedback

Providing consistent feedback opens up a line of communication between employees and managers -- and the resulting benefits go both ways. Employees gain a better understanding of where they're succeeding and what requires more attention; managers glean insight into office dynamics and daily work flow.

Offer Perks and Benefits

This doesn’t have to be extravagant, you could do a lunch once a month for employees or have some sort of potluck. At ActivEngage we offer our employees, bi-monthly lunches, massages,  free gym memberships, and free health care benefits.

At ActivEngage we know that a happy employee will result in better services for your dealership and your online customers that chat. We take pride in keeping our Virtual Sales Associates (VSAs) happy and we do so by offering a multitude of perks and benefits.

I’m bringing this up because keeping your warriors happy (i.e. corporate culture) is your best marketing plan yet. Take a look at Suzuki of Wichita (soon to be Subaru of Wichita), they havecountless awards and have been named the #1 Suzuki dealership in the USA for 4 years in a row. That doesn’t happen by chance, and if you look further into their award page you can see that this dealership takes the time to recognize their employees.

Aaron Wirtz, Social Media Manager of Suzuki of Wichita states on maintaining a happy atmosphere:

"I feel that the biggest sense of team cohesion at Suzuki of Wichita comes from the work itself. While we do have Tvs, video games, free soda, and a claw machine in the showroom,  it's understood that those are for customers. You'll never see any of our employees standing around using them because there's enough work for everyone to do. People are rarely tempted to goof off because the feeling of accomplishment always trumps the fleeting pleasure of wasting time.

Since our salespeople are non-commissioned (salary based with customer service and volume incentives), there is a sense of working with customers instead of against them. This isn't just some line that we feed people to trick them into trusting us, either. It really is true. Yes, we're in business to sell cars, but the reason why  people come back for their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, even 7th cars is the way we treat them.

Don't get me wrong--employees are treated very well here. Every Friday, the company provides lunch for the employees, and on Saturdays, lunch is provided for employees and customers. This is not a cause of happiness, though, just one of its many effects. At other jobs I've had where morale was low, any sort of gesture from management (free pizza, prizes, etc) was only a cause for more complaining.  

Why do we have so many pictures of smiling employees? Two reasons:

1. People are generally happy here.

2. We make it a priority to document that happiness.

There's nothing fake going on, either. If you've ever been tasked with trying to make miserable car people have fun for the camera, you know it's next to impossible. If you can do it, you're better at persuasion than I am."

If that wasn't enough to explain the importance of keeping your employees happy, here are some additional tips to keep your employees happy:

Keep Communication Open

Business research repeatedly underscores the important role of the middle managers in building an open and honest rapport with employees. This goes beyond regurgitating the company line, which employees can usually spot as easily as an elephant in a driveway

Recognize Success

According to the principles of Six Sigma, a business management system initially developed at Motorola, employee recognition isn't a tool to incentivize success, but rather to establish a standard for excellence.

Set Clear Goals

Psychologists agree that people work their best and hardest when endeavoring to meet a specific, challenging goal. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Albertafound that people who focused on the meaningfulness of their jobs exhibited a 60 percent drop in absenteeism and a 75 percent reduction in turnover.

Provide Growth Opportunities

Career experts rate career development opportunities as one of the top five most important benefits that employees wish for.This especially rings true among the emerging Generation Y workforce. Integrating that need for variety and feedback while potentially improving job performance could prove to be the perfect storm for honing the newest wave of recruits.

Give Employees Respect

A crucial part of nurturing engagement is acknowledging and utilizing the unique skill sets that employees bring to the table. Thomas Britt, an organizational psychologist at Clemson University, suggests that if people aren't tapped for their talents, it squanders engagement and diminishes job commitment.

Provide Feedback

Providing consistent feedback opens up a line of communication between employees and managers -- and the resulting benefits go both ways. Employees gain a better understanding of where they're succeeding and what requires more attention; managers glean insight into office dynamics and daily work flow.

Offer Perks and Benefits

This doesn’t have to be extravagant, you could do a lunch once a month for employees or have some sort of potluck. At ActivEngage we offer our employees, bi-monthly lunches, massages,  free gym memberships, and free health care benefits.

Don’t fret about the latest viral video circulating around your office of kittens, baby pandas or puppies doing something adorable. A Japanese study found that the people who viewed images and videos of  baby animals improved their performance, and were more focused and careful in their tasks. That's why I always include a cute video in the Top Ten Blog Posts for the Week!

Japanese call this Kawaii. Kawaii is an attributive adjective in modern Japanese and is often translated into English as “cute.” Because cute things produce positive feelings, their influence may extend to other aspects of behavior.

So in essence, let your employees relax a little bit.  Social media is part of company culture, and excluding it will actually hinder employee performance. Also, human beings aren’t designed to expend energy continuously. Rather, we’re meant to pulse between spending and recovering energy.

So, here are some tips for your employees while they are on social media sharing those viral videos:

1. Use it for a purpose --Social media can be a great way to network

2. Teach them how to represent themselves with the highest integrity.

3. Hold them accountable-- Keep them responsible for getting the daily required results for their particular jobs regardless of the time spent on the Web.

Now for your viewing pleasure and to boost your productivity a video of  a baby goat or some baby toucans.

*Blog originally posted at www.activengage.com/blog

Don’t fret about the latest viral video circulating around your office of kittens, baby pandas or puppies doing something adorable. A Japanese study found that the people who viewed images and videos of  baby animals improved their performance, and were more focused and careful in their tasks. That's why I always include a cute video in the Top Ten Blog Posts for the Week!

Japanese call this Kawaii. Kawaii is an attributive adjective in modern Japanese and is often translated into English as “cute.” Because cute things produce positive feelings, their influence may extend to other aspects of behavior.

So in essence, let your employees relax a little bit.  Social media is part of company culture, and excluding it will actually hinder employee performance. Also, human beings aren’t designed to expend energy continuously. Rather, we’re meant to pulse between spending and recovering energy.

So, here are some tips for your employees while they are on social media sharing those viral videos:

1. Use it for a purpose --Social media can be a great way to network

2. Teach them how to represent themselves with the highest integrity.

3. Hold them accountable-- Keep them responsible for getting the daily required results for their particular jobs regardless of the time spent on the Web.

Now for your viewing pleasure and to boost your productivity a video of  a baby goat or some baby toucans.

*Blog originally posted at www.activengage.com/blog

Sometimes in Florida, I see the occasional flock of birds fly in a V formation heading south(probably to Miami, they have a great party scene). That got me thinking, how does that V formation help them fly faster and farther? Of course, I found the answer and ways it can relate to creating the ideal team environment for your dealership.

In 1972, Dr. Robert McNeish, a science teacher from Baltimore wrote, “Lessons From Geese.” Here is the simplified version of it:

Observation: Geese fly in a V formation because as each goose flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the geese that follow and the whole flock adds an estimated 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: Employees who share a common direction and sense of community can get to where they are going quicker and easier because they are utilizing the power from each other to get there. All of your staff should understand the common goal of your dealership and where, as a group, they should be striving to go.

Observation:  When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. So, it quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we would stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. However we know there are always a few employees who leave the formation. For your straggler employees, processes should be in place that have them feeling the drag when they remove themselves from your dealership’s common goal.

Observation: When the lead goose tires, it rotates to the back of the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing hard tasks and sharing. You should continually rotate who is taking the lead on special projects such as updating new employee training, testing your email marketing effectiveness or vendor reviews and exploration. That way, your employees are not being tired out by juggling their day-to-day tasks and special project tasks.

Observation: Geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: Encouraging others is important and will be much appreciated by your staff. Openly recognize top performers and remember to provide honest feedback when an employee asks for it. However, we need to make sure our “honking” is helpful and not harmful. Make sure any reprimands must be done in private and not in front of the entire team.

Observation: When a goose gets sick or wounded, two other geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again.

Lesson: We must stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong. Sometimes there is an employee who needs some extra training or help to get up to speed. Have someone take them under their wing and help them out until they are able to fly on their own again.

------

There you have it! More lessons we can learn from animals! What do you think of the lessons that we can learn from geese?

Sometimes in Florida, I see the occasional flock of birds fly in a V formation heading south(probably to Miami, they have a great party scene). That got me thinking, how does that V formation help them fly faster and farther? Of course, I found the answer and ways it can relate to creating the ideal team environment for your dealership.

In 1972, Dr. Robert McNeish, a science teacher from Baltimore wrote, “Lessons From Geese.” Here is the simplified version of it:

Observation: Geese fly in a V formation because as each goose flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the geese that follow and the whole flock adds an estimated 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: Employees who share a common direction and sense of community can get to where they are going quicker and easier because they are utilizing the power from each other to get there. All of your staff should understand the common goal of your dealership and where, as a group, they should be striving to go.

Observation:  When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. So, it quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we would stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. However we know there are always a few employees who leave the formation. For your straggler employees, processes should be in place that have them feeling the drag when they remove themselves from your dealership’s common goal.

Observation: When the lead goose tires, it rotates to the back of the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing hard tasks and sharing. You should continually rotate who is taking the lead on special projects such as updating new employee training, testing your email marketing effectiveness or vendor reviews and exploration. That way, your employees are not being tired out by juggling their day-to-day tasks and special project tasks.

Observation: Geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: Encouraging others is important and will be much appreciated by your staff. Openly recognize top performers and remember to provide honest feedback when an employee asks for it. However, we need to make sure our “honking” is helpful and not harmful. Make sure any reprimands must be done in private and not in front of the entire team.

Observation: When a goose gets sick or wounded, two other geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again.

Lesson: We must stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong. Sometimes there is an employee who needs some extra training or help to get up to speed. Have someone take them under their wing and help them out until they are able to fly on their own again.

------

There you have it! More lessons we can learn from animals! What do you think of the lessons that we can learn from geese?