loyalty

12 Things You Need to Stop Doing Today to Be a Better Friend

Kentin Waits — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 11:00:03 +0000

Sometimes true friendships seem to be born out of a mysterious, intangible energy that pulls two people together. Keeping friendships strong and thriving is a far less mysterious affair, though. (See also: 6 Time-Tested Ways to Make a Relationship Work)

Part art, part science, and part common sense, being a better friend takes a lot of effort, and maybe the kicking of a bad habit or two. Or a dozen. So here are 12 things you need to stop doing now in order to be a better friend.

1. Shopping for Better Social Offers

Psst… you're not fooling anyone when you're consistently non-committal about plans. Your friends probably know you're holding out for a better offer. We get it — your time is a rare and valuable commodity. But as tempting as "social shopping" might be from time-to-time, consider the long-term effects it can have on the relationships your hold most dear. Commit, participate, and stop wondering what's behind curtain number three.

2. Going AWOL When You're Dating

Are you the type of friend that disappears the moment a romantic relationship gets serious? Or worse, do you reconnect with old friends once it's time to pick up the pieces after a breakup? If so, it may be time to reevaluate how you balance the relationships in your life. Solid friendships are built on consistency and mutual respect; don't go MIA the moment you fall head over heels.

3. Texting, Tweeting, Calling, Clicking, Snapping, and Chatting

It's difficult to listen when we're surrounded by mobile devices that are never silenced or sidelined. Make face time (and by face time, I mean face-to-face time, not the Apple product), electronics-free. You'll become more fully present, your friends will thank you for it, and you'll begin to appreciate the unplugged moments of life.

4. Being Late

Sometimes it's unavoidable. But if you're terminally tardy, you're implying that your friends' time isn't as valuable as yours. Honor the people you care about by learning how to be punctual.

5. Listening Just to Respond

The art of conversation is built on active listening, but many people cut their listening time short in order to formulate a reply. Instead of worrying about how you're going to respond (if a response is even necessary), listen to learn. What is your friend really saying? And just as importantly, what's not being said?

6. Avoiding the Truth

John Lennon said it best: "Being honest may not get you a lot of friends, but it'll always get you the right ones." Good friends are kind to each other, but rigorously honest about the things that matter. Work to make your closest friendships "no BS zones" where you can be open about the ups and downs of life, love, career, and money. It'll help create a refuge where each of you can give and receive honest feedback.

7. Forgetting Important Dates

Birthdays, anniversaries, significant events at work — remembering these details shows that you're listening and that you're tuned into another person's world. Acknowledging the major and minor moments of our friends' lives promotes trust, connection, and appreciation.

8. Imposing Time Limits

Aren't we all on the clock too much as it is? I don't know about you, but the last thing I need is a friend who can't put down his mental stopwatch. Sure, sometimes it's just fine to sneak a quick cup of coffee in between meetings, but a chronic I've-got-to-run attitude is doesn't allow room for friendships to meander, grow, and deepen.

9. Over-Planning Everything

Doesn't it seem like the best moments in life are the unplanned ones? As much as a good plan can benefit a Friday night or a weekend getaway, it's important to know when to scrap the schedule and just wing it.

10. Being Predictable

Sometimes small gestures of kindness, surprising moments, and a spontaneous spirit can breathe new life into a friendship between two people who know each other frontward and backward. Keep your friendships fresh by showing appreciation and nurturing a bit of the unexpected. Running low on inspiration, explore new and inexpensive ways to have fun with friends.

11. Holding Grudges

Every relationship has its highs and lows. But friendships are investments that two people make in each other; don't let hurt feelings or an argument wipe out what you've built.

12. Dodging the Truly Terrible Times

It's inevitable — when two people are friends for a long enough period of time, they'll witness life-altering events in each other's lives. The death of a parent, a messy divorce, or loss of a job are just a few examples of moments when good friendships are forged by fire and become something far more profound. Don't dodge the down times because you don't know the right thing to do or say. Realize the comfort your shared history can provide and rise to the occasion.

In the end, friendships are formed by common interests and complementary senses of humor, but they're maintained and deepened by the shared events — the comedies and tragedies that shift and shape our lives. Friendships should help us achieve more, worry less, laugh louder, and handle the challenges of life with a little more support. With that in mind, learning to be a better is nearly a sacred pursuit. Put your whole heart into it.

Do you have a best friend? How did he or she earn that coveted title in your life?

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This article is from Kentin Waits of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

4 Keys to Creating Loyal Customers

Annie Mueller — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:53:55 +0000

Link:

http://www.openforum.com/articles/4-keys-to-creating-loyal-customers

What are the elements of a successful relationship? (Just remove "loyal customer" from the equation for now; we'll get back to that.) Successful relationships require:

Trust;
Communication;
Shared Interest;
Time/Togetherness.

Now, if you'll humor me, let's just get very basic here.

A relationship is a relationship is a relationship. Creating loyal customer relationships starts with creating strong relationships.

We can translate those touchy-feely relationship terms into something more comfortable for the business world, but the concepts are the same. (Telling your customers you want more "togetherness" will probably hurt rather than help that relationship...)

4 Keys to the Business-Customer Relationship

1) Be Trustworthy

Say what you'll do, then do what you say. This is called having integrity and is a cornerstone for lasting business.

2) Communicate

Be clear about the purpose of your business. Let people know who you are. LISTEN to your customers. Find out who they are and what they care about. This is not a monologue.

3) Establish Common Ground

Where is the common point between the mission of your business and the needs/demands of your customers? Communicate that and you will attract the people who will be your best customers.

4) Stay Front-of-Mind

This is the business version of time and togetherness. Stay in touch. Make customer outreach part of your regular schedule. Don't just sit there and expect your customers to think of you on a rainy day. You bear the burden of reminding your customers that you exist.

The Business Relationship Difference

Here's where the business-customer relationship model diverges from other relationships.

In B2B or B2C relationships, there isn’t the same strong moral or cultural obligation to remain loyal that there exists in a romantic relationship, or even in a friendship.

That's why, even though building a strong relationship is essential to keeping your customers, it is not sufficient in and of itself. Your customer might love you, love your business, love every employee you have and every product you make; but your customer will still love you and leave you for a better deal, a more attractive offer, something new, shiny, and discounted.

Making Customers Loyal to Your Business

Reward the behavior that you want your customers to repeat. In this case, the key is to reward loyal behavior.

We're not talking about printing up another batch of customer loyalty punch cards. To be effective,rewards or incentives of any kind have to have actual, significant value for the recipient in order to be effective.

Your job is to think of rewards that your customers will actually value, and then offer them at the right time in order to reward loyalty.

3 Features of Valuable Rewards

No matter what business you're in, good incentive rewards include three common features.

Immediacy
Convenience
Monetary Worth

And, generally, customers value the features in that order. Immediacy is nice, convenience is even nicer, and actual money, or perceived monetary value? That's the best.

A basic reward will include at least one of these features. A better reward should involve two or provide a greater advantage (i.e., immediacy plus convenience is great, immediacy plus more convenience is better).

The greatest reward will meet all three requirements and thus will be most highly valued.

Immediate Rewards

A reward that gives immediacy is something like a tangible trinket; you hand it to the customer right away. It could be cheap, but useful, or funny, or interesting in a small way. The point is that the gift is a tangible reward in the now. Your customer buys, or signs up for the mailing list, or brings a friend, or refers someone, or joins a customer club, and walks away with an immediate reward.

Convenience Rewards

A reward that offers convenience might be pick up or delivery service, free gift wrapping, a personal shopper, exclusive late-night or weekend shopping hours. Rewards of convenience make life easier and simpler for the customer. Lucky for you, convenience rewards usually make it easier and simpler for the customer to buy.

Monetary Rewards

A reward that gives monetary worth could be something as simple as, well, money. Try returning a $5 or $10 bill from a customer's most recent purchase and see what happens. There's something about cold, hard cash, even in small amounts. Of course, worth isn't in cash alone. Discounts, freebies, and package deals all provide worth; the key is that they must be worthwhile to the customer.

The Greatest Rewards

The greatest reward is one that provides immediacy and/or convenience as well as monetary worth.

For example, free delivery. You're providing convenience (the service of delivery) as well as monetary worth (the value of delivery, since the cost is waived as part of the reward). If you can add immediacy (we're leaving now to deliver this to you), then you have a reward people will remember, a reward that will turn one-time customers into loyal customers.

This article is from Annie Mueller of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Apple introduces most outrageous “rewards” program in history

Paul Michael — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:52:15 +0000

I love Apple as a brand. It makes great products, it has tremendous loyalty, but could I go as far as to tattoo the famous Apple logo on my body to get a lifetime discount? Well, that’s the latest, greatest scheme from Steve Jobs and Co. And people are lining up in droves to do it. (This was an April Fool's gag readers. Now that the day has passed, it's only fair to warn you. Enjoy)

Always a leader, Apple has redefined “branding” and introduced a scheme based on raging successes in student test markets. The brave students were given a minimum of $500 to sit in the tattooists chair for 1 hour while the artist inked the permanent Apple into their skin. More money was given for a more prominent tattoo (the complete list is printed later in the article).

After the tattoo healed, students could use this tattoo at any time to receive a 25% discount in any Apple store, which was obviously a much bigger draw than the initial cash payment. Denver University student Sheila Blige has been delighted with the savings, the tattoo and the attention: “People tell me all the time, that’s a cool tattoo!” Sheila was paid $5000, the top amount, for having the infamous Apple logo branded on her forehead.

“It really hurt, but I’m saving 25% every time I shop at Apple and I don’t exactly have to struggle to find my rewards card!” she joked. A company called leaseyourbody.com had already experimented with 30-day tattoos, but Apple knew that their brand loyalty was unbeatable. Tim Burr, press secretary for Apple, had this to say: “Who wouldn’t want the coolest logo in the world on their body? We’re paying for it, you look cool and you get a discount! We’re just waiting for Microsoft to follow suit, although to be honest I can see people ‘crashing’ in the tattooists chair when they get that one,” joked Burr. “We foresee a day when thousands of people are walking around proudly displaying the Apple logo.”

Another condition of this program tests loyalty to the limit. Once you have an Apple tattoo, you can have no other brands stamped on your body. A small price to pay for the discount being given. The rising scale for an Apple tattoo is as follows:

$500 – Arm, leg, feet, torso (below t-shirt/short line)

$1000 – Arm, leg – always visible

$1500 – Hands

$2000 – Neck

$2500 – Head, unshaved

$3000 – Head, shaved

$5000 – Forehead or face

The 25% discount applies to all tattoos. If you’re interested in getting your very own Apple loyalty tattoo, your local store will soon be setting up a tattoo chair in the window. Not only is it a great branding exercise, Apple is also using the idea to bring more people into their retail stores. It’s expected that other notable brands like Nike, Target, Coke and others wll soon follow suit.

As for online purchases, the Apple tattoo cannot be used yet. However, a scanning pad is being developed by Apple that will attach to any computer and will cost just $99. Using the same technology as a fingerprint lock, it will recognize the tattoo and apply the discount. For more information on the Apple Tattoo Program, click here .

Microsoft has been unavailable for comment.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: