Hope you are enjoying the summer days! The girls and I moved 

and since we are new to this area, it’s always exciting and fun to explore new surroundings when you can. This day, we were able to do just that.

I went along with my daughters to a wonderful garden. I heard 

waterfalls and I was all in. This is no ordinary garden I can assure you. Zilker Botanical Garden has been an asset to the community of Austin, Texas since 1955.

As we arrived, we were greeted at the gate by John. He was very 

nice, helpful and professional. He provided the direction we needed and was of great assistance as we entered the gardens. The 31 acres are exceptionally peaceful and the themed gardens are impeccably manicured.

Each of the gardens reflects their own unique beauty. There is an area designated for herbs and fragrance, Mabel Davis Rose garden, and a butterfly trail and garden just to name a few.

As we walked through the tree lined gardens, the gazebo was situated right off the path we were following and near water.

The waterfalls and streams that we discovered were exceptional. 

There were many more trees and foliage and as we explored. It had a tropical feel. The bushes and trees lined those paths as well. The sunlight was barely shining through. Lovely!

It’s no surprise that half a million people visit yearly from around 

the world. The mission at Zilker is to promote the education and love of gardening. When you see how beautiful the grounds are, it is evident and inspirational. They have year round events both private and public.

http://www.zilkergarden.org/

When in the Austin area, stop by and enjoy seeing the beautiful 

Zilker Botanical Garden. You will be glad you did. I recommend a beverage as you stroll through. It’s refreshing to stop from time to time, sit down and admire the beauty of such a wonderful garden as you sip something cool. No need to rush!

Sincere thanks to Kris, Carlos, Isaiah, and my daughters, Meridian 

and Hayli for an enjoyable afternoon.

Credit: Meridian Photography ~~ Kris, featured

I always find it interesting how people communicate. Regardless, if it’s in person, snail mail or email communication is an art. “The art of communication is the language of leadership.”- James Humes

I enjoy observing people and it intrigues me how business people interact. It’s interesting that although technology has changed continuously, there are tried and true practices that are relevant in today’s world of communication in business as well.  It’s a mix of old and new it would appear.

Double Check Spelling

I treat my outgoing email the same as a letter. First, I double check and make sure the recipient name is spelled correctly, first and foremost. Although mistakes can happen, receiving an email where your name is spelled wrong or addressed incorrectly, might be perceived as not so good. My name has been misspelled quite often.

Do’s and Don’ts

In the subject line, clear and direct and addressing concerns or information. Short and sweet.

Make sure that your address is professional not personal. They’ll be able to see it’s from you and it’s of business nature, not wonder who sent the email.  

Keep the font, size and color as classic as possible. It’s easier to read and in business, black is a safe color choice for correspondence.

Best Closing? Cheers to you.

Reading emails is a daunting task at times. Would it interest you to know there’s a way that could improve the chance of a response? This interested me. I was reading an article that shared Boomerang had reviewed over 350,000 email threads. They found certain closings delivered higher response rates. Interesting, right? They also ran another test, looking for a question mark, which meant the sender was looking for a reply.

Here’s the fun part. Which of these closings did the data prove to be most effective for replies?

Sincerely         Cheers

Warmly           Thanks

Regards           Best

Take care         Ciao

Talk soon         Your initials

Looking forward to your thoughts

(No closing at all)

Wait for it. The closings that expressed gratitude. Thank you, or any variation of, received more responses than other “popular” endings. Emails that ended in Thanks in advance had a 65.7 response rate. Thanks; 63 percent response rate, Thank you; 57.9 percent response rate.

The article by Inc., shared the worst ways to end emails as well. Interesting, that Regards or Best might not be such a good idea to close with. Best was the worst performer of them all.

One final thought. The Business Insider also mentioned that EVERY electronic message leaves a trail. When writing an email or any other correspondence, think about the tone and the information being sent so there isn’t anything that could be “ruinous to you or harmful to others.” It’s always better to air on the side of caution. It’s that old-school adage, better to be safe than sorry still rings true.

Thanking you in advance,

Tracey

The past few months have opened my eyes. My interaction with people in my travels, has led me to ponder several things in regard to customer service. What can I do to help? Help what? Help anyone who might need insight to excellent customer service. These are three of my basic tips to an improved customer service experience.

1. Customer First. 

Simple. They come first. Pay attention to them or guess what, they'll go somewhere else. They are the one that is enabling you to earn a paycheck. When they show up at your counter, smile and welcome them. Be polite and accommodating.  Engage with them and their needs.

If they are calling on the phone, give your attention to that call. Don't carry on a conversation with a clerk, that is there in person. If you picked up the phone call, give your attention to the call or you can politely ask if they can hold the line for a moment. Then, place the call on hold. When you go back to the call, give them your undivided attention. They deserve it. I had this happen just the other day and the saddest part, the woman is the Store Manager. I guess that could be one reason their stocks are down.

2.  LISTEN.

 I was told this years ago. God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.  There's a difference between hearing someone and listening. When I was in the hotel industry, there were times we were aware of customers birthdays, anniversaries etc., or maybe a customer would mention they were coming for a special occasion. If we weren't listening, we'd miss an opportunity to make their stay memorable. You want their visit memorable. While taking room reservations, a discussion would take place and the guest would mention to me in conversation that they were light sleepers.  Whatever the case, listening was the answer. There were little things I would do to make their stay more enjoyable. I made it a point. Their reservation could have a request noted to be away from the elevator or I'd request the room in an area that was quiet or maybe a pool view. We had many returning guests who would request a view of the Las Vegas strip. It was a pleasure to request that for them and customers do appreciate it as well. They'd show up and be pleasantly surprised that their needs were noted and remembered. You need to go that extra step to insure their stay will be memorable. There are other properties they could have gone to and in that moment, you've got a shot to win them over. Let them know you are happy they are staying with you. Don't blow that opportunity.

3.PROVIDE VALUE.

 A customer wants value. You want value. When you go shopping for an item, you want to know it's worth the hard earned money you are spending on it. You aren't going to spend a fortune on something you know isn't going to last or be worth the money you're expending. Right? Explain why and how the item is of value to the customer. How is it going to make their life better? How will it help them? It's up to you to know about the products or items you are representing. You need to explain and introduce those benefits to the customer. If you don't know or aren't sure, then you need to spend time making sure you are familiar with the items thinking about potential questions you will be asked. That way the customer can make an informed decision to purchase whatever it is you are representing or selling. The more you know about these things or items, the more valuable you are, and the products to the customer. If you work in a grocery store and a customer asks for turmeric and you have no idea where to locate it, you should familiarize yourself that it is on the spice aisle. The same principle for a cosmetic counter. You should know the products, familiarize yourself with their benefits and how they are used so you can explain their benefits to your customer. You are then providing value to the customer, the company and yourself.

I hope my experiences have been helpful and I enjoyed sharing them with you. I find that our experiences, when they are shared from a place of love, can be of value if we are listening and genuinely are wanting to make a difference.