SFW Halloween Costumes Straight From The Office

19 Oct, 2015 | Tags: , , , ,

Spooking Your Company’s Morale

It’s that time of year again where you wish you would have done a better job preparing for the annual Halloween Office Party. Nothing like some SFW (suitable for work) office fun to change things up a bit for the sake of office morale.  For those of you who are on top of your game and bought your costume last month… or several months ago, go you! But if you’re a little behind and still wondering about your costume, we’ve decided to go to the experts to help you find the best SFW (safe for work) costume ideas.

Obviously the best advice for SFW costumes would come from the office itself. Jim and Pam always have the best subtle, but cool looks. And if you’re looking for something a little more on the creepy, but creative side, you’ve always got Dwight to look up to. Without further ado, here are the best SFW costumes directly from The Office!

He wrote book on his face. Get it?! Classic Jim.

The episode where Creed, Kevin, and Dwight all showed up as The Joker; still debating who wore it best…

Because family style costumes are always a hit at the office, and what’s more SFW than Popeye and the gang? The answer: nothing.

Toby makes the best hobo. Just so you know, a hobo costume is always a great idea.

If you’re creative, you can totally pull of Dr. Cinderella like Pam. Or you can try something different… like Nurse Rapunzel.

Halloween is the time to transform yourself into whatever you want for a day, so why not have a second head? I mean, Michael Scott did it.

You may love Halloween, and you may love Cats, but you will never love either as much as Andy Bernard loves them.

What are you planning on wearing for Halloween? Hopefully, whatever you choose, it’s as SFW as The Office employee’s costumes!

And if you REALLY want to spook your employees out, tell them you are going be going back to a manual and analog employee scheduling system! Thankfully, the scare won’t last long since you’re more than likely using our digital shift management system “What Time Do I Work”.

In-Store Connections: How to Teach Employees Better Customer Service

16 Oct, 2015 | Tags: ,

To attract customers, you have to set your business apart from all others in your industry. You can accomplish this by making your products or services spectacular, but attractive offerings only make up one part of the equation. You also have to make your clientele feel welcome by providing better customer service.
Look through the tips below to improve your customer service skills and your employees’ skills as well. Together, you and your staff can transform your company into a business customers adore.

Don’t Neglect Online Customers

Every modern company needs an online presence. But you can’t just stop at a website. You also have to give customers a way to interact with your business over the Internet. Your online customers likely have more questions than people who visit your store, so use a service like Enterprise instant messaging (preferably on your website) and social media platforms to give your clientele someone to contact.
You don’t have to have a presence on every social media website, but make sure you at least use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Hire a team or a third-party partner to handle these online interactions for you. Make sure they are trained to know how to handle all questions they might encounter.

Don’t Waste Time on Distractions

When business gets slow, you and your employees might feel tempted to chat, watch movies, play games, or do things that distract you from the storefront or the sales floor. But you cannot give in to this temptation. Have your employees on alert at all times so they can welcome customers to your business and ask them if they need assistance. You’ll likely have fewer frustrated shoppers with this strategy.
Ask Every Customer If There’s Anything You Can Do to Help Him or Her

Even if a customer looks like they simply want to browse, your employees should still greet them and ask if they can be of assistance. A smile and greeting show customers you care about their opinion, and they’ll more likely turn into repeat customers as a result. Additionally, if you ask every customer if he or she needs help, no shopper will leave dissatisfied.

Remember to Treat Each Customer with Respect—Be Genuine

You’ll likely see a few angry customers from time to time. They may have had a bad day, or maybe had a bad experience with a product or service. But not matter what they say or do, you have to treat them with respect. Teach your employees to exercise patience and understanding. Teach them to smile and stay calm and courteous in the face of anger.
When your employees treat your clientele with respect, they can resolve many emotional problems. And even if they can’t fix problems, they can at least avoid making them worse.
Have an Intimate Knowledge of Products and Services
Sometimes customers feel frustrated because they ask the staff questions and get lackluster answers. Train each of your employees on every aspect of your business so they can answer every question thoroughly.
Customer service plays an important role in your business’s success. Boost your company’s ratings and revenue by implementing the tips in this list.

Spring (Fall) Cleaning Your Business

12 Oct, 2015 | Tags: , , , ,

Giving your business a solid sweep doesn’t need to wait until spring. At least once, maybe twice a year, give your company an overall look to make sure your business is running at optimal levels. There are always the basics that you can look at cleaning up; checking on your Internet and electricity bills for example to check for better prices are a good idea once a year.  But here are some places you might not be cleaning up that could use a nice autumn clean.

 

Email Lists:

Growing your email subscriptions can be work, so give yourself a big pat on the back for growing your subscriptions! Now that you’ve grown that email list, when’s the last time you’ve worked on client loyalty through your lists? This month, try offering deals and specials through your email newsletters that make your clients WANT to open your email. If you usually suggest products or services in your email campaigns, go back through and evaluate which were successful suggestions for your clients. Double check all your links to make sure you’re sending clean links; find the dead links before your client finds them. When checking links, remember to go through your website and ensure that all your sub links are working as well.

 

Customer Relations:

As a business owner, you’re constantly on the go; remember your clients are moving too. When’s the last time you checked on the accuracy of your client information? Do they have the same email address? Phone number? Address? Connect with your clients to ensure you have the most recent and up-to-date information. If you haven’t heard from your client in awhile, this check up is a great way to touch base and even reconnect. While reconnecting with your clients and updating contact information, you can also run a customer satisfaction email. Find out how you can make your customers happier. While looking over your client lists, really consider each of your clients. Who are your biggest spenders or most loyal clients? Which clients are the most expensive to maintain and perhaps not the easiest to work with? Cleaning out some of the clients that aren’t your strongest will help you better maintain those clients that will help you continue to build a better business. Once you see which clients are your strongest, consider what these clients have in common. Which services are they using? Use this cross information to help you decide what you need to work on as a company moving forward.

 

Company Procedures:

Take the time to speak with your employees. As the individuals who are working daily with your clients, or working behind the scenes for your business, they may have great ideas for things that may help your business grow or work more efficiently. Remember to give your employees a safe place to speak openly for honest suggestions. Compare your prices to your competitors. How do you match up? Another important aspect of your company is your B2B connections and other business partners. Take time to connect with your vendors, suppliers, and other business partners to make sure you’re up-to-date with all the new information they have to offer. Are you getting the best prices? Are you ordering the best materials for your company? Are there any options to work together to better build your business that you haven’t looked at recently? Talk to your business partners and investors to make sure not only everyone is happy, but see if anyone has suggestions or advice that will help you as you continue to build a more profitable business.

Obviously, there’s always more that can be done when you’re running a business. But by taking time to really evaluate your business plans, orders, and communication, you can ensure you’re continuing to build your business on a solid foundation. Even if you can’t do everything, start with a few small things. So don’t wait for spring to do your cleaning, take time now to sweep up!

Getting Your Restaurant Bar Ready for Autumn

08 Oct, 2015 | Tags: , , ,

Pumpkin Flavored Everthing

Don’t act like you’re surprised to see that pumpkin spice lattes are a huge hit this year… again. If we’re honest with ourselves, I think we all know that autumn is the best season. The fireplaces, the leaves changing colors, perfect weather temperatures, and last but not at all least, all the wonderful fall flavors. While pumpkin spice lattes are obviously a favorite amongst many, here are some other ideas to prep your bar for fall flavor favorites.
Pumpkin Beer: A must for your bar during this time of the year; it’ll be a favorite. Trust us. Imperial Pumpkin Ale is a brewing company from out of Easton, PA and a bottle promises “cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom”, it’s a promising bottle that most everyone will give a shot. Good Gourd out of Tampa, Florida is also arguably one of the best pumpkin beers ever.

Infusions

Let’s be real, infusions are perfect all year round, but now is the time to put away the strawberries and coconuts. Bring out your apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Grab your rums, bourbons, and vodkas, and prepare to have fun. Infusions are always a favorite, because it allows your bartenders to get creative. So bring out the big guns and give your bartenders a whirl at coming up with something spicy and new.
Spicy Sangria: If you’re in a part of the country that isn’t quite fall perfect weather yet, a glass of something that tastes like fall but is chilled might be a push in the right direction. So I give you…Spicy Sangria! Red wine, rum, orange liqueur, and cinnamon sticks will give you an amazing autumn tasting sangria. Perfect for places that are still settled in patio weather.

Apple Pie Infused Bourbon

Everything about bourbon feels so much like summer changing into fall, so why not make it part of your bar’s autumn drink specials? Try doing a bourbon infusion with apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of simple syrup. This is a delicious drink that’ll warm your customers right up!

Tom And Jerry

For the serious fall lovers and rum drinkers, try adding this unique little cocktail to your prep list. Eggs, brandy, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, dark rum, and milk are all on the ingredient list. This makes for a super hearty cocktail, but one that will leave the adventurous autumn tongue quite happy.
What are some of your favorite fall drinks your restaurant keeps on the menu? Don’t forget while you’re planning out your autumn drink schedule, you can also use What Time Do I Work to keep all your other schedules in line too!

Making the Most Out Of A Networking Event

29 Sep, 2015 | Tags: , , , ,

Networking is a necessary evil for those of you in the business world. You may be the type of person who loves to get out there and mingle, or you may be the person who would much rather stay at home and watch Netflix with a large pizza. No matter how you feel, the day you’ll have to get out there and work the system is inevitable. But don’t worry; networking isn’t as hard as you might think. Here are some quick tips on how you can make the most of your networking event.

Find The Right Event

Going to the right networking event is very important. If you’re a restaurant chef trying to network at an social media event, chances are your networking may not benefit. However, if you’re a chef and you go network at a wedding event, you may find individuals who are actively looking for a caterer. See how that works? Not all events are created equal. Be sure to find one that you believe will be worth the time you’ll spend.

What To Expect

Going to a networking event is like looking for yourself in the high school yearbook. You skimming over all the pages, resting quickly to look at some fun looking pictures, but overall the attitude is let’s find “me”. The difference at the networking event however is you’re looking for your business. Who are you meeting? What are their business strategies? How can you both work together for mutual benefit? You’re going to need to talk to people to answer these questions. Don’t be nervous about making your business sound like the type of company people would want to work with!

What To Bring

Always bring plenty of business cards, and pass them out like candy to little kids. You really can never have enough business cards on hand. Depending on the type of event, you may want to bring some brochures showcasing your previous work or business strategies. Feel free to touch base with the event coordinators to find out what is permissible for the event. Again, if you were the chef at a wedding event hoping to network as a wedding caterer, it may benefit you to have a table with samples of your food. It is never wrong to ask what you are allowed to bring, but at the very minimum, carry lots of business cards on you.
How To Act: Remember everyone is at the event doing the same thing you’re doing. Listen to others as they talk about their business. Share some of the highlights from your company. In addition to networking, you may also find individuals who know more about a particular something in your line of work that you’d like to know more about. Exchange business cards with these individuals; ask them out for coffee so you can talk more openly.

Whatever you do, remember to relax and enjoy the event!