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Careful, These Issues Can Ruin Your Customer Experience

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Customer Experience|Careful, These Issues Can Ruin Your Customer ExperienceAre you worried that your customer experience isn’t living up to the expectations of your clients? If so, then it can cause a massive rupture in the potential of your company. So, let’s look at some of the problems customers can have and how to fix them.

Too Slow

First, you might find that there is a problem with the speed of the service that you are providing. You need to make sure that you are taking steps to speed up things in your company model. For instance, you might want to consider investing in a chat bot. The big benefit of a chat bot is that they don’t have to wait until an employee is free. Instead, they can get answers about your site and your service immediately. Don’t forget, a lot of customers have expressed they prefer live chat to actual calls.

No Personalization

A lot of customers these days are demanding a higher level of personalisation. They want to ensure that it feels as though a company really knows and understands them. Too many businesses just provide a cookie cutter solution. If you are wondering how to get this right, then the answer is almost certainly at your fingertips. You can use the data that you have accumulated to ensure that your solution feels far more personal overall. You can even send out exclusive offers and marketing that fit with the products and services that they are interested in.

Poor Employees

You might think that it doesn’t matter who you hire for your customer service team. We promise you that this is not the case and choosing the right people will be important. Your customer support staff need to make people feel reassured and connected to the brand as a whole. You can think about hiring an outsourcing service to ensure that you get the quality you need without causing the cost to balloon here. Or, you might want to consider hiring an in-house team. If that’s the case, one of the ways to get a high quality team would be by using a recruitment agency.

Low Quality

Finally, you need to make sure that the system that you are using is providing the quality that customers expect. For instance, in terms of voice calls, it’s important to ensure that the calls don’t feel like they are submerged in static or as though someone is trying to talk to them underwater. If there is a problem like this, you can guarantee they will hang up and won’t call back. One of the ways that you can fix this is by investing in services like unified communications. This is always going to improve the customer experience.

We hope this helps you understand some of the key issues that can completely ruin your customer experience. If you take this advice on board, then you can make sure that you don’t have to worry about your customers being turned off by your company. This could ultimately lead to you losing a fortune in missed sales.

Top 3 Reasons to Consider Nursing as a Career

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Nursing Career|Top 3 Reasons to Consider Nursing as a CareerIf you’re wondering which path to choose for your studies, or considering a career change, perhaps nursing could be right for you. There are several benefits to being a nurse. You’ll get the chance to help people every single day making it a very rewarding role, and you’ll develop many useful skills. A career in nursing can also offer varied opportunities and you can specialize in a range of different areas. Here are the top three reasons why you should consider a career in nursing.

To really make a difference

Nurses have a positive impact on people’s lives on a personal level every day. They help to improve the health and welfare of others and provide ongoing support. Nurses can also get involved in international projects and non-profits, helping to make the world a better place.

To have a diverse career

No day will be the same if you choose a career in nursing. It’s a very varied job and you will meet people from all walks of life. You also have the option to specialize in different areas such as pediatrics, mental health, geriatrics, and many more. For example, if you become a travel nurse you will be required to take temporary nursing positions in high-need areas. The constant movement from one hospital to another, and giving care to patients across the country is a dream position for many nurses. The advantages of being a travel nurse are getting rewards, more competitive pay, healthcare, dental insurance, etc.

To always be in demand

There will always be demand for nurses, so you can be guaranteed to find work in the future. As medical science and technology evolve, newer and different roles may also become available. Nursing can lead you to fantastic opportunities. This infographic shows a few facts and figures about how the future is looking promising for nurse practitioners.


Infographic design by Wilkes university Passan school of nursing

Top Tips For Construction Project Managers

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StrategyDriven Project Management Article |Construction Project Manager|Top Tips For Construction Project ManagersConstruction projects are famously difficult to manage, and this is because there are often so many moving parts. A small issue that can arise in construction can end up having huge consequences, and this is why so many projects often end up over budget and/or past the deadline. So, what can you do if you are managing a construction project and you want it completed on time and within the pre-agreed budget? There is never a guarantee for this, but read on for a few tips that will hopefully help you to find success with the project while keeping stress levels down.

Establish Clear Plans

The first step to take is to make sure that you and everyone else are on the same page regarding plans, budgets, and timelines. Communication is key to success when it comes to construction, so you will want to make sure that you have a clear understanding of exactly what is expected of you and then that this information is communicated to everyone else involved with the project. You should never shy away from asking a question if you are unsure and encourage people to come forward with any questions or concerns that they have.

Create A Schedule

Scheduling is everything when it comes to construction projects, especially if you will be using different contractors that will only be able to work once a certain aspect is already taken care of. This is why you need to take the time to carefully review plans to get a clear understanding of the different tasks that need to get done and in what order. Once you have done this, you can then start to create a logical schedule that will fit with the deadline (you may want to give yourself some leeway with each task in case something goes wrong).

Identify Key Resources

Around this time, you will also need to start identifying and sourcing your key resources. This will include the manpower that you need, materials, tools, and any equipment that will be needed during the project. Identifying and sourcing resources can be a lengthy and time-consuming process (and never one that should be rushed), so you should always give yourself enough time for this stage.

Find The Best Contractors

Following this point, choosing the contractors for your project will be key and determine the project’s success. You should find specialists for the different aspects of the work, such as full-service drilling contractors like Earthworkz if you need directional boring, site electrical excavation, or any other drilling work done. Using specialists will ensure that the work is always completed safely and to a high standard, which could end up saving you both time and money in the long run.

Make Safety A Priority

Construction is a hazardous industry, and every year there are serious injuries and sadly even fatalities. In fact, two construction workers die from work-related injuries each day on average in the US. You will obviously need to make safety a priority to protect your workers and anyone else on site, which will help to prevent the chances of injury, keep the project running uninterrupted and provide peace of mind. There are a few key steps to keep in mind to make safety a priority, such as:

  • Carrying out a risk assessment
  • Making sure that staff are properly trained
  • Making communication easy
  • Providing sufficient PPE and ensuring that it is used at all times
  • Keeping the site safe, tidy, and organized
  • Making sure equipment and tools have been maintained
  • Using signage around the construction site

Anticipate Issues

As the project manager, you will want to anticipate what problems might arise at each step of the way. Hopefully, you will not encounter any issues, but it is helpful if you can identify what might happen so that you can find ways to prevent these issues from arising but also develop contingency plans to mitigate the impact of a problem. As mentioned before, a small issue could end up having a huge impact through a domino effect, so you need to anticipate what might go wrong and do all that you can to avoid issues.

These tips should be useful when managing any construction project and hopefully help you deliver both on time and on budget. Construction projects are amongst the hardest to manage because there are so many elements that need to be planned for, and issues can arise that can have a big impact on all other areas of the project, but knowing how to manage and prevent issues should help to deliver a successful project and reduce stress.

7 Key Steps for a Successful Career Change

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Career Change|7 Key Steps for a Successful Career ChangeNo matter the branch of career you work in, there may come a time in your working life that you decide you’re not as satisfied with your job as you used to be.

When that happens, it’s a good idea to take a closer look at the different aspects of this revelation and try to find out whether a career change is a good option for you moving forward.

Here, we discuss why people may want to change their career paths, what benefits it has, and how you, too, can successfully change your career path using these seven key steps.

Why People Change Careers

There may be many reasons why someone would want to change their career. These include:

  • Wanting a new challenge and career advancement opportunities
  • Experiencing burnout and too much stress
  • Having a better work-life balance
  • Desiring better pay

Benefits of a Career Change

After weighing your options and deciding that a career change is the best possibility for you, you will see that changing your work path has several benefits.

According to a Joblist survey, people who changed their career paths were happier, more satisfied, more stimulated/fulfilled, and tended to be less stressed in their lives.

How to Change Your Career Path

1. Assess your current job satisfaction

If you’re unsure whether it’s just a bad day at work or whether it’s time to change your whole work path, take a closer look at your current position in your industry.

Make a note of everything you like and dislike about your job, and notice any recurring themes that please or displease you.

Is your issue with the people you work with, your boss, or the overall way your current company or industry works?

2. Take an inventory of your skills, interests, and goals

This step is arguably the most important. Getting to know yourself and your abilities and interests is essential to ensure you’re making the right decision to change your whole career or industry.

The best way to do this is to make a personal inventory with psychological tests such as the Strong Interest Inventory Assessment that helps you understand what you like and dislike and incorporate your best skills in finding the right career path and activities.

Doing something you’re good at, and enjoy, is often the missing component that derives people into burnout and eventually career path change.

3. Decide if you want to change your industry or occupation

Sometimes, the answer to all your work-related problems can be found if instead of changing your whole career path, you simply change your occupation in the field.

For instance, a programmer that switches to marketing in the tourism and leisure industry is only changing their occupation, but if a retail worker employed in the makeup industry becomes a project manager for a tourism and leisure industry, they’ve changed their career.

4. Check out job options and brainstorm careers

After you’ve decided on changing your career, start brainstorming what type of career will suit you best. Evaluate your skills and values and note what you like and dislike about each career option.

If you’re finding it hard to come up with options that suit you and your core values and skills the best, try seeking help from family, friends, and other professionals in the field. Networking can go a long way.

You can try career counseling as well to help you figure out your skill sets and advantages you can bring to a certain career path.

5. Narrow the list down

You’ve found a list of potential new careers that will be a great fit with your work and lifestyle. Next, try to narrow down the options by listing all the different aspects of each field and career, both positive and negative.

Research each category thoroughly, and if possible, ask industry professionals about the pros and cons of the field.

After that, you should be left with a shortlist of a few neat options you can consider for your future change.

6. Take classes and upgrade your skills

When a career change is concerned, it’s important to know what you don’t know! Changing your job may require minimum alterations, but swapping careers will require you to seek new knowledge and skills you haven’t yet used before.

Don’t be afraid of not knowing; that’s how everyone starts. Take classes related to your new field and upgrade the skills you’re going to need.

7. Try your target field as a volunteer or freelancer

Before jumping into the field as a full-time employee, you need to make sure the new career and field is everything you expected.

A great way to test the waters before you commit to the change is to find volunteer or freelance work in the same market or industry. Try to carefully analyze what you experience during those few weeks or days, and note anything and everything that may make you change your mind about the decision. Be transparent with yourself.

Mistakes To Avoid When Scaling Your Business In 2021

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Scaling your business|Mistakes To Avoid When Scaling Your Business In 2021Growth is a primary goal for almost every business, but if you don’t practice the appropriate strategy for scaling your business, you risk collapsing the venture. Scaling involves planning, funding, a working system, and technology, as well as partners. Successful scaling means the plans put in place will overcome unpredictable obstacles. The digitization of most businesses today warrants big thinking and mulling to scale up successfully. However, there are some mistakes to avoid during the process, and below are a few of them.

Scaling without goals

Scaling without defining your ultimate goal is a tragedy. Once you have a definite goal documented, it becomes your base point for developing a plan to get there. Many businesses have varying targets. Some targets might be achieving specific revenues, reaching a particular data traffic target, or having a significant global presence. Meeting targets is pivotal to scaling a business.

Absence of business culture for growth

Businesses that have a working business culture tend to work successfully through the transitional process of scaling. You may have to hire new sets of skilled members to perform different tasks. Some operational teams in businesses fail because new team members couldn’t get along with older team members due to disintegration. For example, companies that work with mobile app advertising as a marketing optimization method must have all team members valuing it as part of their culture.

Having a working business culture for growth will enable the easy integration of new members into an already working system. The company culture makes new team members appreciate all the shared organizational values, goals, practices, and attitudes that characterize the business.

Scaling too fast

Scaling a business should be considerably and appropriately paced. Specific markers should be observed and acknowledged before scaling a business. Scaling too fast means you can run into unexpected problems like overworked employees and operational inadequacies due to increasing demand. Businesses can control or at least anticipate appropriate times to scale by considering certain situations. For example, when there is work overload due to an increased client base, you may turn away opportunities because your business team can’t keep up with the work, or simply achieve all your business goals.

Scaling without a business foundation

Some important foundations need to be put in place before scaling, as not doing so can lead to the collapse of your business. Building solid foundations like having a healthy funding strategy, a working infrastructure to facilitate an increase in revenue, and well-documented cash flow, will ensure your business has the strength and integrity to overcome any impediments.

Ignoring early consumers reviews

Customer satisfaction is vital when scaling your business, and understanding what your customer wants is vital as you continue to grow. Consider feedback on ways you can improve your goods or service from early users or consumers. Most business owners do not incorporate product or service reviews and suggestions from customers when scaling. However, early consumers act as beta testers who indirectly add value to your product or service’s development process. Ignoring reviews and contributions from the early consumers can affect the reliability of your goods or product and consequently end the business.