Customer service

Jemima Thomas
March 2023 • 5 min read

One man’s ”great customer service” is another man’s irritation and pet peeve…

I got my hair cut two weeks ago. I have thinning hair (no I am not a middle-aged man!), and so being sat in a chair where my hairdresser took his time and energy giving me pointers and really understanding my hair-care needs was perfect! However, I was sat waiting for my appointment for 20 minutes, as the customer before me was still wanting further touches to be done, and he didn’t want to rush her out the door (at no point did he mention he had another customer waiting). On the one hand, this was completely understandable, and kudos to him wanting to take his time to ensure his customer wasn’t leaving the salon miffed. My hair may now look chic and bouncy again, but his lack of punctuality means I unfortunately won’t be returning.

I appreciate this may make me sound incredibly impatient and rude, but this customer service style (excuse the pun) didn’t suit my needs. I have things to do, I want to be in and out with a haircut I value in both in how I feel, and how much I am spending, without it taking up my entire day.

We regularly urge our clients to give us as much detail as possible when it comes to their lifestyle and finances; it’s the only way we can create a suitable plan that fits their needs. We ensure we’ll always give you plenty of time for lengthy conversations during your meetings; and much like the hairdresser I saw, we don’t want anyone to feel as though they’re on a conveyor belt being rushed out the door. That being said, one man’s ‘’great customer service’’, is another man’s irritation and pet peeve. As clients of ours, I urge you to voice your needs and we will do our very best to tailor our service to meet them. The importance of this is to ensure we create a bespoke experience for you, that leaves you feeling like you cannot wait to see us again for your next ‘appointment’.

For those of you who feel this post doesn’t apply (as you can’t help but sing our praises already!), please take the time to give us a Google review if you have a few minutes to spare.

SOLOMON’S GOOGLE REVIEW

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Customer serviceJemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:34+00:00

Black Mirror – Nosedive

Solomons-financial-advisor-wimbledon-blogger

Black Mirror – Nosedive

The new series of Black Mirror has been released (21 October 2016) on Netflix and is a bit of a cross between Tales of the Unexpected and The Twilight Zone…. Remember them? If you do, then there is a fair chance that you will have had more than your fair share of adopting new technology over the years and Black Mirror is a small leap of the imagination into a future that is almost within our reach.

Nosedive, the first episode of the new series from the writer Charlie Brooker provides plenty of food for thought for those of us that use social media. Irrespective of who you are, there is something very satisfying about having a post or tweet “liked” or “retweeted” – a sense that you are being heard. Of course for small and large business, your social media marketing strategy is all about trying to engage people, both prospective clients and existing ones. This blog is no different.

Brooker draws out attention to the insatiable underlying desire for approval that underpins this and reflects a future society (not very much in the future) where “service with a smile” and the constant demand for ratings and feedback result in desperate collective anxiety and need to fake it in order to gain approval. Not only approval, but the point-scoring system acts as the new form of societal sorting and classification of us all.

image of Lacie, the lead character practicing her smile, current score 4.243

Are you getting feedback?

I thoroughly enjoyed his take on this rather dystopian future, of a world addicted to handsets and a numbing or removing of real experiences and interactions. I’m sure that if you shop online, you now get a request for some feedback. As with many things this was intended to be for our good – a chance to engage and improve services, yet it has become so widespread it now simply feels needy, like some spoiled child constantly asking for approval.

Here at Solomons are guilty of this too. We ask for feedback and comments – and for you to share posts, tweets and so on. This is now all part of helping spread the word about the business and how we help clients, how we bring value. That said, it can become very irritating (hence we try to limit our “neediness”).

Rage against the machine

I guess this reflects the changing nature of relationships between us all and the organisations that we use. Seeing people rant online, whether about Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton, Southern Rail or Brexit is at least raw and exposing, of course great care needs to be taken, but in Nosedive, we are faced with a “sanitized” society where genuine emotion, thought or comment is parked firmly out of sight, to the point where who you are seen to be and with are more important than who you are.

At least here in 2016 we continue to help our clients verbalise and express their true values, not simply those that are deemed “acceptable”. Its funny how often I ask people when they plan to retire and they invariably say 65 – which used to be the default State pension age, as though this is an appropriate “date”. The truth is that you can “retire” whenever you want – or not at all and why here at Solomons we prefer to use the term financial freedom day – when you choose to work, not because you have to, but because you want to.

Here’s a bit about Nosedive.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

Black Mirror – NosediveDominic2023-12-01T12:19:02+00:00

In your pocket

I am delighted to announce that we are working on a helpful piece of kit that will fit into your pocket, or rather on your smart phone or tablet.We are working on a new app, for our clients and their friends. I’m quite excited about it and hope that it’s a great aid to our clients. The new app is being constructed and we are working on the title page. I wonder if you would like to have a preview? You will be able to use the app an iphone and ipad or any android device. Its rich with lots of features, financial calculators, budgeting stuff and of course means that you can contact us easily. We are constantly seeking to utilise proven technology where possible and if it makes sense.

We have another innovation as well that I shall be speaking to clients about, but only for those that use the internet for banking and would like a clever, secure way to view banking, credit cards and investments all in one place safely.

If this is of interest to you please get in touch.

Dominic Thomas: Solomons IFA

In your pocketDominic2023-12-01T12:38:56+00:00

Service resumes in Wimbledon

So the 2013 Wimbledon tournament is under way again. Yet again, it would take a brave soul to bet against the usual suspects from reaching the semi-finals. Mr Federer has already begun his challenge, where the grass in SW19 is perhaps his best opportunity to win another grand slam. Many will be hoping that Andy Murray will be able to draw on his success at Queen’s and the 2012 Olympics. The Bryan brothers will take some stopping in the men’s doubles, who are amongst the most successful tennis players in the last 40 years when it comes to titles (doubles specialists).

The thing about being “a great” is consistently delivering results. History is recorded by the winners and you may be surprised to learn that when it comes to greats, the greatest, by a country mile is Martina Navratilova with a combined 344 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, surpassing the nearest male by nearly 200 titles (John McEnroe the most successful man with 148 titles). Martina dominated her field with Chris Evert providing a worthy opponent (186 titles).

Investing is a little like tennis, but for all but the investment greats (and there are really very few of them) the similarity is not as you might expect. By saying investing is like tennis, I mean the sort of tennis that most people play. Invariably the winner made fewer mistakes. Tennis is one of those games that to win, largely means not being beaten by yourself (rather than your opponent). Of course if you play tennis, you may be forgiven for thinking you are quite brilliant (if you win) however the truth is that you made fewer double-faults, hit the ball out fewer times and probably made fewer worse second and first serves. Like investing, taking credit for your skill may be somewhat premature, actually what counted was the number of mistakes that you made. Tennis is a very skilled game. Investing is too. However most of my job is to act more like the coach than the player. Helping clients to remain calm, to keep to disciplines, to persist, to see the bigger picture (the whole ball) and to reduce the number of errors made that are self-defeating. Errors like trying to time the market, trying to beat the market, using expensive investment strategies, not diversifying risk, failing to understand risk and being distracted by the noise. Successful investing is possible for anyone. Having clear targets, seeking investment efficiency, minimising costs and playing a game where a successful outcome is realistic. So as you watch some of this years Wimbledon and watch the professionals, think if this is winning or not being beaten. Reflect on who is likely to win the tournament titles and when you are ready to discuss a winning investment and financial planning service only a couple of miles from Centre Court, give me a call.

Dominic Thomas – Solomons IFA

Service resumes in WimbledonDominic2023-12-01T12:23:43+00:00