Many will speculate he did this so that his brain could be examined and that people could see the effects of an NFL career on an individual’s brain. Whether or not Seau’s recent troubles are related to any type of brain condition, like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), people will now make that connection by default, especially the lawyers who are swarming around the NFL like you know what on a you know what wagon (I do work for a lot of lawyers so forgive me if my comparison is a little vague).

The reality of this is, in the world of “Morgan and Morgan–For the People”, we are nearing the end of the NFL as we know it. I don’t think football will ever completely die, it’s way too popular, but the fact is the game has evolved to be so violent. What that means is there will be lawsuits, many lawsuits. The NFL, as an employer, cannot continue to allow players to play and get hurt (even if you can’t see the injury) from an ethical standpoint and also financial. The NFL knows this, and in fact this off-season they even began discussion of possibly eliminating the most exciting and dangerous play of football… that’s right, the kickoffs. If the NFL did this, college and other football governing bodies would be sure to follow. Can you imagine not being able to do your alma mater’s chant or cheer during an opening kickoff? That wouldn’t be football would it? From there, who knows that types of changes could take place. In 10 years, we could be looking at Monday Night Flag Football.

The NFL has an obligation, to themselves, and more importantly to the players who play their game, to change and adapt as more data about concussions, brain trauma and CTE is made public. They must do this regardless of the fact that some people say, “No one is forcing these players play the game.” Well, no one is making you go to the games either, but you go because you love it, and I’m assuming the people who run the NFL love the game too (even if it is just the money). So they must protect it and that might mean being proactive and changing it, or else it WILL die at the hand of lawyers and regulators who will just make it go away completely by doing what they do best, drowning business owners in regulation, paperwork and yes… lawsuits. If you love something or someone enough, eventually you’re going to have to make some difficult decisions.

R.I.P. Junior Seau

Recently, a client of mine, Resolute Asset Management in Ocala, FL, was experiencing some email issues with their email host (who will remain nameless, but let’s just say it rhymes with “NoFaddy”). They simply outgrew the solution and needed a change… FAST!

After weighing their options, a Microsoft Exchange server and Google Apps, we decided that Google Apps would be the most cost effective (approx $50.00 a year, per user), and also, more scalable solution for them because of the many different apps and add-ons.

Through my marketing and communications firm, Swerve Communications Group, LLC in Tampa, we had setup Google Apps for new businesses before, but switching over an existing company to the popular cloud solution was new territory. I felt like Sacagawea getting ready to explore the unknown… or wait, were Lewis and Clark the dudes?

Anyways, one of the main hurdles we had to jump was figuring out how to get all of Resolute’s existing email and data over into the new mail environment so they didn’t have to spend time looking in old backups on Outlook, Thunderbird or the email program du jour, and then figure out how to get them to their new Gmail accounts. Seriously, we’re not talking about your grandma’s email inbox, we’re looking at 100,000+ messages in multiple accounts that are critical to their business. Sure, you can just flip a switch and tell them figure it out on their own and hope they had backups. However, that’s not how I “Swerve” my clients, and I was not going to let them fend for themselves, and quiet honestly, neither would Google. Using the amazing Mail Fetcher tool in Google Apps, we were able to load all of Resolute’s existing email server settings in their new accounts and begin to download all of their mail from the current server. Honestly, I’ve used the Mail Fetcher tool for years to have all of my various email accounts funnel into my Gmail account. It saves time having to check a lot of different email accounts and you can even set it up so you can send from those accounts. However, full disclosure, I was a little slow on the uptake when assessing how to migrate Resolute’s email. One night I was checking my email using Mail Fetcher and a light bulb went off and I realized the answer was right in-front of my stupid face. It’s worked beautifully. It’s amazing how Google just get’s it.

The only critique on Mail Fetcher is it pulls the email at about 200-400 messages an hour per account. But as “they” say (I don’t know who they is) beggars can’t be choosers and this allowed us to take time and make sure everything was transferred over and give the client time to take a look at their new email environment. We were able to transfer over 100,000 emails into Gmail and now Resolute can enjoy all of the powerful features of Google Apps for Business….. yay Cloud!

Want to experience Google Apps for Business or looking for this type of “Swervice” from a marketing and communications firm? Give me a shout, I would love to chat and see if we can help.

Helpful video on how to use Google’s Mail Fetcher to get your existing email into Gmail. Also, here is a Google Support article with detailed, step-by-step instructions.

Google Apps is a property of Google.
Exchange is a property of Microsoft.

All kidding aside, I’m really glad that Bobby Petrino and his… ummm… girlfriend weren’t seriously injured during their motorcycle accident, well besides the damage to his career. Remember, nobody is perfect, except Tim Tebow. Go Gators!!!

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Below are 5 simple steps outlining how you can create a free survey or contact form using a hidden gem inside of Google’s popular online document creation service Google Docs.  Seriously, you’ll smack yourself and say, “Why didn’t I realize how to do this sooner?” Then you’ll call your web developer and say, “Why the heck did you charge me $300 to program a contact form that I just made in 2 minutes!!!” After you’ve done that, feel free to pass my information on to them so they can personally thank me.

Step 1: Create a Google Documents Account

Visit www.google.com/documents and sign up for a free Google Account. If you already have a Gmail or Google Account then you can just sign in to Google Documents using that account.

Step 2: Create a Google Form

Once you login to your new or already existing account you will be taken to your Google Docs home screen. On the top left corner of the browser, you will see a icon that says “Create New”. Click the icon and select “Form” from the dropdown menu.

Step 3: Complete Your Form

Now the fun begins. Enter a title at the top of the form and some description text explaining the form to your customers or visitors of your site. Using the “Add Item” icon on the top left of your browser; you can select the types of fields you want inside of your form (below). You can even break your form into multiple sections and pages. Use the trashcan icon on the right side of each item to delete unwanted items or save time by duplicating items and changing the names of the field.

Types of Items:

• Text
• Paragraph Text
• Multiple Choice
• Checkboxes
• Choose from List
• Scale
• Grid

Note: Unless you want Google’s generic confirmation message, click the icon on the top right of your browser that says “More Actions” then select “Edit Confirmation.” Now type in whatever you want to say to those customers who complete the form.

Step 4: Publish and Test Your Form

There are two ways you can send your nifty little form to the world.

Email
The first method is using “Email this form” icon, on the top left area of your browser. This will email a link to your form directly from Google Docs. While that is a cool feature, the likelihood that you will actually email all of your customers using this is slim. Enter YOUR email in the box and use the link in that email in whatever emails, tweets, or Facebook posts you plan on using to publicize your new complaint contact form or customer dissatisfaction.

Embed on Your Website
This is a little more advanced and requires access to the files of your website and the ability to update them on your web host. If you utilize a Content Management System (CMS) or have HTML experience then you should be embed the code very easily. Click the icon on the top right of your browser that says “More Actions” then select “Embed.” Copy the code in the box which appears in the center of your screen and paste it into the source code or CMS on the desired page and area of your website. Adjust the <iframe> settings to your liking. Now test your masterpiece.

Step 5: Reviewing Your Data & Setting Notifications

When a customer uses the form, all of the results will be entered into a Google Spreadsheet. You can access that spread sheet now by clicking the “See Responses” icon on the top right area of your browser and select “Spreadsheet.” The document you see now can also be accessed later from your Google Docs home page. If you followed all the steps correctly you should see the results from your test submission(s).

To schedule a notification of responses click the “Share” icon on the top right of your browser and select “Notification rules”.  You can select a variety of options from this screen, but the most useful one is to check “Email – right away” at the bottom of the screen, which will send an email to you anytime someone completes the form.

Note: The notifications will be sent to the email address your Google Account is setup as.

Here is a sample form for you to check out.

Good Resources & Reads

• Google Docs – Forms Help
• Measuring Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty, Third Edition: Survey Design, Use, and Statistical Analysis Methods by Bob E. Hayes
• Customer Surveys 101

eat mor chikin... then have fresh breath.

I know that most Sonic restaurants are not going to have smoking carhops (let’s hope not anyways), but do a test and drive by your local Sonic. Usually you will see an empty parking lot and sometimes the occasional Chicago-dog addict looking for his fix (probably me). Now drive by your local Chick-fil-A and you will almost always see a line of cars wrapping around the parking lot. Chick-fil-A and Sonic essentially provide the same product, but they could not be more different in service and experience in which that product is served. Generally, the employees at Chick-fil-A are always “on” and operate in a polite and friendly manner. They say things like, “I’m looking forward to serving you at the window” and “My pleasure.” Chick-fil-A locations are ridiculously clean and operate efficiently. I guarantee you also won’t see employees smoking while they are sweeping either. The icing on the cake for me was a few months ago when I walked into a local Chick-fil-A and they had a mouthwash dispenser in the bathroom with flowers sitting beside it. My only complaint is that they didn’t have a bathroom attendant to hand me a clean towel… kidding.

Does it really matter if you or your employees provide a good customer service experience?
Well, according to the 2010 North American Customer Experience Report, conducted by RightNow and Harris Interactive, 82% of the more than 2,200 adult consumers surveyed said that they stopped doing business with an organization due to a bad customer service experience.

Is it difficult or expensive to create that experience or culture?
It might cost a little extra to take the time to train your people more effectively, but according to the RightNow report, 85% of consumers said they would be willing to pay more in order to ensure a superior customer experience. Your customers and clients want a better experience and are willing to pay for it. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

The truth is, if you aren’t being intentional in your interaction with customers and clients, you are probably uninterested in their satisfaction, and that’s just plain lazy. Your customers and clients are ALWAYS watching you. The good news is they aren’t just watching and waiting for you to screw up or give them bad service, but they are waiting for you to amaze them and show them how much you care. You would be surprised how the smallest things make the largest impact and how many or their friends and family will become your customers too.

Good Reads & Resources

• 2010 North American Customer Experience Report by RightNow and Harris Interactive
• Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People by S. Truett Cathy, Founder of Chick-fil-A
• Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos
• The Cult of the Customer: Create an Amazing Customer Experience That Turns Satisfied Customers Into Customer Evangelists by Shep Hyken

www.fitniche.com - Locations in Lakeland, Wesley Chapel, and Clearwater

As we made our way back to the car I noticed a bunch of people huddled around some water coolers filling those tiny little cone-shaped paper cups with ice-cold water. I said, “Oh that’s nice that the city puts water out here,” but in my mind I was thinking “How inefficient why don’t they just put a water fountain out here and save time and money.” Laura said, “No that’s from a local running store called FitNiche.” As I looked closer I could see their logo on the cooler. I knew nothing about this store, but at that moment I was instantly impressed with their marketing savvy. I looked around and I saw athletic runners, similar to the ones I see at races I have participated in, (I’m the guy bringing up the rear at those events). For pennies and a few minutes a day, FitNiche is able to showcase their brand to the audience who is most likely to use their products and services. Even more important than being cheap and easy marketing, their potential customers receive a sense of the level of care they could receive from FitNiche and a small but valuable emotional connection. “You gave me water when I was thirsty.” Kind of simple, but so powerful  when you think about it. Sort of like stopping to help someone when their car is broken down, chances are that person will always remember that for a long time.

Not to get all mushy, but do you care about your customers and the ones you haven’t earned yet? If you do care about them, how far are you willing to go to show them that you do care? It doesn’t have to be a huge production with business coaches or consultants, it could be as simple as putting some refreshing water out for your thirsty customers. Your customers are thirsty for something more than just cheap prices and gimmicks, but they want to be engaged on a different level. If you don’t care about them, don’t worry they will quench their thirst somewhere else.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” — John C. Maxwell

Good Reads

• The Viral Power of Raw Emotions; by Tim Sanders
• How to Celebrate Your Customers; by Heidi Cohen
• Competing on Service: Eleven Ways to Beat the Competition by “Hugging” Your Customers