Page 4 - BizVoice May/June 2013
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BizVoice
/Indiana Chamber –
May/June 2013
Girl Scouts’ Benefits
Boosting Confidence, Building Leaders
L
ast year, in celebration of Girl Scouts’ 100th anniversary, the Girl Scout Research
Institute released a study on the organization’s long-term effects on its members. The
results offer good news for us here in Indiana, for the girls and adults we work with and
for the estimated 59 million American women who are former Girl Scouts.
Girl Scout alumnae are more active as volunteers, vote more regularly, are better educated
and enjoy higher household incomes. This was particularly true for women who had been long-
term Girl Scouts.
When asked what they got out of their Girl Scout experience, alumnae frequently mentioned
confidence. This is essential for anyone wanting to lead a successful life.
Girl Scouts of Central Indiana impacts the lives of 40,000 girls and 18,000 adults in nearly
half the state. We need a Leadership and Learning Center to provide a safe, central environment
for volunteer learning opportunities and large collaborations. Modern technology for adult
learning is also needed. We plan to build the center at Camp Dellwood, a Girl Scout-owned
property on the west side of Indianapolis.
Read the full story at
on May 10.
Outstanding Customer Experiences
Deliver Them, Especially in a Time of Crisis
T
he Carnival Cruise Lines incident earlier this year prompted me to think even more
about customer experience. After reading about the more than 4,000 people stranded
on a cruise ship in less-than-ideal living conditions, I wondered what small businesses
would do in a crisis situation.
Providing an exceptional customer experience can make all the difference for your
company, brand and customers – even in a time of crisis.
Address the issue with empathy: We’ve all seen this before. A company does something
wrong and skirts around the issue. Whether you’re a big business or a small one, your public
wants an explanation, acknowledgement of the toll your actions have had on your customers and
details on what actions you’re going to take to resolve the situation.
Apologize: Think about this in your personal life. Doesn’t a sincere apology go a long way?
Does a sincere apology singlehandedly remedy a crisis situation in the business world? Of course
not, but a sincere apology will humanize your company and spokesperson while delivering
confidence at a time when it’s needed most.
Read the full story at
on May 16.
Rating Sites
What You Need To Know About Referral Services
C
ustomers who don’t know about your business can still find you in a number of ways.
They can ask friends and family members for referrals, visit the Yellow Pages or check
the Better Business Bureau.
However, an increasingly popular approach is to consult online referral services
like Angie’s List, Home Advisor and Yelp.
As review web site use has grown, so too have strategies for companies to leverage good
reviews on such sites – and diplomatically deal with bad ones.
Good reviews clearly will be a boon to your company, no matter what product or service it
offers. On such sites as Angie’s List, good notices can lead to other opportunities as well. Dealing
with bad reviews requires considerable finesse and a tactical strategy or two.
Read the full story at
on May 22.
Experts Share Their Insights
Full Stories at
Web Exclusives
Denny Sponsel
RJE Business Interiors
Mary Lou Denny
Walt Denny Inc.
Brad Smith
Sage North America
