BUSINESS FEATURE: Top 10 ways to satisfy the millennial customer

I would like to share a very timely article from Business Mirror written by one of the best customer experience expert and speaker - Ms. Michelle Patel.

Who are the millennials? Anyone born between 1980 and 2000 are part of this generation who were brought up with the Internet. They are now the largest in history according to Forbes magazine. In the US alone, millennials spend $600 billion per year. By the year, 2020, spending will increase to $1.4 trillion per year. They are starting to rule the world, many millennials are behind successful startups that make our lives better.

To survive, businesses everywhere have to understand and evolve to suit the dynamic needs of this new generation of customers.

Here are ways your business can reach out and satisfy the millennial customer:

Be accessible. Millennials have the need to be constantly connected to the Internet, and they multitask across platforms. Having a web site is not anymore a minimum requirement. Your business has to have presence on social media to even gain the trust of the customers that you are a credible brand. They can connect with your brand online, whether they are using a personal computer, a tablet or a mobile phone. Remember, access is different from online presence. To be accessible, means “it works.” If they inquire from your web site, Twitter or your Facebook page, you answer in real time.

Focus on the customer experience. The online and offline experience of your customers have to be consistent and seamless throughout. Speed, ease, efficiency and convenience should be the factors considered when you are designing your customer journey. Visiting your physical shop and your online store should not only have the same functionality, but more important, the experience provides the customer the same emotional satisfaction of visiting and purchasing from you. And do not forget that your customer-recovery program and after-sales service—for both offline and online—are critical components of your business which affect customer retention.

Have an authentic voice. Make that vision and mission posted on your web site or displayed on your office wall, come to life by sharing your message on social media. What do you stand for? The millennial customer knows when a brand is just luring them or is being real. Advertising campaigns that have been effective were those that use real people in relatable contexts, or ads that show celebrities being the real them.

Personalize your message. The millennial customer expects that you have done your work (checked his profile, studied his consumption or purchase habits, and could anticipate his future needs and wants) and will only offer what is relevant. The old-fashioned way of telemarketing, where agents cold-call customers and offering them a product or service they already have will only lead to irritation and dissatisfaction. Sadly, this still happens today, big brands employ telemarketing agencies to upsell or cross-sell but they don’t provide them access to the customers’ data. The approach is purely hard sell and the spiels sound mechanic. It’s a waste of time and money, and more important, it affects the image of the brand.

Offer new adventures. Millennials seek new discoveries and adventures. If you have a mall-based restaurant, consider having a food truck version, which goes around the business district during lunch time. If you are in retail, consider having a pop-up, these are limited-time retail experiences, lasting for a day or up to several weeks. It usually offers a unique environment and targets a particular audience. It is the age of disruption, to think “out of the box” is now an understatement.

Collaborate. This is another buzz word among the millennials, which creates excitement in the market when two unexpected brands or personalities come together for a limited-edition collection of products. These launches create hype and the concept of exclusivity will always have an appeal on your target market. The formula for a successful “collab” is to have a shared purpose and design philosophy with the brand or personality you are teaming up with.

Keep engaging. Millennials have the “fomo,” which means “fear of missing out.” They need to be kept up to date on what’s being talked about on social media all the time. The smartphone has become an extended body part. Given this, brands need to constantly have fresh content uploaded, which is meant to inform, update and notify the customers on what’s going on.

Offer instant gratification and validation. The millennial customer’s validation in the age of social media are the number of “Likes” and “shares” he or she gets for a single post or photo/video uploaded, and the number of Twitter and Instagram followers one has. A post that is more than a day old is considered stale and literally, yesterday’s news. When you develop your brand’s promos or loyalty program mechanics, keep this mentality in mind. Customers want instant rewards for patronizing you. For every transaction, let them earn points. If you only reward them after multiple visits, you will likely lose their interest. The millennial customer want it fast and they want it now.

Offer group deals. The shared experience is important for millennials. They like to shop and dine in groups, which is favorable for businesses. We have seen the success of e-commerce sites, like Ensogo and Metrodeal, which offer group buying discounts and deals. If you are in the food and beverage industry, offer packages and special menus for groups, which offer your customers more value for their money.

Build a community. The millennial customer will most likely check an app first for reviews before trying out a new restaurant and check user ratings before buying a product. The definition of an “expert” has truly changed for this generation. Millennials will trust a friend’s firsthand experience more than any other credible source. It will benefit a business to organize a community, which could even be a Facebook page, and be able to effectively monitor, manage and participate in the conversation of the customers. A community lets customers interact with the brand and other customers, as well.

Businesses who fail to recognize and embrace the characteristics of the millennials will lose out on the opportunities of tomorrow. The millennial customers are our economy’s present and future. To stay relevant with this market, “be fast, be social and be memorable.”

Lifestyle: Movie Review - Train to Busan (Korean)

Synopsis:

A man (Gong Yoo), his estranged daughter and other passengers become trapped on a speeding train during a zombie outbreak in South Korea.  

Train to Busan is a public-transportation horror movie with a side helping of class warfare.

Review:

This Korean film nailed  both WWZ (World War Z) and Dawn of the Dead.  This is a  Zombie film with a heart because of social relevance, family orientation and a self truth revelation of how humane you are in terms of survival.  Special effects and timing was superb!  Surely you will learn lesson about family values and you as a  human being.  It is highly recommended! A must watch movie.

My rating for this film is 8 out of 10 stars. ********

PLACES: EL NIDO, Palawan Island, Philippines

El Nido is a Philippine municipality on Palawan island. It’s known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs and as the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago, a group of islands with steep karst cliffs. Miniloc Island is famed for the clear waters of its Small and Big lagoons. Nearby Shimizu Island has fish-filled waters. The area has many dive sites, including Dilumacad Island’s long tunnel leading to an underwater cavern.

One of my dream destination is  traveling to El Nido, Palawan.  The first time I heard about it is from my friends in Palawan way back then.  I have an impression that it was an expensive destination . Each year  I always  placed it on top of my bucket list and this year 2016 that dream became  a reality. Thanks for my high school friend Jorge for convincing me to join the group trip to this breathtaking paradise. 

We discovered that traveling to this top-notch Philippine destination doesn't necessarily come with a hefty price tag. I'll share you some tips on how cheap is it to get there. From the airfare, food and lodging. Its just a matter of planning ahead on your trip.

Getting to El Nido from Manila can be done in two ways. There are direct flights from Manila to El Nido and vice versa via Air Swift  but each way will costs you at least Php 6,000 to Php 8,000. However the cheaper alternative is to fly to Puerto Princesa instead  via Cebu Pacific or Air Asia or PAL and travel by land to El Nido. Travel time by land takes about 5-7 hours depending on your choice of transportation (van or bus). 

In our case our group bought tickets in advance on a promo which only cost us Php 2,500 /head via Air Asia  round trip and booked a hotel at the Travel expo for 3,900/head for 6 pax including van transfers and breakfast for 4 days. The package also includes our tour of El Nido (island hopping) for 2 days and take note with lunch buffet at one of the islands.  Total head cost per head was Php 6,400 only. Of course, there other incidental expenses like terminal fee (Php 200), paslubong, environmental fee (Php 200/head) water and dinner/bar hopping.

Please note that traveling in a big group is more cheap and getting a group travel package is deemed practical like we did. 

You can also commute by public transpo to San Jose terminal. Once you already flew to Puerto Princesa City, you need to travel to San Jose terminal where the vans and buses bound for El Nido are located. There's no direct public ride so the most common option is to hire a tricycle exclusively for Php 100 to 120  from the airport to the terminal. This is practical if you're 5 in a group because you only get to pay P20 per head. However, if you're solo or 2 persons only, taking the public transportation can save you a few bucks. Once you arrived at the airport, get out to the main road, take a tricycle and asked to be dropped off at Junction 1. Travel time is just a little over 5 minutes and fare is only P8 per person. From there take a multicab bound for San Jose terminal for P12. Travel time is about 20 minutes.

For more comfortable travel, our driver/tour guide is recommending the RORO Bus that is better than the vans because they have more trips including night trips.  Most importantly, they're cheaper (P483 per way)  than the shuttle/vans (P600-P700). But if you want the cheapest option available, you can take the ordinary (non-aircon) RORO bus which only costs P367 per way. The only downside of taking the bus is that the trip takes a little longer (up to 6-7 hours as compared to 5 hours with vans) because they would pick up and drop off passengers along the way.

Schedule of RORO Bus (Puerto Princesa to El Nido and vice versa):

4AM / 6AM* / 8AM / 10AM* / 12NN / 2PM* / 4PM / 6PM* / 10PM* (marked with asterisk is aircon bus)

El Nido offers plenty of budget rooms to choose from (beachfront/non beachfront). On our recent trip we stayed at RICJEM's Inn. You can find most of the budget accommodations within the town center which is, by the way, just small and very much accessible to the beach.

Restaurants in El Nido offers great food. However, there are local carinderias scattered around the town to cater to those with tight budget. Based on our experience by eating from one carinderia, each serving of dish costs P50/ulam and a cup of rice at P10. Softdrinks is at Php 20 only. A complete meal is just around Php 80 to Php 100.

For island hopping,  we chose Tour A and Tour B as part of our package. However you can ask for discount or rent a boat privately and negotiate if you're at least a group of 6. For 2-3 person it is advisable to join other group tour instead.

Below are the standard rates for the island hopping tours (includes lunch):

Tour A - P1200 / person
Tour B - P1300 / person
Tour C - P1400 / person
Tour D - P1200 / person

For Pasalubong, there are plenty of shops accessible by foot. You may ask local residents for directions.

P.S. Travel during off peak season. You can take advantage of the cheap airfares to plan your own trip. Prices of accommodations are cheaper that time as well. El Nido is also less crowded during this season.

Good News! Palawan is rarely hit by typhoon all year round however expect some tropical monsoons during lean season.

So go ahead and plan your trip to currently ranked #1 in Condé Nast Traveler's list of "20 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World." and  CNNGo  -the Best Beach and Island destination in the Philippines for its "extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem." - El Nido, Palawan

PLACES: South Palms Resort, Panglao Island, Bohol

After our adventures in Cebu our next itinerary was Bohol. Bohol is the perfect place for any kind of pleasurable escape from urban life.  We took the morning trip from Cebu to Bohol via Ocean jet for 2 hours travel time.

South Palms Resort Panglao  (formerly Bohol Beach Club) is our destination in the island. It is located in the south end area of Panglao with over a thousand palm trees and the longest white beach in the entire Panglao island.

The place provides an oasis of relaxation and delightful comfort for its white sand beaches and turquoise waters. A Balinese inspired design type resort using Bohols' handicrafts. South Palms Resort Panglao is an elegant and yet simple place for that perfect peaceful holiday getaway.

You can check some of our photos taken at this paradise in Panglao Island, Bohol:

Contact Details

Brgy. Bolod, Panglao Island
Bohol – 6340
Philippines
T: +63 38 502-8288
F: +63 38 502-9106
C: +63 917-7167609
Rsvn: +63 38 501-3088
Toll Free: 1-800-1888-7777
E: info@southpalmsresort.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SouthPalmsResortPanglao

Places: OSLOB, CEBU - Swimming with the Butandings (Whale Sharks)

One of my bucket list for the year 2016 was meeting and swimming with the Butandings (whale sharks) of Oslob, Cebu.

We travelled to Oslob, Cebu via a rented van at 5 am in the morning since the whale sharks can be seen only in the morning from 7 am to 10am. You can also catch the earliest bus ride from the South Bus Terminal to Barangay Tan-Awan at 3 am. 

The ride from Cebu City to Brgy. Tan-Awan, Oslob was about three (3) hours long. Whale shark watching is until 1 pm only (if the Butandings are still in the area). Usually side trip after this is in Tumalog Falls or going to Sumilon Island. However for more relaxed travel you can rent/hire a van (Php 5,000 for 5-6 persons) and have an option of buying lechon/chicharon in CarCar and other delicacies along the way (vice versa).

Our driver/tour guide drop and waited for us at Brumini Resort. After paying fees (Php 300 for whale shark watching/ Php 500 for swimming plus Php 50 resort fees and underwater camera for 30 minutes costs Php 600 - unlimited shots) and then brought us by a complimentary shuttle of the resort  to the Briefing Center where do's and don'ts were discussed.

The orientation was about the rules and regulations while watching/swimming at the site:

Each group's  (2 -4  persons) are allowed 30 mins of watching or swimming.

Distance from the whale shark should be 4 meters.

No flash photography as they're sensitive to light.

No to sunscreens or any body lotion.

After the briefing, we were guided to our boat and wear our life vests. They also handed the rented camera.  Please note that the interaction area was so near the shore. It did not take us long to meet the gentle giants of the sea. At first we were scared to jump into the water because of the their sizes. An adult whale shark can be as big as a bus in Edsa while the baby whale shark is huge as an L300 van. 

Once submerge in water, we were so scared that they might swallow us whole but our boatman assure us that they are harmless and human is not in their menu. We were so amazed of their size and gentleness while swimming around us though they smell fishy so better ready to have your own bar of soap to wash up at the resort. 

Our boatmen, alternately  took pictures of us like models posing under water requesting to remove our life vest for us to have a great picture.  At first we were hesitant to remove our vest but our boatman assured us they we are in good hands. And for these precious moments sake, we followed our boatman's instructions and strike a pose. I now understand how difficult to shoot models submerged in water. Its tiring but all worth it for a perfect shot for your cover photo.

After more than 30 minutes, we are all in awe because of this experience!  We keep saying to ourselves that this is the highlight of our vacation in  the queen city of the south.

I just hope that swimming with the gentle giants brings no serious harm's to them and our local government would strictly protect these wonderful creations of God for the future generations to see and enjoy.

Check out some of our pictures taken at this breathtaking experience with the Butandings (Whale Sharks):

Lifestyle: My Movie Review - Conjuring 2

Synopsis:

In 1977, paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren come out of a self-imposed sabbatical to travel to Enfield, a borough in north London. There, they meet Peggy Hodgson, an overwhelmed single mother of four who tells the couple that something evil is in her home. Ed and Lorraine believe her story when the youngest daughter starts to show signs of demonic possession. As the Warrens try to help the besieged girl, they become the next target of the malicious spirits.

My Review:

The Conjuring 2 was the Best Fun Horror film I've seen so far. I had a great time watching it with friends because everyone was laughing all through out the film. Though it was a good and better than its prequel.

Mr. James Wan made the film look different and not too scary but funny. It SFX was also mind blowing and the color was brilliant taking you back in the late 70's. The demon named VALEK (the nun) was so scary and terrifying. Definitely the film will take you on a thrilling fun ride and was worth watching with friends for great fun.

My ratings for this film is 7 out of 10 stars *******

Lifestyle: My Movie Review - WARCRAFT - The Beginning

Synopsis:

Looking to escape from his dying world, the orc shaman Gul'dan utilizes dark magic to open a portal to the human realm of Azeroth. Supported by the fierce fighter Blackhand, Gul'dan organizes the orc clans into a conquering army called the Horde. Uniting to protect Azeroth from these hulking invaders are King Llane, the mighty warrior Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel) and the powerful wizard Medivh. As the two races collide, leaders from each side start to question if war is the only answer.

My Review:

The film was composed almost entirely of computer-generated imagery (CGI).  Viewing it in 3D for me was amazing because its graphics was very much detailed. A bit over the top but it was interesting. However its beginning was slow with strange jargon names were introduce but as the story goes you will understand the whole story line.  

Generally, its was entertaining to watch the film and you don't need to play the game or be familiar with each character to appreciate it.  It is rated R-13 because of violence. 

I am pretty sure that this film will have its sequel since the subtitled  "The Beginning". Obviously, they are laying down some ground work for its next franchise.  I just hope that the next story would be more interesting and entertaining. My rating is 7 out of 10 *******