For your final postings, read through the events that your classmates shared.
Respond to two different classmates postings. Provide feedback on their ideas and/or ask questions on how they would manage the event, measure the success of the event, etc.
Write
a final reflection of ideas that you learned from your classmates that
you would like to try, have seen done with success or things you know
would not work for your business. Be
sure to include (at least 2) details about why you might like to try
something and key reasons that allowed the event to be successful or
unsuccessful.
The first event I would have would continue throughout the year. Once a week I’d ask a parent to come in & read the class their child’s favorite book. It would be on their schedule for whatever works best for them, since they do have to work. Having the parents to come in to read gives the children new experiences & they truly enjoy it. Their child especially loves having their parent coming in to read their favorite story. It’s a mini show & tell from each family. A month in advance parents will get a list of which families are during what week. They only have to choose one day during that week that’ll take up like 15 minutes of their time, but means a ton to the children. The Friday before the families week the teachers will reach out to through email to touch base by reminding them, & asking what day & time they were thinking.
ReplyDeleteThe second event would be on a saturday afternoon from noon to 2:30. It would be called family appreciation day. It would happen at the school on the playground. There will be food, music, drinks, & fun things for the children like face painting, clown, & more. This will help all families get to know each other along with the staff of the school. It’ll show that we appreciate their business & their loyalty to the school. A couple months in advance flyers will be hung up in the school on the parent board, they will get personal invites, & reminders as the date comes closer. The directors of the school will be in charge of setting up the event & getting everything together, & sending out the invites & reminders.
Reference:
Murray, K. (2012) The ultimate child care marketing guide: Tactics, tools, and strategies for success. St. Paul. MN: Redleaf Press
Hi Tanya,
DeleteI like your ideas of how to strengthen customer loyalty, as you make the families feel welcomed into the program. They can share some time in the classroom by sharing their child’s favorite book, which is also a way for parents to experience their child’s learning environment. Your second event is also a great idea of allowing families to interact with other families and teachers. Parents appreciate these events as they get to know the teachers, directors, etc. in a more relaxing environment. I think this kind of family parties allow teachers to observe the interaction child-parent and learn more about the families through good conversations with them. How often would you organize this Family Appreciation party? Great ideas!
Tanya,
DeleteAre your parents able to take off work to come? Does having their parent come in make the child sad when they must leave again? What situations have you run into while having this program. It sounds fun but many of my parents are teachers so coming during the day would be tricky. I also think with my mixed age group it would cause some tears. Need to think about that one a little.
Jennifer
Tanya,
DeleteI like your ideas on how you will strengthen customer loyalty with your family. I really like the second event, where parents will come and have fun in the center. Not alone have fun but also meet other parents and connect with them.
Tanya,
DeleteI love your event ideas. For your first event with having a parent come in and read once a week, how will you go about getting the families motivated to participate? I agree that this would really be enjoyable for the children especially when it is their parents turn to read to the class. For your second event, how often would you di this a year? Also, what would you do to earn funding for this event? I think the party at the school is a really great way to get all the families involved in a fun environment. This also gives them a chance to connect with other parents and meet staff members. My sons school does this sort of event once a year and it is a huge turnout. I know the children really enjoy it as well.
Tanya,
DeleteI love the idea of having parents come in and read to the children. I think this is a great way to get the families involved in the classroom as well. What could you do for the parent who can’t come in? Could you offer a signup sheet at the beginning of the year for the parents who have a harder time to come in? I also love the family appreciation day. Would this be mandatory for teachers to come? And would they be paid? If that is the case, would they want to sacrifice a Saturday?
Great ideas!
Kariann
Hello Tanya,
DeleteI think a Customer Appreciation Day is a great way to develop what Murray referred to as the “loyalty fence.” When customers are highly loyal to doing business with you they are more likely to stay and not leave to competitor (Murray, 2012). I do have some question about this event. You did not include cost, so will the teachers reduce cost by using school materials for face painting and dressing like a clown? Is the food and drink the cost of students luch that day or additional purchase? Will the music be a simple cd player or will you hire a DJ? Also how long and what time will you host this event?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading, I learned that customers, parents and guardians like a to be appreciation and by having events that would show appreciation to parents will be great for centers. So I will do two events in a year, One will be a yearly events while the second one will be a once a month event. The once of a month event can would not be as big as the yearly one. But again the goal is to get parents to feel appreciated. The once a month event will be parent activity night, the possible of this activity night is recognize parents who have read to their children, came into the center to help out either in the classroom or around the center. The goal for this activity is not alone to recognizes parents for their time but also to foster parents volunteer in and out of the classroom. So for the activity night, teachers will have simple activities in the classrooms for parents to do with their children in the classroom with light dinner and drinks. This activity night will be take about one hour and half. Giving time for parents and children to eat, after eating the parents do the activity and when they are all done with the activity, the parents who is being appreciated is called upon and giving the prize. The budget for both event will be about $500.00. This money can be made during a fund raising giving parents the chance to help the center raise money. Also the parent with the most amount of money will be appreciated during the two events. This fund-raising can also be part of the qualification in picking which parents is to be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, the second activity will be once a year activity, for this activity parents and children are invited to a school dance. This dance will be done in February, the event will be a former event and so everyone is expected to be former. Just like the first event, there will be light dinner and drink for everyone, an activity for parents to do with their children in the children’s classrooms. This event will be two and a half hour long. When they are done with the activities in the classrooms parents will be invited to take pictures with their children. After taking pictures parents and children will proceed to the dance floor to dance with their children. During the activities parents will be called uphold to receive a gift as a token to the center appreciate them for all they have done for the center in the past one-year. The goal for this activity is not only to appreciate parents also a way for the center to be advertised. Parents will be asked to bring friends and relative to this event. By doing this the parents will be helping sell the center to their friends and relatives. However, the event will be planned by the teachers, the director will get a teacher that is good in planning event to plan both events. The teachers will give a calendar as asked to pick any day they will either come late to work or leave work early on that particular day. Again, the goal is to encourage the teachers with the extra work their will be putting in and also a way to show the teachers appreciation.
Rhoda,
DeleteI have thought about buying my families tickets to go to they local park districts family fishing fun event. We could go together or just meet each other there, have a fun event together that someone else sets up and cleans up, and get to spend some fun time together at the park we frequent. I don't have the space for a party here but I have thought about a picnic in the summer too. I thought I could honor the staff at the picnic and then their families can also meet the children that their loved ones care for daily. What do you think?
Jennifer
JenniferMama,
DeleteGoing to the park is very good, It's another way to save money but also a way to sell your center to the people around the community. Honoring staff is very good because it tells them you appreciate them.
Murray (2012) states that “the more [we] do to build a loyalty fence around our customers… the more loyal our customers feel toward our program, the more likely they will be to recommend it to others.” (p.76). With this in mind, I think I will implement a couple of strategies that allow me to involve parents into our program and provide opportunities for families and staff to interact and expand their social network.
ReplyDeleteMy first strategy will be the organization of a monthly “Parents Learn and Play” in the classrooms. Every month parents will come to the classroom and play with their children during the pick-up time, let’s say from 5 to 6pm. They can experience how their children learn every day. Teachers will prepare a special activity and will explain to parents the learning objectives of the activity. This is a way I can educate my families about how children learn through play in our program. All our families will be invited, and I will provide some refreshments like pizza, fruit and water. Teachers will initiate family interactions through the activities, conversation, etc. I think this is a great opportunity to socialize and learn more about our families in a more relaxing environment. Teachers can observe parent-child interaction and benefit from open conversation with the families. And, our program will reinforce our customer-program relationships in a positive way.
My second strategy will be a “Summer Block Party.” Every summer, our program will prepare this event to promote community partnerships by inviting local businesses to join us. Parents will have the opportunity to support our center as volunteers, donors, or simply attending like guests. Our center will prepare a variety of child-friendly activities like face painting, magician, balloon artist, pony rides, blowing bubbles, etc. and we will provide refreshments for all our attendees. As we’ll have local businesses joining us, we may have additional stands from them to advertise their services. For example, a garden center will provide samples of their products, information of their services and events, etc. I think that it will be a great idea to have a stand of international food for sale, and our diverse families can prepare their delicious dishes. People can taste a variety of food for a reasonable cooperation. All our families and neighborhood will be invited to this event. I think that we’ll be enhancing our community partnership and extending family networks, as families can interact among them and learn more about our community services. This party will be from 10am to 1pm.
Murray, K. (2012). The ultimate child care marketing guide: Tactics, tools, and strategies for success. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Greetings Maria,
DeleteI really like both of your events ideas, they are awesome ideas to present to your families. The first one that you stated that you would do on a monthly basis is a "Parent Learn And Play." In my opinion, I feel as if this is a much needed event to have because oftentimes I hear parents say that all their children do is play and do not learn anything. As you already know, there is a lot that transpires when children engage in play. You are absolutely right, this is an excellent way to educate your families about how children learn through play at your program. I also like how you stated that you would have your teachers initiate the family interactions with the activities, the conversations, etc. I too think that it is a great opportunity to socialize and learn more about your families in a more relaxing environment. I see how you added how teachers can observe parent-child interactions and benefit from open conversations with their families, that is wise thinking on your part. This is definitely a good way to build positive relationships with your families. Your second event that you stated that you would do is a "Summer Block Party," it is just as awesome as the first one. Thank you for sharing your event ideas, they were very helpful.
Have A Wonderful Fun-Filled Weekend Maria!
Signed,
Jerriann D. Johnson
Maria,
DeleteYou came up with a very interesting idea for the learn and play with the parents. I think parents should be educated on what toys actually do for the children’s growth and how they can help with interacting with their child. Parents need help becoming educated with the development of children. The second party sounds like a lot of fun. Anytime you can bring parents, staff, and children together to relax and enjoy their surroundings and mingle is a great idea.
Maria,
DeleteThe block party sounds amazing. I have also thought about a summer event because of space in the program facility would be tight with the children, siblings, and parents. I also can say some of their siblings are handfuls and have never attended my program so no clue on the program rules and don't mind their parents well. How do you handle supervision during your event. What if parents don't keep a good eye on their children? How do you handle that piece of the event?
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
DeleteI think that I'll have my staff to help out for additional supervision if needed. But I'll make clear to parents that their kids' supervision depends on them mainly.
Maria,
DeleteI agree with you and Murray about loyalty and the importance of building that relationship with customers and retaining loyal customers helps recommend the center to new customers. I like your monthly organization of the parents learn and play in the classrooms. I think it is important for the parents to be with their children in the classroom environment, but I also think that it would be helpful for the parents to learn about what their children are learning on a daily basis as well as get an example of their daily schedule. Being educated in what their children are learning will help the parents bring that home and incorporate it into their home environment and keep the children on a “schedule.” I also chose to do a block party to help promote the child care center to the community as well as help the current customers interact and get to know the teachers and staff better as well as the other families that attend the center. I like the different types of activities that you will provide along with partnering with other local businesses to help promote them as well.
Hi Maria,
DeleteI think it's wonderful for the parents to be involved in their child's lives especially when they attend daycare all day, the parents usually are in a rush to pick them up, get home, prepare dinner, and then get ready for bed. I like your strategy of inviting parents to stop in and unwind and play with their child as well as socialize with other parents. Do you think a certain day would work best, perhaps Friday since it will be the beginning of the weekend? In my experience, my daycare has pretty much offered times for the parents to observe the children in their classroom environment when we have holiday party celebrations for Holidays Around the World Night, Valentines Day Party and Halloween Parades.
ADM–319–WEEK #3–BLOG "CUSTOMER LOYALTY"
ReplyDeletePART #1
As the owner of “Little Angels Day Care Development And Learning Center,” my goal is to conduct two events. In order to strengthen “customer loyalty” and to let my customers know that I appreciate them doing business with me. With that being said, I have decided to conduct two different events that I would host at my center. The first event will be a minor event that will take place on a monthly basis, and the second event will be a major event that will take place once a year.
*MINOR EVENT: MESSY ART NIGHT*
The purpose of this event is for children and their families to come together to discover new ways of doing art. Having fun and displaying one’s creative skills can help others learn and appreciate various arts. This will be a chance for children and their parents to try materials such as pottery, wire sculpture, oil paintings, and mosaics. This will be a free-for-all environment for our families. A special table will be set up for all our families to display their art work that night. After the activity, light refreshments will be provided for everyone in attendance. Before the night ends, we will ask three of our families to volunteer to share with us what their messy art is all about. Moreover, our center will have an art budget, and will commit to a $200.00 budget per night each month. Our yearly budget for the “messy art night” will be $2,400. Every month, all our teachers will rotate and take turns hosting the monthly family fun night event.
Some benefits that our customers might gain from this “messy art night event” will be the following:
*Families will get a chance to display their family’s creative talent.
*A chance to spend time at the center with their child/family.
*Get to meet other families at our center.
*Have a chance to talk to their child’s teacher on a monthly basis.
*Build positive relationships with the director, teachers, and other families.
Furthermore, some benefits that we as a center can gain from hosting such an event will be as follows:
*As a center, we can learn more about the families that attends on a monthly basis.
*Get a chance to meet all our children and their families.
*Converse with our families on a monthly basis.
*Build positive relationships with our families, and teachers.
*MAJOR EVENT: CREATIVE FAMILY CARNIVAL*
This creative event will be set up “carnival style.” The sole purpose of this event is to give our families a chance to have fun and meet the families at our center. At this event, we will have carnival rides for children and adults. Each family will be asked to participate in a creative dress-up event. We will have rides, games, face painting, horseback riding, hay rides, funnel cakes, candy apples and more. Upon entering the carnival, all our families must register throughout the carnival, which will take place for three hours, we will periodically pull family names out of a hat and give one attendance prize per family. Every family will also be given the chance to host a booth wherewith they can display their family talent by providing various games and activities for everyone in attendance. We will choose three families as winners each year, and each individual family will receive a $500.00 Family Gift Certificate to “Walmart” or “Schnucks Grocery Store” and/or win a $500.00 Family Gift Certificate to their family’s favorite “Community Restaurant.” The budget that our center will put in place for this event is $5,000 per year. Being that we are a center that participates in community events throughout the year, area restaurants, grocery stores, and department stores, always donate various food items, art supplies, etc. to our day care center.
Jeriann,
DeleteI love your minor event of Messy Art Night and providing the opportunity for children and their families to get together and create art in different ways. I think it is a fun way to explore different techniques as well as have fun doing so. Designating a table for the families to display their art makes it a lot more fun and meaningful because then the children will be excited to show their art work off to the other children and their families. I also really like your yearly center event and having it carnival themed. It is a great way to get all of the families together and get to know each other as well as another great way to promote the center as well give the teachers an opportunity to interact with the children and families outside of the day care center and have fun with them. What is the budget for this event and how is it created?
Jerriann,
DeleteI love the idea of messy art night! What a fun, creative idea! Would each event be a different art median or the same wide variety? I absolutely love this idea! What a great idea to get families together and a great activity to engage with your children. Also, would you have a signup sheet in order to make sure you have enough materials or an open invite? I also had the idea of a carnival night, except I called it end of summer. I think this type of event is a great opportunity to mingle with families and for families to build relationships with eachother.
Great ideas!
Kariann
ADM – 319 – WEEK #3 – BLOG – CUSTOMER LOYALTY
ReplyDeletePART #2
Moreover, this event will be planned by myself the director, our teachers, and different volunteer parent/families that attends our center. Benefits that our customers might gain from this “creative carnival event” are the following:
*Families will get a chance to participate in a yearly fun-filled activity together.
*Families can meet other families in the center along with building positive relationships.
*Earn Attendance prizes.
*Receive a chance to win a $500.00 gift certificate for their family.
*Receive various gifts and prizes from our community department stores ad grocery stores.
Inasmuch, benefits that our center might gain from this “carnival event” are the following:
*Get a chance to advertise our daycare center to the community.
*Build positive relationships with our families.
*Gain marketing strategies and techniques.
*Gain valuable information about what to offer our families every year.
*Gain our customers loyalty and strengthen it.
*Improve our customers satisfaction.
*Gain potential customers.
In conclusion, our intentions are to keep our customers happy. According to (Murray, 2012, p. 71) “a core principle for being a good business owner or manager is to use two methods that will improve and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction. They are building daily relationships with our customers and developing solid two-way communication. After all, customers are our greatest asset and it is important to spend some time developing a plan to improve our customer satisfaction within our program and to strengthen their loyalty to it.
Signed,
Jerriann D. Johnson
References:
Murray K. (2012). The ultimate child care marketing guide: Tactics, tools, and strategies for success. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Jerriann,
DeleteI already do a couple of family events to improve communication and customer loyalty. I think loyalty starts in care and continues over into other areas. Getting to know your families helps you know their personalities, likes, and the best way to communicate if something isn't going well. I think this is the way we can connect to build a great partnership in caring their child. I have seen how these relationships have helped us help the child and each other. Example when a parent got ill and went through the grieving process I was able to purchase her favorite chocolates and have her children make her a card in her favorite color. Our relationship gave me the information and her having the open line to communicate with me without worrying about my reaction. Have you seen it work too?
Jennifer
The first event that I would have would be done weekly throughout the year, that the parents sign up for to bring in their crockpot and have their child help make dinner during the day. I would choose a designated day of each month and send out the menu and sign up form via email. Once the parents signed up it allowed me to gather the materials and ingredients to make the crockpot meal for them. The idea of this event is to help ease the stress of having to cook dinner after picking their child up from daycare; the parents who either work full time or are busy running errands and taking care of other things throughout the day. The parents will bring in their crockpot the morning they drop their child off, and in the morning their child will have the opportunity to cook with the Center Director or Assistant Director with preparing and making the meal, which will cook throughout the day and be ready when the parents come to pick up their child. As stated before the menu and signup form is sent out a month in advance and the parents can choose to do it every week of every month or pick and choose when they want have a crock pot meal.
ReplyDeleteThe second event that I would have is a back to school block party on the Saturday before the first day of school. The event would be held at the day care center and ideally be outside in the parking lot and through out the center. The block party would be from 10:00 Am to 2 PM and is an open house concept. All staff members will be present which will give new parents/families and existing families to mingle and get to know the teachers as well as other families and become familiar with the center and its facilities. There will be different activities throughout the center along with barbeque food and deserts. The corporation is paying for the block party because it is the center’s way of hosting an event for the families and to “market” the center along with meet new prospective families and provide them with the values of the center as well as get to know the staff members. Hosting a back to school block party helps add joy and excitement of starting the new school year and to have fun as a community. Flyers, posters and announcements will be sent out a few months prior to the school year ending and then an email reminder will be sent out a month before the event along with other postings on community boards and a sign will be displayed in front of the center. Having other advertisements in front of the center and out in the community will help bring awareness of the center along with the services provided and hopefully bring in new families.
Murray, K. (2012). The Ultimate Child Care Marketing Guide: Tactics, Tools, and strategies for success. St. Paul. MN: Redleaf Press.
Hi Casey,
DeleteI think you have two cool ideas, and I honestly haven’t heard of a crockpot dinner for parents. Although it sounds like a good idea, my concern would be about the diverse families. How would you cook for them? I know many families who are very special for their food. So, how would you include them in this event?
Now, your second event is great, as I think that organizing a welcome party for all the families will allow them to know teachers, directors, staff, etc. who will be working in the school with their children. It’s a great opportunity for parents to learn more the school. The center will make them feel valued and will gain more prospective families by advertising their services. It would be good to include some local businesses, so parents can learn more about their neighborhood and its services.
Casey,
DeleteI have found that at least in my program we have to stay away from food or anything from the outside to do with food coming in. I think you have a wonderful idea so I would just have to modify it to fit our needs. I think that it would be wonderful for the child to make dinner for their family so maybe that is the way that I could modify the event.
Jennifer
Casey,
DeleteI like your idea of appreciating your family and teachers. I really like the idea of having school block party. It's nice way for family to connect and spend time with not only their family but with other families and teachers as well.
DeleteFinal Reflection:
After reading my classmates comments and ideas, I was able to reflect and learn about different ways to better my events and improve them to help benefit my customers. I came up with two events, one of them being a weekly crockpot meal and then the other event being once a year.
One of my classmates mentioned that it seemed like my crockpot meals weren’t accustomed to the more diverse families at my center. My center is very diverse and I wouldn’t want my families to feel left out or not welcomed, so I would create my menu and then add into the email that there can be modifications made for religious regions, dietary needs and other specifics. With the monthly email of the menu and the sign up form, I would sent another form with it for dietary needs, where the families can put what their specific needs are. This will provide me with the necessary information to get the appropriate food items and tools for the meals to help meet the needs of all families. I feel that this would increase my budget for the meals, so I might not be able to do it weekly, it might have to be every other week or once a week to stay within the budget. This could upset the parents and then push them away from wanting to do the crockpot meal.
For my block party event I want to keep the barbeque concept, but limiting it to only hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken and fruit. I will provide meatless hamburgers and hotdogs to meet the dietary needs of vegetarians as well as others who do not eat pork. I will provide gluten free buns to help meet the needs of the individuals who eat gluten free. Unfortunately I will not be able to meet the dietary needs of all individuals, and I think that will not be beneficial to my customers. Now, there are certain things that I can do to help benefit my customers and that would be changing the time of the block party from 10-12 and not providing any food or beverages except for water. This will help meet the needs of all families and with the block party ending at 12, it allows families to eat lunch afterwards.
Hi Casey,
DeleteI really love your ideas, the crock pot or instant pot idea is something I have never heard of before, very interesting! Do you think it would be easier in the morning to take note of the students whose parents did bring in their supply of ingredients and have a special station where to set it up take place in a certain room? Would you have any restrictions? I also think the idea of always giving a much needed in advance notice is perfect so parents have plenty of time to plan and prepare.
The first event I would plan is Breakfast Bar Friday’s. Let’s be honest, Friday is the best day of the week which is why I chose Friday. The event is for any parent who is on their way out the door to work. I would set up a small breakfast bar with to go coffee and something easy to grab like fresh fruit or a granola bar. I don’t think this would need a budget because it seems as though it would be pretty inexpensive to hold. This is something that I can easily plan and set up myself. The benefit that the customer might gain is a free breakfast, especially if they were running late and didn’t have time to grab something. Another benefit would be small talk with other families or even staff member. The benefits of the center might be to boosting our reputation.
ReplyDeleteThe major event I would hold once a year is an End of the Summer Party. The event is to bring the families together to celebrate a successful school year. This event would be open to all employees and the families enrolled. The event would be run by me (the director) and anyone else in the administration. This event would definitely need a budget. I would provide yard games, food, and entertainment such as a DJ. A benefit the customer’s might gain from this event is growing relationships with both their child’s teacher and other families. I think this is a great opportunity to bring the families together and allow them to spend time with one another. By having staff attends, it would also allow for the families to mingle with the other teachers. I would hope that this event would be great advertisement by word of mouth.
Kariann O'Reilly
Greetings Kariann,
DeleteI really like your minor and major family events that you shared. The "Breakfast Bar Friday" is an excellent idea. I agree with you that Fridays is a real good day to do the small breakfast. If I was a parent at your center, I
would really like this idea, especially the "to go coffee." The "Summer Party that you would do once a year is a good idea because it is an event that could bring families together to celebrate the end of a successful year. I like your positive thinking about having a successful year in advance. I agree with you, this type of event would definitely need a budget. In my opinion, Summer Parties; especially done in a block-style way always brings about effective results. Thank you for sharing your event ideas.
Have A Superb Weekend Kariann!
Signed,
Jerriann D. Johnson
Kariann,
DeleteThe breakfast bar sounds like a great idea, especially on a Friday. It’s a simple gesture that goes a long way and stands you out from other daycares. I also like the sound of a summer party. That definitely involves a lot of planning. From experience from working with parents, they need multiple reminders especially when it comes to events. I would at least send out emails to let them know about he party, which will also help word of mouth.
Hi Kariann,
DeleteI love the idea of hosting a Breakfast bar. When my kids were teenagers they loved going to school on Muffin Monday. I once worked for a company that had a whole wall of dispensers filled with a variety of different snacks and once a month they had a chef come in to make a breakfast buffet for staff. That company had little to no turnover rate. If it worked for teenagers and a medical office staff, “why not at a childcare?” My only question is how you would go about doing this. You did not mention a price. Depending on many family you have there is a real cost. Also, Families would appreciation this service. It will save them time from running for breakfast or coffee. It will improve loyalty and satisfaction, but maybe not socializing. Families might just want to grab and go.
I like the idea of sending out emails for reminders. I think also posting fliers on all the doors and physically handing them out can help too. I also like the idea of having a breakfast bar for the staff. I think this shows appreciation for the staff, which we all know we need!
DeleteADM – 319 – MY FINAL REFLECTION ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY
ReplyDeleteGreetings Everyone,
As I reflect on this week’s blog, I would like to thank all my National Louis University on-line classmates for taking time out to read and/or respond to my blog/post. I have really enjoyed reading the event ideas that my classmates shared in their blogs. After reading them all, I started to think about how effective some of them would be to use at a childcare center. The ones that I truly liked is the “Parent Play Night, The Block Parties, and the Breakfast Bar” with a complimentary cup of coffee. All the events that I mentioned are events that I would like to try at my business if I were a business owner. Moreover, in my opinion, I believe that the events would be very successful due to what they entailed. All the events clearly focused on families and how building positive relationships could be beneficial for a center and families. The only thing that I would change about the Breakfast Bar as a day care owner, is the “no budget part.” Even though a light breakfast is being offered, it can eventually get costly over time. Why? Because if I served the Friday breakfast, depending on what “season” we are in, I would serve different drinks and food items just to change up the selections periodically. For the winter months, I would offer hot coffee, cappuccino, hot tea, milk, and hot cocoa. In the spring I would serve hot coffee, sweet and unsweetened tea, and a variety of 100% juices. In the summer months, I would serve cold coffee, iced tea, fruit and vegetable smoothies, and a variety of 100% juice. Food items would consist of bagels, toast, pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausage, oatmeal, grits, and a variety of other food items. During fall I would serve my families hot coffee, hot cocoa, hot cappuccino, and hot tea. Using to go cups on a regular basis can be costly, therefore, I would have to have a budget of around about $200.00 - $300.00 a month. Another thing that I would change about the Friday Breakfast is to offer a full breakfast one Friday out of the month so parents can sit and eat breakfast with their children in a designated area at my center before they go to work. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this blog because it gave me a chance to see the different events offered by my classmates that I can use in the future. I did not mention all of the events, but, however; all of them are worth trying out and changing up a little bit.
Signed,
Jerriann D. Johnson
Event One
ReplyDeleteThe minor event I have had for the last two years is a book event. I purchase books from the monthly library book sale and buy bags of books for $5 per bag. I try to pick through the books to get lots of options for the families and children. I have a book event that week. I replace some of my books and then offer the books to the families to take five for their families to build their book collection. I have gotten cook books for specific diets and other subjects that the families are interested in. I host it once a month and most of my families participate in it every month. It usually costs me around $10 per month but if they have more books then I buy more bags. I run the event, but my staff does help set up the table with the books for the parents. Everyone benefits from the event by the families getting new books and seeing how important the program feels about reading.
Event Two
The major event that I hold annually is a holiday event that I host close to Christmas, but we stay away from that name with one family whom doesn’t celebrate it. I have the children come to the house on a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks prior to Christmas and they stay alone for the first four hours. During this time, we decorate cookies, make an ornament, read some holiday stories, and watch Frosty the Snowman. This event is hosted so that my families can holiday shop, clean, or just get an afternoon to accomplish what they need to for free. I usually order in food for dinner that meets the food program standards and then the parents come back to join us for dinner. They get to see how their children serve themselves and interact with their friend in our environment which is usually different than at home. I budget around two to three hundred dollars for the event but that includes giving each of the children a gift, supplies, food, and staffing cost. This past year we made snowmen mason jars, made a plate of cookies for each family to take home with them, and had two soup choices that they children love out of the pressure cooker and supplied the families the recipes. The benefit for the families is that they get to complete their shopping or wrapping without their children, see their children at the program, meet the other parents, and children. The benefit for the program is that the parents love the event and tell others about it and share the pictures on their FB pages with my program’s information.
Sorry for the late post. Hard week here with a family situation happening and trying to focus until today was just not good. Cousin who is more like a brother was diagnosed with cancer and they scheduled surgery to remove it so quickly you knew it was bad. I helped raise his two youngest who are now 22 and 27. Health is the one thing that can blow your normal out of the water quickly. Lots of waiting which I am not good at.
Jennifer
Greetings everyone,
ReplyDeleteMy first minor event I think would be very enjoyable for not only the students and families, but for the teachers and staff as well, which is a family reading/ pajama night that could take place once a month, no fees included in tuition. This would take place after the center closes for parents, I am also thinking the administration would take a vote of the parents preferences on which days would work the best for them and if they can't attend, then they can't attend. I think soft drinks can be supplied by administration or if possible, parents to take turns volunteering to provide small, nutritious snacks and or drinks. This would be a wonderful way for parents to take turns reading to groups of students whether each classroom participates in their own class, or everyone together in the school cafeteria or gym. large motor area. It's nice to be able to see the parents interact with one another and get opportunities to observe their child socializing with their peers of course by enjoying some of their favorite stories.
"The goal of a customer appreciation event is to create an irresistible urge among your parent-clients to rave about your program to their friends, coworkers, and neighbors. You can and should do customer appreciation events for the whole family, children included, as well as just for the parents"(Murray,2012, p.77).
My second event would be hosting an anniversary or birthday in honor of when the school has opened. This might be a little bit costly of an budget, this would include of most likely occuring on an early Saturday afternoon, where the CEO or administration help donate towards a dj, bounce house, teachers can sign up to work and be offered over time to work at arts and crafts stations and much more. I have experienced attending one of these events at a school anniversary birthday party and it was a huge success from parent feedback, and as well as the students.
References
Murray, K. (2012). The ultimate child care marketing guide:
Tactics, tools, and strategies for success. St. Paul, MN:
Redleaf Press.
Sam,
DeleteI found at the center families never had time during the week if the event didn't happen right around pick up time. Comments came back that they didn't want to come back out after finally getting home during the week. We went to right after the program and offered some sort of food to hold them over for dinner later but that limited the event to very short. When we offered things during the weekends and added food or childcare the attendance was better.
Jennifer
Hi SamBurgay,
DeleteTeachers all love, “teacher Appreciation week.” During this time families get to show their appreciation with your work as their child’s teacher. I think your idea to have a family Appreciation day would offer a “Wow Experience” and give lifetime customer value. In chapter 8 Murray talks about valuing exiting customers. Every loyal and satisfied customer has a huge positive impact on your business above and beyond the money they pay for your service (p.71). If this is the case, why not celebrate our families.” Another thing you could do during this time is partner with surrounding business to donate bake good (grogery store), flowers (homedepot) towards this event. Since childcare cost a lot I think parent would also appreciate a discount week on their anniversary of registration.
Reference:
Murray, K. (2012). The ultimate child care marketing guide: Tactics, tools, and strategies for
success. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Final Reflection:
DeletePreparing meals and parent play involvement are two strategies of ideas I had learned from my classmates that would improve and benefit customer appreciation for business. I think if you work for a daycare or learning facility, they usually promote involving family involvement- so why not come up with unique ways to do do? It was nice to read from my classmates the different ideas they have tried or would like to try that I can definitely see myself mentioning to administration where I work about us doing the same because I feel we have the same "events" which are mostly for parents to be able to drop their child off after hours or weekends so they can spend time together or get their errands done; not to be involved with others where they spend the most time.
Reflection
ReplyDeleteI think that I’m very comfortable with my ideas of having a monthly “Parents Learn and Play” so parents can learn more about the importance of play for children. I also liked the idea of one of my classmates of doing a parent reading time in the classroom, I think parents will feel appreciated and it’s a great opportunity to get to be in the classroom with their child. Organizing a major event like a yearly block party sounds a great way to show our families our appreciation for being part of our program, also a way to build community partnerships. Families get familiar with our program, while we advertise it to our community and learn about our community services. Family appreciation days are also a good way to show how much we value our families. I don’t think that organizing a crockpot day for families it’s a smart idea, as we will face a variety of situations related to cultural preferences, that it’s better to avoid. I loved to read about all my classmates’ ideas and how they would organize their events, there were many good ones. Finally, I think it’s important to have all our staff involved in the organization of these events as part of our team work. It’s also a way for us to strengthen cooperative work among all our staff and community.
Hi Maria,
DeleteOne thing most children have in common is they love to play. To a child play is fun. Most adults look at children playing as an activity to keep them occupied. Children develop and learn so much during play. As children play they are developing new and ingenious ways of doing things that will help them access the world around them. A child will engage in many different types of play. Toddlers tend to engage in play that involves pretending, imitating and imagination. I think having a, “Parent-Learn and Play” group is a great idea. I think this will help parents recognize the importance of play and learn how they can engage with their child during play.
Reflection
ReplyDeleteReading eeryone’s ideas on a quick event and a well planned event gave me some great ideas. I learned about doing a breakfast bar, and multiple themes I could do for hosting a big event for all families and staff. Including the families is big deal that can help you stand out from other centers. You are more than just a daycare/preschool. You generally care about the families and want to create a family within the center.
Final Reflection of Week Three~ Customer Loyalty Events
ReplyDeleteThis week I read so many great ideas for events to create customer loyalty toward the program on my classmates blogs. I have found that changing things around a little to meet your programs needs or situation is needed because every program has different ideas and clients. Reading the blogs gave me a lot of ideas on how to change what I am already doing but tweaking my current events to include some other great options would make them even better.
I agree with Sam that Murray's statement she referenced is one of the quotes we need to remember while planning events, "The goal of a customer appreciation event is to create an irresistible urge among your parent-clients to rave about your program to their friends, coworkers, and neighbors. You can and should do customer appreciation events for the whole family, children included, as well as just for the parents"(Murray,2012, p.77).
Great week! Thank you for all the great ideas!
Jennifer
Murray, K. (2012). The Ultimate Child Care Marketing Guide: Tactics, Tools, and strategies for success. St. Paul. MN: Redleaf Press.
I think adding PJs to one of my Holiday Parties would be an awesome idea. I would maybe think about buying them as the gift next year. It would be great for pictures for the business too.
DeleteThe other option I liked that my classmates blogged about was offering breakfast. I think that I would modify this by offering just a coffee instead of breakfast. I would buy cups that are reusable so that they can use them again the next time. I already offering this to my employees while at work so this would only be an extension of a service that I already offer.
Forgot this part so part two should complete my reflection.
The first day of school is both exciting and scary for many young children. My event will be a celebration of the beginning of their leaning journey. Instead of having a party at the end of the year we would have a celebration on the first day of school. Each classroom will have a special back to school party followed by an outdoor tailgate. This will be events catered to all ages. Each teacher will have table set-up with activities for students and a chance to socialize with families. Students will have the opportunity to see the joy in coming to school, meet new friends and get excited about learning. The school can purchase water bottle to pass out to parents (with center logo) to promote the school’s name within the community. The budget needs of this party needs;
ReplyDeleteClassroom party: $50 per class
Outdoor event: $400 to purchase materials not available at the school.
Water Bottle purchase: $1000
My idea for ongoing event involves something that will help give the school an opportunity to help families reach their heath goals and will help the school bond with families. Everyone knows it is important not to neglect health and fitness. However, finding the time isn’t always easy especially for parents with young children. For this school event parents with babies & toddlers can bring strollers to school to participate in an every Friday morning walking group. The teacher will join in with their students and family to promote health and fitness. This walking group is opened to other mom’s within the community looking to get fit and socialize with other mothers. The school will benefit by having the opportunity to reach out to potential families. The school can contact local paper to see if they will write an article about this event. The school will use limited resource to create flyers and promote event through online community mom groups.
The cost of this event is $0
Cost of promotional materials: under $100
Sheraine,
DeleteI really love the events that you came up with. For your first event what would be your plan to get funding for the ammount needed for the event? Would it just be something you plan on budgeting each year in your budget plan. My only concern is that it is a little pricey and how the turn out would be. Your walking/social event every friday is an awesome idea. This gives parents motivation to get some excersise in and also a chance to make new friends and ge more connected with the school. In colder months or bad weather days would you have something else those days to still keep the parents gathering?
Jessica, I think you are right about the cost being expensive. I think not purchasing water bottles would reduce cost and not have an impact on the quality of this event. I think the teachers would be an excellent resource for getting more ideas to reduce cost. Also, our church has a huge potluck where all families bring a bought dish. This might work at a center event too.
DeleteReflection: After reading other people's ideals I have realize that event can be planned with little or no money. Event can be funded by doing different fundraisers. Also there are so many events a center can do to incorporate parents in and also a way to be involve in the community. An even like back to school event can be a community involvement and parents can be involved as well.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry I did not complete the blog post last week but do have a couple event ideas for my home daycare business.
ReplyDeleteI do not have a very large group, but it is still so important to have events to show appreciation to my parents and get more involvement from the families. I think it is very important to stay connected and build positive relationships so having these events can definitely do that.
-Minor Event
This event would be a breakfast bash once a month. I will provide the parents and children with donuts, bagels and fruit for breakfast. There would also be milk, water and coffee available to drink. The families will be able to enjoy breakfast with their children as well as interact with the other families. This will also give them the chance to talk with me and learn about what the children have done this month. This will show appreciation to the parents as well as have a positive impact on the children.
Budget wise this would only cost me $50 or less to provide the food and drinks. I would advertise to parents in the monthly newsletter of the date it will be. Also once it gets close to the date I will send a letter home to the families and send out a friendly text reminder.
-Major Event
I would like to have a family fun night at least a couple times a year but would like to have it be each season. With these events their would be different themes that math the season that the event is in. Again, to advertise to my families I would send information out in newsletters and also would ask for feedback or any ideas they would have for our fun night. For budgeting I would provide most of the funding out of my own pocket but would ask parents if they want to help by bringing snacks, games etc for the event. I plan on spending no more than $300 on each event done. An example of one of the events would be in the summer time, we could have a gathering at the park and do some fun activities. Food could be hotdogs, sandwiches, chips and drinks. The activities could be a water balloon fight, three legged race or other fun games. I think these events would be a fun thing for the families with their children and interact with the other families.
Final Reflection
ReplyDeleteThe readings this module really helped me see the importance of havng these events for my daycare families and children. Showing the families we appreciate them and building stronger relationships is so important. After looking through my classmates posts I got some other great ideas to use. The events do not have to be expensive and there are a lot of things to do that are inexpensive but still very impactful for the families.
Final Reflection:
ReplyDeleteI loved this blog! I feel I gained some great insight into what ideas and events to incorporate in my center to bring families together. A sense of community I feel is important in a center and all of these ideas are great opportunities for them. I especially loved the messy art night! This helped me to broaden my ideas into other enrichments like gym night, art night, game night, etc.
Final Reflection
ReplyDeleteThis week post gave me some excellent ideas on event that would help develop what Murray referred to as the “loyalty fence.” When customers are highly loyal to doing business with you they are more likely to stay and not leave to competitor (Murray, 2012). I actually talked to my director about using Maria’s idea about “Parents Learn and Play. My Director loved the idea and said its something we can do for 2019-2020 school year. The feedback received from my post helped me think more about the hidden cost I overlooked. Hosting an event assuming school material will just be used it isn’t practical.
The previous center I worked at hosted Family Reading Night events once a month; families can get together with staff and other families for a night of fun. Parents can volunteer once a month to read a story then children and families engage in different activities concerning the theme of a family night chosen book. Games, prizes and food are part of this event as an incentive to have families participate. The event is for families, staff and others are welcomed. The budget needed for this event is $250-$300. This can include enough for 25 families; most of the food could come from the pantry and the main dishes are catered (sandwiches, chicken, rolls). The event is planned and run by the director and two teachers. The benefits the customer might gain are prizes (books, $5 gift cards from Wendy’s, Duncan Donuts, Walgreens). This can help families develop relationships with staff and other family members. The benefits the center might gain are building relationships with families, staff and students as well as advertisement for the center.
ReplyDeleteThe other event hosted by the center would be The Family Community Event- This event would reach out to families within the center and the community. This major event would have a budget of $3,0000-$5,000. This budget would include school supplies, food, games and prizes. Four teachers will plan the event along with the director. The benefits of this event are to welcome and get to know families within the community. This would be a time to build relationships within the community. The benefits the center might gain are developing relationships with other businesses and families. Through this event the center can plan to host other events along with others in the community. Developing relationships through this event can help strengthen relationships with families and the community. This can help build the “loyalty fence” (Murray 2012 p.76).
References:
Murray, K. (2012). The ultimate childcare marketing guide: Tactics, tools, and strategies for success (p.76). Redleaf Press. St. Paul MN.
Customer loyalty is the core of a business; loyal customers create stability within in the financial arena of a business. repaying customers for their loyalty is crucial for the advancement and stability of the center. Allowing families to participate through conducting and hosting events can help build strong relationships between the center.The business can show its appreciation by implementing events that can show their loyalty to families. Without established stable enrollments, the center can face uncertain budgets, staff high turn overs and other dilemmas when customer loyalty is not appreciated. Building daily relationships can help strengthen customer loyalty (Murray 2012).
ReplyDeleteReference:
Murray, K. (2012). The ultimate childcare marketing guide: Tactics, tools, and strategies for success. Redleaf Press. St. Paul MN.