May 4, 2020
Who Are We?
TK Enterprises Inc. is a sales and marketing company based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The 3 primary services TKE offers are:
- Retail Telephone Event Marketing, Appointment Setting, and Sales Training.
- We have been in operation since 1980. TK Enterprises Inc. has made
- 1 Million calls for jewellery events since 2013.
What is “Telephone Event Marketing”?
Phone calls are made to your existing customers who have made purchases within the last 18 months. Experienced, enthusiastic and well-trained callers make a personal phone call to invite customers to an in-store event. The caller relays details about the current promotion, including store location and date/time. They speak to customers live and leave voicemail messages with event details.
Why Choose TK Enterprises?
Phone calls are highly effective at delivering the message of the event to the customer due to the fact that callers will either speak directly with the customer or they will leave an enthusiastic voicemail. Unlike most other forms of marketing, voicemail is almost always “listened to” before deleted, resulting in a very high penetration of message delivery.
How does it work?
- Customer Lists are generated by the store
- Approved scripts are tailored to each store
- Calls will show a local phone number and your store name on the call display
- Calls are made within 2 weeks prior to event start date – up to 2500 calls completed within 5 days of the event, 2501+ within 10 days
- Post event results submitted for Sales vs Calls reporting
What are some of the key features of this service?
- Quality control through call monitoring
- Detailed results for accountability and transparency
- Recorded calls where applicable
- In depth reporting for retailers to update their database and take action on items
- FREE Return on Investment Analysis reports available
At TK Enterprises Inc., we have a lot of experience working with North American jewelers and helping them to host in-store events that showcase their excellent customer service practices. Let’s put our knowledgeable team of phone agents to work for you!
For more information about our Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Apr 6, 2020
Were you aware that making a phone call to one of your previous customers could land you in the type of hot water that could see you receive a fine of $16,000? We’re willing to bet you had no idea. And why would you? As a jeweller, your expertise involves gold, silver, diamonds and the many other materials that make up the beautiful items on your product list. You know jewellery. At TK Enterprises Inc., however, we know phone calling.
There are rules and regulations put in place to protect consumers from scam artists, phishers and robocalls. The last thing you want to do when embarking on a telephone-based marketing campaign is run the risk of violating the rules set forth by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Both in Canada and the US, there is a National Do Not Call Registry. If you’re tired of getting spam or phishing phone calls, as a consumer, you have the ability to register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. This should stop people from calling you if their calls aren’t warranted. There are, however, certain exceptions. Political campaigns and charitable phone calls are exempt. An “established business relationship” is also exempt.
When TK Enterprises Inc. works with a retailer, we let them know how far back they can go. Each state is different! Even if a customer is registered on the Do Not Call list, we have the right to call on behalf of the client because of the established business relationship.
In some states, however, things work a bit differently.
Federally, it’s 18 months. However, in some states, there are either 6, 12 or 18 months legislation that do not abide by federal rules. In Wisconsin and Indiana, however, the number is 0. In other words, the minute a transaction is complete, the customer is no longer considered a customer who can be called unless he/she has given implicit and written permission to the merchant to contact him/her.
In both states, retailers with brick and mortar stores must apply for permits that cost money. Only then do you have the ability to go into the DNC database to research customer phone numbers to see if they are in there.
If the phone numbers are listed, they cannot be called – no exceptions. However, if the phone numbers are not listed, retailers are free to call those customers.
TK Enterprises Inc. has personally paid the $750.00 permit fee for Indiana-based clients. That way, we can do database searches on their behalf. Our one permit is able to cover all of our clients so that they don’t have to each pay for them themselves. In Wisconsin, however, each applicant’s tax ID must be registered individually.
The Importance of Letting The Experts Handle Your Phone Calls
If you’re calling customers who haven’t been in your store for two years, they aren’t considered “customers” as far as the Federal Trade Commission is concerned. Simply put, you run the risk of having such individuals report you to the FTC.
Remember that the legislation are based on constantly rolling time periods. At TK Enterprises Inc., we specifically launch calling campaigns that are based on very clear understandings of the time limits within which we can make the calls.
It’s our job to know the law for you.
We ensure that our calls are made within the legal time parameters set out by the legislation in each specific state.
For more information about our Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com
Feb 3, 2020
Phone conversations don’t allow for non-verbal cues such as hand gestures, facial expressions and other forms of body language to communicate messages. Therefore, when speaking with customers over the phone, company representatives must be very mindful of their tones, inflections and choice of words in order to win the hears of their customers. It’s no easy feat. It requires a set of skills that include, but are not limited to the following:
An inclination to address personal matters.
Doing business over the phone doesn’t have to be all business. In fact, it shouldn’t be. The best customer service reps understand that building connections is at the heart of excellent customer service. Customers value the experiences they have with businesses, sometimes more than the products and services they receive. Thus, it’s important to not bypass any personal details offered to you by customers you’re on the phone with.
An ability to actively listen and pay attention to detail.
When your customers are speaking to you, be sure to listen attentively and write down important details, if necessary. In many cases, it’s a good idea to repeat back some of what you’ve been told to ensure that you have all the details of their needs and concerns correct. As Yatin Khulbe points out on HuffPost.com, good listening skills help build strong business relationships.
“The average person speaks around 125-175 words per minute while an average number of words one can listen to per minute is around 450,” he informs, “Before jumping to any conclusions, develop a listening habit, pick up the call with the intention of listening customer’s queries and feedback. If you feel the urge to interrupt in between, stay on the track by asking relevant questions.”
Taking initiative to grow the relationships.
It’s important that you reach out to your customers from time to time to let them know that they are valued. Solid relationships are a two-way street. At TK Enterprises Inc., we offer one-of-a-kind Retail Event Marketing service that puts a friendly and very experienced team of agents to work for you.
On behalf of your jewellery store, our team calls your customers to offer them exclusive invites to your upcoming in-store events. This is a proven marketing strategy that both grows customer relationships and boosts sales!
At TK Enterprises Inc., we have a lot of experience working with North American jewelers and helping them to host in-store events that showcase their excellent customer service practices. Let’s put our knowledgeable team of phone agents to work for you!
For more information about our Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Jan 3, 2020
How can phone calls benefit the retailer?
Phone calls are the only type of marketing where you are speaking with a customer live. This allows you to gauge interest from your customers, book appointments, or to simply be combined with other forms of marketing to create a buzz.
You will also get live feedback from the customers, where it would be impossible with all other forms of marketing. How else would you know that your VIP customer cannot attend the sale, as they are out of town for the graduation of one of their children? This then allows you to reach out to that customer before or after the event to make the phone call even more personal.
Our phone calls also allow you to update your customer databases. When we are calling, because of the nature of the call, the customer will tell us that they have relocated, or that this is the wrong number etc, thus allowing you to update this internally to avoid calling and/or reaching out for future events.
At TK Enterprises, we handle more volume than many retailers’ store staff can handle. Our callers don’t have all the other responsibilities that a salesperson would. This frees up your sales reps to do what they do best….sell!
How can phone calls benefit your customers?
Your customers are subjected to all forms of marketing all day long. They see billboards, emails, website banner ads, radio and TV commercials, but very rarely do they receive a personal call inviting them to an in-store event.
When we call your customers, we are giving them the information for the event and they have the opportunity to have a conversation with a real person, in real time and can ask questions to the caller accordingly.
Additionally, they may have seen the email or advertisement for the event and thought “Oh, I need to get around to calling,” but haven’t found the time. We give your customer a platform to speak and share feedback. If the customer has any concerns or questions, they have a live person who can get them information.
How many customers can we call?
Each caller can make between 200 and 250 calls between 10am and 6pm local to the retailer’s time zone, Monday through Friday, with some exceptions on Saturdays.
When should phone calls to your customers be made?
If your event is appointment based, you’ll want calls to take place one week in advance of the event. This gives your customers time to clear their schedule and plan ahead. If your event is an open invitation, calls should take place three to five days before the event; this creates a ‘buzz’ and ensures that the customer won’t forget by calling too far in advance.
What are the overall benefits of using our services?
The biggest benefit is our ability to reach more customers in a shorter time span than your store staff usually can. We can call 5000 existing customers within 2-3 days, freeing up your internal staff to interact with your customers in the store.
At TK Enterprises Inc., we have a lot of experience working with North American jewellers and helping them to host in-store events that showcase their excellent customer service practices. Let’s put our knowledgeable team of phone agents to work for you!
For more information about our Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Jun 6, 2019
They say, “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas”. But for us here at TK Enterprises, what happens in Vegas comes home with us. And that means lots of new business and new prospects.
For just over a week, the jewelry industry descends on Las Vegas to showcase new designers, jewelry brands, suppliers, service providers and wholesalers.
Between JCK, Couture, Luxury, CBG, JHJ, Antique show and IWJG plus countless others, there’s a treasure trove of products and services to be had.
For TK Enterprises, our service of Appointment setting helps support the designers and jewelry brands by booking appointments for the retailers to meet with them at their booth or suite.
On our Event Marketing side, we work with retailers who hold sales or events and are looking for ways to drive traffic to their store.
Sure we may get some social time in…after all it is Vegas! This year we learned how to play craps from one of our long standing retail customers.
We attended the Continental Buying Group’s Trade show at Caesar’s Palace and then moved over to the Jewelers Helping Jewelers Suite at the Rio. The vibe between the two is so different. Once is a ballroom with a standard trade show layout that serves lunch and has a cocktail party and the other was a warm and inviting suite, outfitted with food and drink, manicurists and a hairstylist and even a pool party with music.
InStore magazine had reported that traffic was down at JCK, held at The Sands this year. Are customers moving away from the standard trade show format and towards a more intimate and interactive social setting like the JHJ suite?
We found that we made more connections and deeper ones at the JHJ Suite. We were able to sit down on a couch and find out more about what people do, what struggles their having with their marketing and get in a plateful of finger foods and maybe a glass of wine while we’re at it!
At TK Enterprises Inc., we have a lot of experience working with North American jewelers and helping them to host in-store events that showcase their excellent customer service practices. Let’s put our knowledgeable team of phone agents to work for you!
For more information about our Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com or fill out the form on our Contact Us page and have someone contact you!
Sep 26, 2018
There will never come a time when zero communication between businesses and their clients is acceptable. Naturally, it’s important for there to be ways to get in touch and interact in order to build brand loyalty. In today’s world, there are many different ways to communicate – social media being among the most popular. But, make no mistake about it. Short of a face-to-face meeting, there is still no better way to have a conversation than over the phone.
You can’t type as quickly as you can speak.
As Gregg Johnson of Harvard Business Review explains, there is simply no comparison to the live conversation. In terms of delivering a message, actual speaking (as opposed to typing) provides us all with the ability to communicate a lot more effectively. He highlights some indisputable facts about the delivery ability of speaking compared to that of typing or texting.
“As brands prioritize this digital experience, they often overlook a simple fact: communicating by voice is faster, easier, and more effective than typing messages back and forth,” writes Johnson, “Humans generally speak at 125-175 words per minute and can listen at a rate of up to 450 words per minute. In contrast, the average typist does 38-40 words per minute — and that’s on a full-fledged keyboard, not on a mobile phone.”
Consumers prefer genuine human interactions.
One of the reasons the telephone remains a top way to effectively communicate with customers is because conversations happen in real time. When a question is asked, it can be answered right away. Waiting several hours or even days for an answer has become the norm in the world of e-mail. This is generally considered unacceptable.
“Customers still love talking to a real human being, and they still hate complicated automated menus that take forever to get through to the person they need,” notes Arina on Casengo.com, “Although calling is still popular on its own, surveys find that 50% of customers choose to call if none of the other communication methods brought the desired result.”
Customers are calling more, not less.
We certainly wouldn’t suggest that you eliminate such modes of communication as e-mail and your social media accounts to communicate with members of your target audience. However, we would strongly advise that you place increased efforts on the ways in which you handle customer service over the phone. As Johnson reveals, today’s consumers are increasingly using the phone to have their problems resolved.
“Calls to businesses have significantly increased in response to the mass adoption of mobile phones,” he informs, “Filling out a form on a five-inch screen is a much clunkier experience than calling a business directly from a search result or a Facebook ad. According to the advertising and marketing advisory firm BIA/Kelsey, calls to businesses are expected to exceed 169 billion per year by 2020.”
Allow us to get on the phone for you!
The phone agents who are part of the TK Enterprises Inc. team have over 30 years of experience. For information about how our one-of-a-kind Event Marketing services can grow the relationships between your jewelry store and its customers, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com or fill out the form on our Contact Us page and have someone contact you!
Sep 19, 2018
With the fall season officially getting underway this Saturday, there will be a shift in the way people approach their shopping routines. This is especially true for those who plan on shopping for jewelry. As all jewelers and fashion-conscious people alike are aware, the changing of the season brings about a changing of fashion sense. As a result, there are particular pieces you may wish to consider promoting in the weeks to come.
Here are three fresh jewelry marketing techniques for the fall:
1. Book a professional photo shoot.
There are few ways to better create an attention-grabbing marketing campaign than to post vibrant photos on your company website and social media pages. Taking pictures of your jewelry, however, shouldn’t be done with your smartphone. Hire a professional photographer to not only take the shots, but to design backgrounds that greatly compliment the pieces you wish to promote for the fall.
“Showing off your jewelry isn’t just a matter of having photos,” agrees Joy Gendusa on PostcardMania.com, “You need HIGH QUALITY photos to capture the intricate details of your diamonds and gems…Photos that clearly SHOW the quality and beauty of your jewelry will make your jewelry store marketing much more effective because prospects will instantly be able to SEE that you have something worth buying.”
2. Make heavy use of your social media accounts.
What good are beautiful pictures if no one sees them? As mentioned, your website should include an array of the photos taken at your recent shoot. But your company’s social media accounts should also play host to your eye-catching pictures. It’s well known that the majority of social media users greatly enjoy viewing and sharing photos. As Gendusa insists, “people LOOK and click when they see images!”
She goes on to reveal a number of very telling statistics about social media use: 79% of the U.S. population uses Facebook, 70% of Facebook users login daily and 75% of users take action after seeing an Instagram advertising post. “Social media is a FREE way to get your jewelry marketing out so people can see what beautiful items you have for sale, and you can drive clicks from social media back to your website,” Gendusa adds.
3. Make it all about customer service.
You can launch the most elaborate marketing campaign in your company’s history. But it won’t likely create the type of interest in your brand that genuinely enjoyable interactions can. Never forget to put the needs and wants of your customers first. Remember to treat them like people and not just means to potential sales.
“When a consumer is making a sizable purchase, be it a diamond engagement ring or a gold bracelet, they want to get the best product for the best price,” writes Nancy Friedman on FitSmallBusiness.com, “But they also expect the salesperson to not only be knowledgeable, but to provide superior customer service. Eighty-seven percent of customers share good experiences with others, and 88 percent are influenced by online customer service reviews when making a buying decision.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we have a lot of experience working with North American jewelers and helping them to host in-store events that showcase their excellent customer service practices. Let’s put our knowledgeable team of phone agents to work for you!
For more information about our Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com or fill out the form on our Contact Us page and have someone contact you!
Sep 5, 2018
In the year 2018, we have more ways to communicate with each other than ever before. Between all of those social media platforms, messaging apps and our email accounts, it’s practically impossible to not stay in touch. There is something about all of those modes of communication, however, that lack a human quality. It’s hard to have genuine interactions when a message is sent and its reply could potentially take hours to appear.
A natural conversation, on the other hand, is one that can help two or more individuals get a true sense for what the other parties are talking about. Bonds can be made easier. And, of course, actual talking involves inflections, tones and gestures that help to better communicate messages. This is why the majority of your customers would much rather talk to you on the phone than use any of the above mentioned communication methods in order to receive customer service.
Studies show that customers prefer the phone.
It should come as no surprise that millennials enjoy using social media in order to keep in contact. However, even consumers who are part of the younger generation often herald the telephone as a top means of getting a problem resolved with a company. Edgar Maurice Rollon of Anderson Group offers some interesting statistics that speak to that point.
“In a survey by the Northridge Group, about 56% of respondents find communication through phones ‘easy’ and less complicated compared to other channels,” he reveals, “In the same survey, phone interactions produced the highest ratio of customer issue resolutions, with about 87% of the respondents claiming they got their issues resolved with the problems they raised through a phone call.”
Customers want the human touch.
What a telephone conversation can do that other modern forms of communication cannot is offer the opportunity for immediate back and forth dialogue. Questions can be answered immediately – not minutes later. This is likely why other research has found that the vast majority of consumers prefer that there is a “human touch” involved in the customer service provided by the companies they do business with.
On ContactCenterPipeline.com, Susan Hash reveals the findings of a global study released by Verint Systems, with support from Opinium Research and IDC. It surveyed over 24,000 consumers in 12 countries and polled more than 1,000 businesses. The study’s objective, she reveals, was to identify the right balance between digital and human customer service and whether consumers preferred digital or traditional channels.
“When the service request is simple, 22% of survey participants chose the phone as the most popular channel, while email and SMS tied for second place at 19% each,” Hash writes, “As service requests become more complex, reliance on human interaction increases. More than one-third (34%) of respondents said that they prefer to go in-store for answers to complex inquiries, while 33% said they prefer the phone. The highest-ranked digital channel was email with only 7% of consumers reporting that they use it to handle complex requests.”
Put our expertise to work for you!
At TK Enterprises Inc., we have over 30 years of experience offering the human touch to jewelry store customers. For more information about our one-of-a-kind Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com or fill out the form on our Contact Us page and have someone contact you!
Aug 22, 2018
In today’s world, we have the ability to communicate with each other in a myriad of ways. Text messaging, emailing and social media messaging have all become incredibly popular modes of staying in touch. However, all of them combined can’t replicate the experience of conversing with someone face to face. Without the use of hand gestures, facial expressions and other forms of body language, communication is much harder.
This is especially true for relationships between business owners and their customers. With so many different people making up your customer base, it’s neither easy nor practical to get to know each and every one of them personally. That is, of course, unless you’re seeing them in person on a regular basis. Reaching out through text, email or social media doesn’t quite allow you to develop the same kinds of bonds you’d have if you interacted more often in person.
“Facial expressions often communicate so much more than words.”
This from Rene Shimada Siegel on Inc.com: “We host consultant coffees and invite a handful of independent consultants to our office in order to better understand the nuances of each professional in a relaxed setting. We need to know what isn’t on the resume that makes each person unique. In their eyes and in their body language, we can see confidence, empathy, fear, friendliness or sincerity. That ability to ‘read’ a candidate beyond their keywords is a huge competitive advantage for us.”
For all of the above listed reasons, the TK Enterprises Inc. team advocates quite strongly for the in-person meeting. This is why we take such great pride in specializing in a one-of-a-kind service that brings jewelry store owners and their customers together. With the help of our Event Marketing services, jewelers all across North America have been able to enjoy increased growth in their customer relationships.
We call your customers directly.
Our experienced team of phone agents calls customers directly to offer them personal and exclusive invites to in-store events. The team also teaches about upcoming promotions and follows up on recent sales. The in-person interactions that are created as a result of our Event Marketing services have enabled our clients to not only grow their customer relationships, but significantly boost their sales as well.
One of the reasons for the higher sales numbers is the fact that happy customers result in more customers. When a happy customer promotes a company he/she has done business with, it counts for a lot more than a television commercial ever could. On Wistia.com, Margot Da Cunha references word of mouth promotion as an inevitable benefit of meeting customers in person.
There’s nothing quite like word of mouth promotion.
“Think about that individual who changes jobs and brings your software to each and every company she works for,” she writes, “Or the fellow who is so delighted by your line of kitchen appliances that every gift he gives is from that product line. This can lead to a lifetime of word-of-mouth marketing, and a superfan club of customers who will stay loyal with you until the end of time.”
For more information about our Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com or fill out the form on our Contact Us page and have someone contact you!
Aug 8, 2018
The phone is an interesting device, isn’t it? It has truly stood the test of time. In a world that currently houses such communication tools as social media accounts, messaging apps and email, the telephone remains the top way for businesses all across North America to stay in touch with their colleagues and customers.
Of course, not every telephone user is created equal. There are experts in the field of telephone communications and their skills are evidenced by some of the specific techniques they use to impress the people they speak to on the other lines.
How do phone agents endear themselves to customers they’ve never met before? Here are three ways:
1. They know when to speak and when to zip it.
Talented phone agents know that conversations are two-way streets. They make it a point to not do all the talking. Knowing that you have the attention of your callers includes hearing them out and not interrupting while they’re speaking. A back and forth dialogue is the best kind of conversation to have over the phone. It proves that your customer is engaged.
“Put yourself in the shoes of the customers – you do not want to be interrupted when you finally express your concerns, right?” asks John Taylor of Insights For Professionals, “Do not interrupt them when they are telling you their concerns. Make sure that you listen to the customer’s whole story no matter how long it can get. This alone will make them feel important.”
2. They know how to name drop the right way.
You know that thing that most people find annoying when it’s done in regular conversations? Yes, name dropping to project a sense of status can be perceived as unsavory. However, the most talented of phone agents know that dropping the names of the people they speak to over the phone is a key ingredient to their success. It expresses familiarity and friendliness. However, as Brandon Wong of CallPage explains, it’s important not to overdo it.
“Speaking on a first name basis removes barriers and builds rapport between the two parties,” he writes, “That being said, do not overuse this tactic…Use their names no more than three times in a conversation. It is a subtle, but effective technique to convey that the company is more than just a business, but a friend that can be counted on in the long run.”
3. They express empathy when necessary.
Some telemarketers fall into lulls when speaking to clients, forgetting that they are people with feelings. You’d be surprised to know how far an “I’m so sorry to hear that, I can understand your frustration” can go. Expressing empathy shows concern, respect and courteousness, none of which will go unnoticed by your customers.
“Do not tell a customer to calm down when he or she is madly complaining about a product or service as this will not help,” advises Taylor, “Instead, reassure the customer by telling them, ‘How awful’ or ‘I understand where you’re coming from’ in a slighter louder tone than the customer.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we proudly employ a team of experienced and friendly phone agents who make our one-of-a-kind Event Marketing services so highly regarded. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about how you can take advantage of them for your jewelry store! Call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195, email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com or fill out the form on our Contact Us page and have someone contact you!
