For Customer Service

Secrets From David Copperfield
Sunday, November 30, 2008

Writen by George Torok

David Copperfield - live at the MGM Grand Hotel Las Vegas! You might be fascinated to know what I discovered behind the curtain. I was lucky enough to assist him with one segment of his show. Of course I was sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal the magic behind that trick.

Watching a master at work inspired me to do more than just watch - to observe and learn. I can reveal to you the secrets of David Copperfield that you can apply to your business.

There is no magic

The first rule. Reality. You will not reach success - in any field because of magic. Copperfield does not claim magical powers. He proudly points out that it is illusion. Masterful illusion. The secret is in the mastery.

Illusion is more powerful than reality

You might wonder - "how does he do those amazing things?" And you might believe him to be embodied with special powers. Why? Because you see what he wants you to see - through the skills of direction, suggestion and having the right things hidden from view. How can you use these skills to create the right illusion for your customers? You can create the right illusions when you understand and apply the power of communications.

People believe what they want

You can control what you want them to see but you cannot control what they believe. You can, however, influence what they believe and feel. If people want to believe in magic - they will. If your customers want to believe in you - they will. It is up to you to influence them to want to believe in you.

The audience is always right

Your customers are always right. Never argue with them. Demonstrate that you understand their position and respect their feelings. Then guide them in the direction you want to take them. Occasionally the audience did not react the way he expected or a volunteer was slow to follow instructions. Copperfield never pouted. Instead he acknowledged the misunderstanding and adapted.

Preparation is everything

Imagine the tremendous amount of rehearsal that goes into a David Copperfield production. Scripting, movement, positioning, lighting, team coordination, key words, timing, coaching. Now imagine the results if Copperfield stopped rehearsing. Have you and your people stopped rehearsing your marketing and sales messages? Imagine your improved results after you rehearse.

Prepare for the unexpected

Even with good preparation things happen. First - smile. Then continue to move the illusion in the direction you want. Don't show stress or any of the negative emotions (anger, indignation, disgust). Your customers will react to any negative emotions they perceive in you.

Believe in people

Copperfield's team moved about the stage and audience in harmony - always in the right place at the right time. They were personable, effective and efficient. The team member who volunteered me established rapport, qualified and instructed me. When it was my turn - it all happened the way he predicted.

Surround yourself with a good team. Then make them an excellent team with the right training, guidance and encouragement. Then trust their intentions and respect their abilities. Most of all - model the message and character you want them to follow.

Offer them Hope

Copperfield's illusions work - because the audience wants to believe in the possibility of magic. Your customers buy from you because of their hopes. Your staff works with you because of their hopes. You run your business out of hope. Understand how fundamental the power of hope is. Offer possibilities. Offer opportunities. Offer hope.

Make it fun

Copperfield showed that he enjoyed his work and his customers. At one point he even spoofed his own illusion by redoing it in slow motion - revealing all the goofy things that we might have missed in real time.

You are the model for your staff and your customers. Show that you are having fun. Sure you need to be serious when required. But occasionally let the child in you show through. Be impish. Flash that spark of passion. Laugh - at yourself, with your staff, with your customers. Never laugh at them. If your staff is having fun - your customers will enjoy doing business with you more. They will want to believe in your illusions - and they will tell others about you.

Be vulnerable

Copperfield's parents were in the audience. He acknowledged them. Then he told us how his father had wanted to be in show business - but did not pursue that dream because of his father's (David's grandfather) stubborn prejudice against a career in show business. David revealed an inner pain. Why? That shows that he is human like the rest of us.

Reveal a little of your inner secrets - a failure, an imperfection, an unfulfilled dream. Don't pretend to be perfect. If you do - we will hate you. Instead be real - so those around you can see and believe that you are like them - human.

Don't be seduced by the magic of technology

I was surprised to see, that before the show started, the stage was empty. No props or equipment to clutter up the message and distract our eyes from Copperfield. Yes, technology was used - as tools to support and enhance the illusion. The technology was never allowed to become the show. Clearly, Copperfield was the creator of the illusions. Who or what is sending your messages to your customers? Do your customers mistake the technology as the center stage? Does the technology harm the relationship with your customers? Use the tools to support your message. And insure that you and your people are the center stage.

You don't need a cape

Remember Mandrake the Magician? David Copperfield looked nothing like him. In fact he was rather casually dressed. Curious, I thought. Then I realized that you don't need a cape, top hat or magic wand to create illusions. And maybe this was David's most important message to his audience. We all are capable of creating the illusions we want. If we learn the fundamentals, focus our efforts and invest in ourselves and our people.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Mystery Shoppers Keep Customer Service Employees On Their Toes
Saturday, November 29, 2008

Writen by Aldene Fredenburg

A customer quietly walks into a shoe store, buys a pair of shoes, leaves, and then tries to return them, unused, the next day. After she leaves the shoe store she decides she needs a bite to eat, pops into a restaurant, and asks to be seated. After lunch, she drops in at her bank to iron out a problem with her checking account.

She may have had good or bad experiences along her route. She either succeeded or failed in getting a refund on the pair of shoes; she got a good seat at the restaurant, or one tucked away in a corner next to the restrooms; she found a helpful bank employee who solved her problem or had to deal with a surly, defensive clerk who blamed the problem on the customer.

Whatever experiences she's had, the companies she visited are going to found out, because she's working for them. She's a mystery shopper.

Large and small companies in the U.S. and Canada are relying increasingly on mystery shoppers to discover strengths and weaknesses, not only in their personnel's interactions with customers, but in company policies and procedures that either optimize or hinder their ability to serve their customers. Mystery shoppers engage the company's customer service personnel, make transactions, and then file detailed reports on the experience. Companies then receive data and recommendations that can range from training needs assessments, comparison with competitors, and recommendations for incentive programs to manager assessments and management training needs.

Generally companies who hire a mystery shopping firmget a baseline report after an initial visit, then schedule periodic additional visits that allow them to analyze, over time, both their strengths and weaknesses and the effect of changes in policy on customer service. Many companies, after their initial baseline report, choose to let their employees know that they will be receiving visits from mystery shoppers; some share the results of the reports, good and bad, with their employees as they institute procedures designed to fix customer service weaknesses.

One result? Employees who know that their interactions with customers can be monitored at any time will be more conscious of their behavior, and be more willing to engage in problem-solving if a customer has a complaint. Additionally, ff employees know that customer service and resolution of customer complaints is a top priority, they may be able to identify problems that they encounter in meeting customer needs and even be able to participate in coming up with solutions. Far from being a situation where companies are "spying" on their employees, a mystery shopping arrangement can provide both customer service personnel and management with better tools to improve customer relations and, in the long run, the company's bottom line.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Dealing With People Words To Avoid
Friday, November 28, 2008

Writen by Alan Fairweather

You probably realise how the wrong tone of voice and negative body language can cause problems when dealing with other people, particularly customers and staff. However, using the wrong words can also cause problems.

There are certain "trigger" words that cause people to become more difficult especially in emotionally charged situations and they should be avoided. These include:

* Have to - as in - "You'll have to speak to the sales department yourself"

*I can't or you can't - as in - "I can't do anything about that" or "You can't do that"

*I'll try - as in - "I'll try and speak to finance department today"

*But - as in - "I agree with what you're saying but…….."

*Sorry - as in - "I'm sorry 'bout that"

"What DO I say I hear you cry?"

Instead of the words "Have to" which are very controlling type words, why not try - "Are you willing to…" or just a straight - "Will you…."

Can't, can be replaced with - "I'm unable to because…."

"I'll try," which is pretty wishy-washy, can be replaced with something more honest - "This is what I can do" or "This is what I'm unable to do"

"But" is a word that contradicts what was said before it, replace it with - "And" or "However" (which is a soft 'but')

Instead of saying "but" you could leave it out altogether. For example; instead of - "I agree with what you're saying but I can't help you" use - "I agree with what you're saying. The reason I'm unable to help you is……"

At the end of the day the answer to a customer or one of your staff could be -"no"- however, choosing your words more carefully will have a more positive affect on how he or she reacts and ultimately responds to you.

"Sorry" is one of the words to avoid because it is so overused and it's lost its value. Think of the number of times you've complained or commented about something and you hear - "Sorry 'bout that." If you're going to use the "sorry" word then you need to use it as part of a whole sentence - "I'm sorry you've been receiving so many complaints Mary."

Sometimes it's appropriate to use the word 'apologise' instead of 'sorry.' "I apologise for not getting you that information sooner."

For smoother interactions, take care with the words you use.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

The Added Value Is You
Thursday, November 27, 2008

Writen by Virden Thornton

If there was a restaurant in your town that was physically attractive and clean, had a pleasant variety of entrées on the menu, served food that was prepared in an attractive manner, and the service was outstanding--the maitre'd greeted you by name, remembered which was your favorite table, stopped by later to inquire about your needs and satisfaction, the waiters and waitresses bent over backwards to make your dinner a pleasurable experience and always treated you as if you were their most important patron--would you be willing to pay a little more than other restaurants charged?

Many of us will pay a more to obtain better treatment. Why? Today, outstanding customer service has become the exception rather than the rule. We receive such mediocre service most of the time that we would gladly pay a bit more if we thought it would guarantee a better experience. Within every one of the services organizations that I advise on selling and customer or client service, I always find at least one employee who the other employees say, "the customers in our branch will wait in a long line to see Mary or they always call for Sam because they like him so much and they think he's the only one who can help them." Customers of my clients place a high value on having a Mary or Sam take care of them. They're even willing to spend time waiting in order to get the level of customer service these professionals provide and in most cases would gladly spend more money for the high quality service levels that Mary and Sam provide.

Always remember that the words "Quality Service" are deceptive at best. There are at the least two levels of quality service--high quality and low quality. Only you can make the difference in which adjective is used to describe the service levels in your organization. In many business and service organizations today, about the only competitive edge many companies or firms have is the level of customer (or client) service that they offer. Often, a company's products or services are "vanilla flavored" or so similar in their makeup and pricing that they can't easily be differentiated. As a sales or service representative you must help your organization create an "edge." You need to understand that you are the value that must be added to your products or services that a customer or client will pay more for, but only if you avoid these customer irritants:

1. Avoid saying "I don't know." Say, instead, "Let me find out for you."

2. Never put a caller on hold. Instead, say, "I can certainly check on this for you. May I have your name and the number where I can reach you within the next few minutes, hour, etc."? Studies show that people judge time poorly when ask to wait or are placed on-hold.

3. If the telephone caller asks for someone else who is momentarily busy or on another line and insists on waiting, make certain that you check in on the caller every 15-30 seconds. Remember a minute waiting is quickly magnified into three to five minutes for people on-hold.

4. Don't tell a customer or client what you can't do for him, focus instead on what you are able to provide.

5. Never say, "I can't do this because it's against our company's policies (or against government regulations)" Instead, tell your customer or client what you can do to help him with his request or problem.

6. Try not to say, "Our computers are down." Instead, phrase your message positively: "I can check that for you by making a brief phone call. Excuse me for a moment." Or, "I'll give you a manual receipt for your deposit and will personally update your account as soon as my computer is functioning." (Also, don't blame mistakes on the computer--your customers know better).

7. Don't let a customer or client you are meeting with, feel that a ringing telephone is more important. If no one else is available to answer the telephone, say, "I'm going to quickly answer this call so it will not continue to interrupt us." Then tell the caller; "I'm with someone at the moment. May I have your name and number and I'll return your call within the next 15 to 20 minutes?" Even if the caller just wants to ask a simple question, you've sent an important message to both the caller (I can't talk now) and the customer or client (you are "valuable" to me and I will treat you with the importance you deserve)

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer service, and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, Bank One, Jefferson Wells, and Wal-Mart to name a few.

Virden is the author of PROSPECTING: THE KEY TO SALES SUCCESS and the best selling BUILDING & CLOSING THE SALE, Fifty-Minute series books and CLOSE THAT SALE, a video/audio tape series published by Crisp Publications, a division of Thompson Learning. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching, telemarketing, and productivity training manuals. To obtain a discount on two of Virden's new manuals, 101 SALES MYTHS and ORGANIZING FOR SALE SUCCESS, go to http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/book1.htm.

Virden has a degree in communications from the University of Utah. He teaches for the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech University and in the School Of Entrepreneurship, J. Willard And Alice S. Marriott School Of Management at Brigham Young University.

http://TheSellingEdge.com

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service
Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Writen by Marithe Milano

Why? Despite unfulfilled promises from companies, long waits, cold treatment and delayed return calls by customer service staffs, customers rarely complain and keep coming back to your business, provided your competitors are not doing any better than you. That's a fact!

Rule of Thumb

1. Create a Vision of Perfection.

Make it easier for your customers to do business with. Make it a warm and pleasant experience for your customer. It is a must to train staff to be sensitive to the need of the customers, be attentive, warm and knowledgeable so customers feel they are in good value of their money. Make customers feel happy to come back for more.

Always remember to communicate your vision to the rest of your company. That perfect vision is your goal!

2. Study and Discover What Your Customer Wants.

a) Listen to your Customers. Listen to what they say. Listen to what they don't say. Customers sometimes may say one thing but mean another.

b) Listen to your silent customers. They are the ones who don't even bother to complain.

c) Listen to those who say "Okay", "Fine." They are the ones who are not satisfied even when they mean the line was too long.

Know when to ignore what customers want. Don't try to give them everything all at once. It doesn't work. Look after the needs of your customer only within the limits of your vision. Constantly focus in achieving your vision.

3. Be Sincere.

Start asking questions that are sincere. Customers don't open up with you if you if they feel that you don't care. Win their confidence. Take time to get a conversation going. Customer can sense that you are serious, only then will they open up to you.

Remember. If you don't listen to your customers' thoughts and feelings, you fail to give him what he need because you simply don't know what that is. What's worse, you reject him as a person, that his thoughts have no value.

4. Be Consistent!

Don't commit to the mistake of offering too much service. Better find a small promise that you can consistently deliver than a myriad of services you seldom can meet. Focus on small thing, a small service and you can deliver consistently.

5. The Customer Delight Creed.

Priousol, Inc. has established a creed to meet customer's satisfaction at all times. This serves as vow for the customer service to his customer.

a) I must act not later but now.

b) I must never break a promise to a customer.

c) I must smile in my words and in my actions.

d) I must listen well.

e) I must be courteous and respectful at all times.

f) I must be sensitive and considerate to the needs of the customer.

Having a revolutionary approach to customer service is always practiced here in Priousol, Inc. Customer measure company's capability and stability thru their customer service. It is a big factor in increasing sales and revenues. It serves as one of the solid structure of the company.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Service Speaker Casts Doubts On Awardwinning Service Providers
Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

When I was just a pewee, I attended Tocaloma Day Camp, a local haunt for school kids after 3 p.m.

Tocaloma had everything: a swimming pool, basketball courts and indoor games. At Halloween, we even bobbed for apples.

Most memorable about Tocaloma were the jackets worn by long-term attendees. Especially impressive were the sewn on merit patches running up and down the sleeves that were earned for prowess in various sports.

Wow, I loved those things, and to this day, I think stripes and patches and other insignia and distinctions are kind of cool.

As adults, in the corporate world, it isn't nearly as difficult to be "award winning" at one thing or another if you arrange it with your public relations department.

For instance, there are many organizations around that will give you laurels for delivering excellence in customer service, if you pay a fee to participate in a peer-group survey.

Choose the categories in which you're competing carefully, and you're sure to emerge from these narrow-field competitions with some award; perhaps for best "call in" customer care, or best "email response" customer service. There are even distinctions for best prospectus, if you're a financial services company.

And, of course, you get to promote your badges of distinction in your advertising, which has the added benefit of hyping the award-giving entity, as well, so everybody wins.

This is a lot easier than working long and hard to actually raise the level of your service.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

If The Shoe Fits The Soul Of Customer Service
Monday, November 24, 2008

Writen by Don Doman

My Aunt Virginia worked selling shoes in a downtown department store. I remember listening to adult conversation, while I played. She talked about other clerks not caring for anything other than the sale and the resulting commission.

Aunt Virginia's main concern was always the fit. She even took extra care and effort with children, allowing for proper fit as well as allowing a little room to grow. It's the concern that I remember most.

Aunt Virginia is probably the reason why I fell in love with a classic training video, The Face in the Mirror. The star of the 1947 classic training film is James Dunn, who won an Academy Award for his role in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

The Face in the Mirror tells the story of Ed, a married man, who sets out to buy his wife a chair for their anniversary and a hat for himself. He runs into a friend and they stop off at a shoe store, so his friend can buy a new pair of shoes. The friend has an argument with the shoe salesman over proper shoe size and Ed and his friend leave the store without buying.

The classic training film is too long by today's standards, but I had the film re-edited and made it into a series of vignettes. This one I called Ed and a Friend Don't Buy Shoes. I don't understand arguing with customers. You never win.

A shoe clerk helping a customer find a pair of shoes that fit and feel comfortable seems like the best illustration of customer service one can come up. Provide the best shoe and the best price with the best fit, and you should have a customer for life. Ignore the fit, and argue with the customer and you lose them for life. It seems like a simple equation.

Think of your business as a shoe store. Are your customers walking away in shoes that pinch, rub and create blisters? Or are your customers walking away in comfort down a path from which they may easily return for great customer service?

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

If There Are No Customers There Are No Jobs
Sunday, November 23, 2008

Writen by Angie Hodges

I recently started my VA business, so I dropped in to my local Office Supply store (one of the big chains) to pick up what I expected to be approximately $1,000.00 worth of needed software, pens, etc. (The VA business is all about support, so having exactly what you need when you need it in order to serve your customer is imperative.) It's true I could have purchased a great deal of this material online and saved myself some money, but, because I was mainly focusing on software, I wanted to be able to ask questions and make certain I was buying exactly what I needed, and not getting more than necessary, etc. The opportunity to create a relationship with someone on a local level also appealed to me. You never know when a customer's going to need something you've never heard of, and need it yesterday.

I took the kids, because, well, they are my kids, and I'm their Mom, and taking care of them is my first job. (I love my babies by the way.) My daughter is almost 3 and my son is a year and half, so shopping is not something either of them has developed a taste for just yet.

After picking up a few normal office supply items, I get to the software section of the store. I see a few of the programs I've come to buy, and look over the empty display boxes to get a feel for exactly what I'm buying. I'm really just trying to kill time until the Software Guru Guy, we'll call him Lumpy, finishes playing with a computer. I waited, and waited some more. During this time my son gradually goes into complete meltdown. (For those of you without children, meltdown is when kids scream, cry, kick, throw things, cough, get sick, and do just about anything else they can conjure up in their tiny little minds to get you to start doing something they want to do, and stop doing what you need to do.)

About ten minutes into the waiting, my son is blood red and screaming at the top of his lungs. I've tried playing with him, talking to him, bouncing him, singing to him (poor kid), and lots of other stuff. Unfortunately, nothing's working. Since Lumpy apparently doesn't hear my child, or see me (although we're a short 5 steps away from one another) I move a little closer. His back is turned to me, but come on, really, could you at least turn around and grunt or something? Nothing. So, I start looking around for someone else to help me. There's lots of staff. A few of them are at the front of the store, talking to one another, leaning up against stuff, hands folded across their chest. (Keep in mind, my son is STILL screaming at the top of his lungs. There is no way these people don't know I'm there.) I pass a few employees, and ask each of them if they can help me with software. "No, but he can." They point to Lumpy. Meanwhile Lumpy hasn't budged. He's glaring at this computer screen like it's the most compelling thing he's ever seen in his life.

Since I'm desperate, I go to the soda cooler they so nicely put next to the register, and pull my kids each out a bottle of water. (Not smart, but I was quickly losing my cool.) I needed this stuff, today, I'm getting zero help from anyone in the store, even though there's no way they aren't completely aware of my being there, and my son's just about to lose his little mind. One more thing...When you're in a store and hear a kid screaming, and screaming, and screaming, let me tell you something. The parent that's with that child is not enjoying themselves. So before you go rolling your eyes at them, wishing they'd get their kid home, or at least out of your range of sound, try asking if there's anything you can do to help them. You'll probably be surprised to know that we Mom's and Dad's can often use an extra set of hands.

So I hand my little one an open bottle of their finest spring water and he immediately pours it all over the floor. Grand. I go up to Lumpy and tell him we spilled some water. I finally get momentary eye contact followed by a groan, and he goes back to working on the computer. Can you believe this? Okay, I'm here, ready and willing to give this place what I consider a lot of money, and I get nothing. With my son screaming, you'd think that someone, anyone, would have come over and tried to do something, but I got NOTHING.

I stood there stunned for about 3 more minutes. Then, I say out loud, "Okay, we're leaving." Lumpy's ears perked up then. As I get out of the department, he waddled over to me and said, "uh, did you want something?" Thank you, I finally get to tell you exactly how I feel! "I've been standing here for twenty minutes waiting for you. How could you possibly ignore me and my screaming child for twenty minutes?!" He looked at me like I was from Mars, shocked that I hadn't enjoyed my visit.

I get myself together, trying to cut him a break, and knowing I have got to have this stuff, I tell him what I need. "I've got XP, and Basic Office 2003. I need Access and Powerpoint. Should I buy a whole Office package, or just the two pieces?" Tell me Lumpy "what's my best bet with regard to price?" The expression on his face implied that he had just heard what to him sounded like the dumbest question in his career of being the Yoda of software. He sat and stared at the shelves, seemingly searching for a way to make me feel worse. After he processed the information, he realized he didn't know the answer to my stupid question. Then, I got the pleasure of seeing perplexed and dumbfounded Lumpy. (Not pretty) He had no idea. It's okay not to know, but help me. Explain to me the value of buying the whole package, there's got to be an advantage, right? He had absolutely no input.

Livid, I leave. So livid in fact I've got tears in my eyes. The fact that my son is in full blown conniption status doesn't help. I came in with great expectations, "I'm going to buy a bunch of stuff in here, be very organized, the best VA in the world in fact, and be a millionaire one day if I spend this money here today" and I'm leaving with an angry kid, no stuff, and I'm outraged!

I happened to run in to the manager on my way outside. I told him about the experience, and he asked the right questions..."who did this?" etc. I told him how badly I needed these things, and he offered to have me come in and he'd help me get everything I needed. I do appreciate his attempt, and I realize he can't control his employee's behavior, but I won't be going back. I refuse to be treated badly. I will not work my butt off to earn money, and then hand it over to people who treat me poorly. Do they not realize that if there are no customers, there is no job?

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

10 Reasons Why People Wont Buy A Second Product From You
Saturday, November 22, 2008

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

1. You didn't follow up after the first sale. After the sale you could have introduced your other product on the thank e-mail.

2. You didn't ship the product in the about of time you stated. If they needed it in a hurry and you didn't provide, they won't rely on you again.

3. Your product didn't do as promised. If your product didn't accomplish their desired goal they're not going to think your second product will either.

4. Your customer couldn't get a hold of you in time when they had a "after question" sale. You could have added extra lines of communication.

5. Your customer doesn't want to revisit your web site because it didn't offer much. You could have offered more original content or freebies.

6. Your competition is offering free shipping with their product. You should have been more aware of how they are targeting your customers.

7. Your customer forgot your web site address. You should have given your customers your web site information in your product package.

8. Your customer service couldn't solve a problem they had with your product. Your customer service should be trained to handle most problems.

9. You didn't up-sell when they were already in the buying mood. You can always try to sell your other product when they're ready to buy your first one.

10. Your competition offers a stronger money back guarantee. You must always be thinking of better ways to remove the risk from your customers.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Small Business Customer Service Can Work Against You
Friday, November 21, 2008

Writen by Denise O'Berry

Is the special treatment you designed specifically to keep customers coming back working against you?

A local jeweler offers free lifetime battery replacement for any watch he sells. It's a good hook to keep customers walking back in the store on a regular basis and increases his sales volume.

But, it's backfired on him. And he's lost at least one customer because of it.

He's run into a problem getting the batteries he needs and now has to send a customer's watch off to the manufacturer which lengthens the turn around time for the repair. One customer got so irate she's sworn she'll never do business with him again. Oops. Thousands of dollars of business lost over a $6 battery.

What are the perks you provide for your customers? Does it make their life simpler, save them money or time? Or has it turned into a problem that's driving them away?

You need to make sure it isn't. When you first roll out a customer perk, you need to walk through the process in your company just like you were a customer. That gives you an opportunity to fix any kinks or holes in the process before your customers are exposed to it. Then on a regular basis, every three to six months, you need to do a quality check to ensure the process is still working and make adjustments as necessary.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Willing To Do The Work
Thursday, November 20, 2008

Writen by T.J. Schier

When it began with pay at the pump, the idea of asking the customer to serve himself seemed radical. It's commonplace today and many of us drive right by those who don't offer this service.

Today, banks encourage customers to never step inside, directing them to automated teller machines and web pages instead. In fact, some banks exist only in the cyber world. Travelers regularly purchase tickets and check-in for their flights without ever interacting with an agent. And in grocery stores it's all about speed. Why wait in line while the cashier chats with bagger? Or while the teller finishes a phone call? Not that there aren't plenty of excellent customer service representatives out there. But why risk being served by the one guy who does not possess "people skills" when you can ring yourself up and be on your way?

The reality of the situation is that self-service is a win-win situation for the guest and the store. The customer moves quickly through the line with little aggravation, and the extra labor can be shifted elsewhere, i.e. wherever the store can earn high profit margins like the deli.

So should quick-service restaurants hop on the bandwagon? We're already on it. Think self-serve beverages—the guest does the work freeing the counter staff to concentrate on ringing up others and filling food orders. Simply genius. Anybody figured out how to do this in a drive-thru yet?

Self-serve kiosks and self-pay systems are becoming more prominent out there. Now it's time to take the next step by bringing self-pay systems into our stores. Research tells us that only 30 percent of quick-service employees remember to say "please" and "thank you" on a regular basis. Computers can certainly do better than that—and up ticket totals with suggestive selling visuals. Reallocate labor to other areas—physical upkeep, prep work, greeting, etc.

Not ready to make that leap? Then you haven't been keeping up with the success of Which Wich, Jeff Sinelli's sandwich shop in Dallas. There guests fill out their order on a pre-printed bag and nearly all the sandwiches are the same price. Simple short interaction with the cashier to pay. Minimal time in line and you can sit and relax while your sandwich is made. A colleague from California was coming to Dallas and asked a group of us about the "coolest places to eat." We gave him a list. His favorite after visiting them all? Which Wich. He had to work (i.e. fill out the order bag) while there but still thought it was the concept with the most potential.

What Sinelli's doing at Which Wich is simple. No long drawn out interaction with an employee making sure your order is correct. His order accuracy numbers are high, and customers view the system as guest friendly—despite the fact that he has put them to work. Less (interaction) is more (effective).

At the Armadillo Grill in Carrboro, North Carolina, a similar system is in place. The fast-casual Fresh Mex provides guests with a pre-printed menu sheet and asks them to check the box next to what they want. Want extra sour cream at Armadillo Grill? Check the box. Want two beef tacos and one chicken? Check the box. Once they're done deciding what they want, guests turn their sheet in and pay.

Both systems are easy to emulate. How simple would it be to ask a guest to fill out a cup wrapper with their coffee order? I am a frequent user of Fresh Mex chains like Armadillo. Love the food but hate waiting in line to order. Once I get to the counter, I am often greeted with "Beans? Meat? Toppings?" The series of robotic questions hardly make me feel like a valued guest.

Please, people, let me just fill out a form with my order, sit down after I get my self-serve beverage, and then let me know when the food is ready. Save me from the annoyance of waiting in line so that you can gather information you need. I promise I'll be there more frequently than ever before even if I have to do some work. Instead of punching in my order, have your people bring me my food, offer a drink refill, or stop by to see how I'm enjoying the meal. Create more of a service atmosphere in the restaurant and it will be full.

Thanks to our counterparts in the convenience industry (pay-at-the-pump), grocery store chains (self-checkout lines), and airlines (self-check-in), our guests have already been trained to 'work' during their visit. Guests like to be in control of their experience so let them!

The idea of asking the customer to take an active role in your store might seem out there, but there are restaurants that have been doing it for decades, making an experience out of it. Try it—step out and be unique. Give it a bit of work and watch what happens. They'll be back tomorrow for more.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Doors By Catering To Your Clients
Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Writen by Janice Byer

Clients… they are the most important influence in the success of any business. It is vital to keep them satisfied and happy.

Clients should be catered to. Their every need should be met and more. We need to make them feel like they are our number one client, as they all are.

Catering to our clients should not be anything new to a professional business person. After all, we all know that exceptional customer service is the key to keeping clients happy which, in turn, keeps them coming back for more and influences them to refer you and your business to others.

Then, why is it that there are so many times that we have to deal with businesses who don't put their clients first? We have all had one (or more) of those experiences, haven't we? And each time I have ever had to deal with someone who doesn't provide exceptional customer service, I am just mystified as to how they possibly manage to stay in business.

Now, catering to your customers does not mean that you should have to sacrifice your integrity or your reputation but it does mean that you have to make them feel like they are the most important customer you have. Whether they spend thousands of dollars on your product or service or they only buy in small amounts at irregular times, they are all important to your success. Every client is a door waiting to be opened and for more business to come walking through.

Catering should result in your clients always being happy and thinking positively about you.

There are some obvious, yet often forgotten, simple tasks that you can do that shows your clients that you care about them and want them to feel your are there for them when they really need you. So, let's revisit some of them now.

First, make sure you always give your very best AND that you provide it to your client when they need it. These two go hand in hand. If you have a great product or service but you can't deliver on time, then you are going to lose clients. The same holds true that if you can always deliver on time but it isn't the best that you have to offer, you are bound to be fielding unhappy comments and questions from those who matter the most.

Next, be sure that you have your client's needs and wants in mind when you are supplying to them. Listen to them when you are discussing the aspects of what they need and be sure to match that and even throw in something a little extra to show you were listening.

When listening to your clients, take note of how you can improve your product or service. After all, they are telling you what they need and it is probably what others need as well. By improving your product or service you are not only catering to your clients, you are also opening up new doors for others who may need what you have to offer but are unsure if you can customize to suit their requirements.

Always provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Everyone wants to be completely satisfied with everything they obtain or purchase. By guaranteeing your product or service, your customer will be more reassured that they will receive exactly what they ordered. And, if you publicly offer a guarantee, more people will feel at ease dealing with you.

Remember to never keep a client or potential client waiting. When you receive an inquiry from an individual, whether it is a phone message, email, or a letter, be sure to respond to it right away. By not providing a prompt response, you are taking a chance that the client will grow impatient and move onto another business to supply what they are requiring.

And finally, be sure to always say thank you to your clients. Send a thank you note to everyone who requests a quotation, signs up as a new client, or an existing client that has a habit of ordering quite a bit from you. This will not only show that you care about them but it will also keep your company fresh in their minds. If you find that your budget is limited, sending an online e-card will project your appreciation just as well.

Catering to your clients should not be a chore, it should be a gesture of appreciation. Most clients will respond to your exceptional customer service by providing you with more business or by referring you to others. It's a win – win situation!

About The Author

Janice Byer is a certified Master Virtual Assistant and owner of Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services (http://www.docutype.net). See this and other articles on her website; jbyer@docutype.net

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Marketing 101 Act Promptly
Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Writen by Bette Daoust, Ph.D.

You can create excellent business relationships through following up quickly. If you go to a meeting with a potential customer, you will spend some time just chatting about what each of you would like to see happen in the future. You will also be giving some free advice or steering the conversation towards a possible contract. During these conversations you will more than likely promise to send a link to a special website, you may promise to give some information about a valuable resource for this person. When you make these promises, you need to make sure that you write them down. Do not rely on your memory or you will fail to follow-up with the information. As soon as you leave the meeting and go back to your office, you need to send the information. This means you had the meeting today, you immediately look up the information requested or suggested and send it NOW.

The potential client will be very impressed with how promptly you act. This will leave a good impression on them and they will likely relate this to how you do business. Promptness will also help to build the business relationship as you will gain the reputation of getting things done and getting them done quickly. Nothing works better than quick responses. I also respond to meeting requests the second I get back to the office plus I also respond very quickly to email and phone messages. I do not let anyone wait for a response. It may seem like a series of interruptions but I actually schedule time to read emails and return calls several times a day (once every ninety minutes).

For most of us, email is a distracter as you can see them coming in. It is tempting to read emails as they arrive. This will actually be more of a distracter than waiting until you have your scheduled time to answer. The only exception is when you are sending out a request for information and are waiting for the response. I still glance at the emails as they arrive just to make sure there is nothing urgent. If there are no responses that require immediate attention, I wait until my scheduled time.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Casual Moderate And Intense Levels Of Customerpartner Focus
Monday, November 17, 2008

Writen by Jim Clemmer

"What's Mr. Smith's condition?" asked the raspy voice on the phone.

"He's recovering so well he'll be going home in a few days," answered the nurse. "Whom shall I say called?"

"This is Smith calling. My doctor won't tell me anything!"

Part of the reason so many organizations aren't really customer-focused is because their managers don't know the difference. They're innocently ignorant. These managers don't understand what intense customer focus really looks like. And they don't fully appreciate the why and how of balancing their focus on the final or ultimate customers with their focus on external partners, such as distributors, retailers, dealers, agents, suppliers, physicians, and such.

The following chart illustrates the vast differences in customer and partner focus. To make our teams or organizations into high performers, we need to get all of our focus and activities into the "Intense" column.

Casual—The needs and expectations of markets, customers and external partners (like distributors or suppliers) are lumped together

Moderate—A few segments and partnerships have been highlighted

Intense—The needs and expectations of key market/customer segments and partnerships have been prioritized

Casual—Infrequent market, customer, and external partner data collection and analysis

Moderate—A trickle of data helps to focus improvement activities

Intense—Major strategic and operating decisions are based on a heavy stream of continuous data

Casual—Managers and internal production or support teams occasionally see customers or partners

Moderate—Visits from and visits to customers and partners are becoming more frequent

Intense—The boundaries between customers, partners, and our organization has blurred

Casual—Some customer and partner expectations are occasionally collected

Moderate—Expectations are prioritized and weighted along with effectiveness ratings to identify performance gaps

Intense—Customer and market gap analysis provide competitive benchmarks and broad market comparisons

Casual—Product/service development, improvements, and innovations are pushed out to the market

Moderate—Customer/partner input and pilot testing help identify and shape innovation and improvement

Intense—Customers, partners, and people working in the field explore, experiment with, and guide improvements and innovations

Casual—Budgets (primarily through sales and marketing) focus on customer acquisition

Moderate—Increased investments in service/quality research, development, and improvement

Intense—Customer retention and partner improvement is a key investment focus

Casual—Departmental organization structure follows internal logic and needs

Moderate—Process improvement and re-engineering and refocuses and restructures the organization

Intense—A decentralized, team-based organization is build around key markets, customer/partner priorities, and strategic processes

Casual—Training teaches everyone how to smile and "handle" customer and partner complaints

Moderate—Training teaches how to trace the root cause of errors and eliminate them

Intense—Training provides the tools to identify internal and external customers and partners, prioritize their expectations, analyze performance gaps, and make improvements

A useful exercise is for management teams to individually assess their position on each section of this chart. Comparing answers and discussing differing points of view can reveal plenty of improvement opportunities. Better yet, are ratings from customers and/or internal partners.

A shake out of technologies companies will continue to give us plenty of examples of what happens when service/quality levels are only Casual or Moderate. We've all had our fill of dealing with companies who provide a useful service or technology but can't even answer the phone or provide the most basic customer support. Trying to get service support from one of these companies is about as much fun as being poked in the eye with a sharp stick.

Many of these mediocre companies are one-technology-wonders who developed a specialized product or found a narrow technical niche and have never really had to compete for business. They haven't had to worry about service because there were always more customers to replace those lost through careless neglect. Their casual levels of service/quality make them causalities in company graveyards.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Who Benefits The Most From An Answering Service
Sunday, November 16, 2008

Writen by Joel Meadowridge

Americans have busy schedules and busy lives. Many times those busy schedules make it impossible for a person to wait. That is why convenience stores and fast food restaurants are so popular in America. There are fast ways to do just about anything, but happens when someone needs to speak with someone who is busy? It the conversation was going to occur on the phone it is likely that the person would just hang up. For personal phone calls that might be okay, but what if you were a business owner?

Businesses who do not receive important phone calls put themselves at risk for losing profits. This most often occurs when a first time caller is looking to become a new customer. If an individual is calling a particular business to become a client it is likely that they may not call back if their call was not answered. For this reason there are many business owners who use an answering service.

An answering service typically operates at another location that is separate from the business it is working for. There are many well-known companies who run an answering service, but an answering service can also be started by a person working from home. You may be wondering how an answering service can pick up your phone calls if they are not at your business. This feature is what is known as call forwarding. When a business owner or employees will not be in the office they will set their calls up so they will be forwarded to the answering service. How the answering service will operate will all depend on the person or company offering the service. Many times an answering service will answer your calls as if they were one of your employees, take a message, and then forward that message on to you.

Just about any business can benefit from an answering service; however, there are some that will benefit more than others. Construction workers and other general contractors need an answering service because their job could depend on it. To stay in business a contractor always needs to have work. Should a potential client call up and not receive an answer is likely that would just move on to the next contractor in the phone book. This could be damaging to success of a contractor.

All medical professionals can benefit from using an answering service. These medical professionals may include a pharmacist, a physiologist, a doctor, or a dentist. An answering service is needed in these professions due to emergencies. A patient's health and wellbeing could literally be on the line if they were not to receive an answer when calling a medical professional.

Contractors and medical professionals are just a few of the many individuals who can benefit from an answering service. Other business professionals that can benefit from using an answering service may include, but are not limited to, attorneys, insurance agents, home health care providers, and government workers. If you are currently employed as one of those individuals you are encouraged to increase your profits and customer satisfaction by using a professional answering service.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

The Death Of The Loyal Customer
Saturday, November 15, 2008

Writen by Wayne Patterson

One of my classes in management focused on the repeat customer. The course stressed the importance of the repeat customer to the financial welfare of the business. We spent hours discussing ways to turn "first time" buyers into repeat customers. This is not a new concept. We've all heard the term "the customer is always right". And then there is the movie we watch every Christmas where Macy tries to out "customer satisfaction" Gimbel. I prefer to take that concept one step further with what I consider the most valuable asset of a business, the loyal customer.

The loyal customer is one who will buy your product or service even when it is more expensive or at a personal inconvenience. The loyal customer is one who will recommend you to his competitors. The loyal customer is one who will stand up and defend your company against unfair comments. The loyal customer is one who will teach his children to purchase your product or service because they can depend on your company to treat them with fairness and honesty. The businesses of America, large and small, have been built on the backs of the loyal customer.

In his inauguration address, President Bush stated, " as citizens we must uphold the principles of civility, courage, compassion, and character that a civil society demands from each of us". Civility is a word we don't hear much anymore. As companies have merged and as pressure from investors has increased, businesses have lost their civility. The concepts of respect and fair dealing that have been the cornerstones of American business are crumbling.

In the age of the computer and voicemail, companies are ignoring the fact that on the other end of the line is a living breathing person. They will spend millions on advertising to gain a new customer and then banish them to what I term "Customer Service Hell".

Take the case of Denise in New Mexico

"I have been MORE than patient with Dell Computer Corporation. It has taken me 6 months, a minimum of 100 hours of my time, 20 different people, 10 phone calls to service, 5 to the rebate ripoff department, close to 30 mails, several faxes, daily blue screens which switched to daily black blank screens, all three drives not working, still not receiving a confirmed rebate on a machine I ordered in August, 2002, an ordered part I've yet to receive, two individuals saying they will call RIGHT BACK who still haven't called, and problems growing on an EPPurchased machine literally by the day ~ to get THIS upset.

I'm sick of being jerked around by large corporations who make it impossible to reach their corporate offices who are only interested in SALES and could care less about SERVICE."

Then there is my own personal experience with Nextel. My company was spending a substantial amount of money with Nextel and we loved the phones. However, customer service was non-existent. I once spent four hours on the phone with six different "representatives" and was hung up on when I asked to speak to a supervisor.

No answers were received to my faxes or letters. Voice mails to my local salesperson went unanswered. Even the letter from our attorney was never acknowledged. Needless to say we now have another cellphone provider.

These examples point to an alarming trend. Businesses are focusing on gaining new customers and failing miserably to turn these new clients into loyal customers. They have lost their civility, not only with their customers but with their employees as well.

What can you do? If you believe like I do then take these beliefs and make a difference. Acknowledge that the people that you come in contact with are living breathing persons and treat them with goodness and respect. If you can't do that in your present position then its time for you to make a change. As President Bush continued, "Americans are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe In ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves". Let's resurrect the "Miracle on 34th. Street".

About The Author

Wayne Patterson is the author of "Solidgoldmonthly" home business newsletter. Home business news and views that you can use. No scams allowed! Subscribe now to receive FREE book of eBay Marketing Secrets, sold on other sites for $27.00. http://www.solidgoldhomebusiness.com; solidgoldhome@charter.net

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

How To Turn Customer Complaints Into Sales
Friday, November 14, 2008

Writen by Joe Love

In business there is one certainty: Problems will occur. Products and services will not always perform as they should. People will be disappointed. Employees will make value judgments that won't always pay off. And above all, the one business truth that you can depend on: Customers will have complaints.

Which leads us to one the biggest business misconceptions: Customer complaints and problems are detrimental to your business. This is not true! In fact, customer problems and complaints are often your greatest opportunity to build more sales and create customers for life.

How do you turn problems into profit? By approaching every complaint as a second chance to prove your dedication to good business and to your customers.

For example, if you own a service station. You are in a highly competitive industry because customers tend to go to more than one station to get their gas tank filled, their oil changed, and their cars serviced. A customer makes an appointment to have his or her care tuned up, but you are unable to get to it in the scheduled time. As a result, the customer is greatly inconvenienced, has to make another appointment, and has to rearrange his or her schedule.

Needless to say, the customer is more than a little bit angry and your customer vows never to bring his or her car to your again. How can you turn this situation to your advantage? By putting yourself in your customer's shoes. If your car was not ready when promised, what conciliatory services would you expect to be provided?

Remember that you are responsible for your customers; for their convenience, their satisfaction and, most importantly, for their overall happiness. And when you have failed to meet your customer's expectations, rather than accepting defeat and letting the customer slip away from you, use your initial failure as a jumping off point for a profitable relationship. Commit yourself to turning customer complaints into sales. When you make this part of your business practice, you will become a trusted friend in the eyes of your customers.

So how do you turn customer complaints into sales? It's really obvious, but very few business owners recognize it. Your number one priority, both before and after a mistake has been made, is to solve your customer's problem. Not only solve it, but do it in a way that exceeds your customer's expectations.

In the example I gave above about the service station owner, a great way to solve that problem would be to provide the customer with free transportation until his or her car is finished.

Even if the problem is not a direct result of some mistake that you have made, it is still your responsibility to make it right for the customer. You should always reward your customers for their inconvenience. That may mean offering repairs at a reduced rate or even free. It might mean giving them a free fill-up at your station. Whatever you do, you need to earn their trust back, and free gifts and services are a wonderful way to achieve this.

If you want to secure future profit from your customers, you have to give them a reason to transact business with you again. Give them coupons, gift certificates, or vouchers. Give them anything to get them into your store and buying from you again.

As with all promotions of this kind, there is always the chance you could end up spending more than you make on the initial transaction, or even on the follow-up. But your goal is to turn your customer into a customer for life, which gives you plenty of opportunities to make a profit and make your customers happy.

Whenever a customer complaint or problem arises, remember that it is a human being asking you to recognize that their life, their business, and their satisfaction is as important as anyone else's. They want you to recognize this, verbalize it, and compensate them. If you do all of this with compassion and understanding, you will not only earn their lifelong support, but also the support of all those whom they refer to you.

Copyright©2006 by Joe Love and JLM &Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Web Based Crm Solutions
Thursday, November 13, 2008

Writen by Jennifer Bailey

CRM solutions are business strategies that assist in building a healthy relationship with customers. They have become a milestone in the marketing strategies of modern business organizations. Earlier, CRM solutions had been based on client-server architecture. A few draw backs of the client-server model CRM solutions led to the development of web based CRM solutions. Web based CRM solutions are business strategies intended mainly for e-commerce.

As the World Wide Web serves as the platform in web based CRM solutions, the software need be installed on a single server. The installed software can be accessed from any remote location, and any change made in the software will be reflected throughout the system. The client-server model CRM solutions do not support remote access or wireless devices. But, web based CRM solutions have facilities to access wireless devices like PDAs and WAP-enabled mobile phones.

In a web based CRM solution, only the central server has to be maintained. Thus, web based CRM solutions are very cost effective. When compared with client-server CRM solutions, web based CRM solutions are more flexible and easy to maintain. As the web based CRM solutions are based on Web, they can be distributed faster than the conventional CRM solutions and client-server CRM solutions. Also, adding of new clients in a web based CRM solution is very easy. The number of users in web based CRM solution is unlimited.

Netgain, Upshot, SAP, Clarify, ONYX, Trilogy, Oracle, Siebel Systems, and Firstwave Technologies, Inc. are some of the leading vendors in the web based CRM solutions.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

More Customers Watch Those Little Things
Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Writen by Martin Haworth

Two situations, two perfectly acceptable experiences, but in one case, an excitement about great service and in the other case, just OK.

The Laptop

I have a laptop which is under warranty - 5 working day turnaround they said when I rang them about a power problem. Efficient and effective they were too.

So someone came to collect it the next day and, as they said, I got a call 5 working days later to say it would be delivered back, by courier, the next day. And by 10.32 am, it was. I enquired on the second call what had been found to be wrong, but the person on the other end didn't know, "There will be an engineers report in the box". And there was.

The Restaurant

My wife went out for a meal with 14 others from her place of work. A nice little restaurant, privately owned. The meal was all home made, with one or two little touches that were a bit special. Being a works 'do' they were a little boisterous and the staff in the restaurant took good part and joined in the fun as well. They were made to feel very welcome indeed, from the minute their coats were taken, to closing the door behind them.

At one point, someone tasted one of the sauces and commented on how nice it was and was given a pot, neatly wrapped, to take home. "Drop the pot back in anytime", the waitress said. When someone said they fancied something not on the menu, the chef came out and with a little banter, 10 minutes later had made one up specially.

Wine was in the costings and even though they had managed to get through a couple of bottles (and more!), the wine kept flowing to the end of the meal. The chef came out to wish them well at the end and thank them for coming.

Two examples of perfectly acceptable service. One experience adequate and one memorable. I wonder which one will be recommended to others?

It doesn't take much to make your customers or clients feel special. It takes forethought and focus. Especially when we work remotely and don't have the opportunity to meet with our customers and clients face-to-face.

Customer service is an art, not a science. It is about building relationships which last and, ultimately, your customers will do the marketing for you. And you will profit.

As sales people we need to deliver that 'extra mile' service Then we will reap the rewards. And not dissolve into nameless and faceless experiences which are just 'OK'. OK won't do any more.

As Walt Disney said:-

"Do what you do so well, that they will want to see it again and bring their friends."

Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com/customer_service.html. Martin also has an blog where other business, management and customer 'observations' appear (almost) daily! You can find that on the website.

...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Complaints Do It Right
Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Writen by Meryl K. Evans

At a time when shopping is big as well as returning items, we find items that don't work or live up to our expectations. Rather than just complain, do something about it. It might surprise you. I bought two items that came with a pen and the pen didn't work on either. I wrote the company about it and the company promptly sent me replacements.

In another situation, my Microsoft mouse stopped working. Microsoft's customer service was easy to reach and will send a replacement as soon as it's in stock. On the flip side, I contacted Logitech support to ask questions and it was one of the longest, most tortuous support calls.

The Dallas Morning News had an article on the topic and how to best go about product problems. The article included an interview with Tim Duffy, a consumer evangelist who says he's not a fan of sites like Planet Feedback (planetfeedback.com).

When something breaks or doesn't work right, here are the steps that work well for me:

1. If the problem occurs within days after buying the item, return it to the store and exchange it or get a refund.

2. If the problem occurs past the return date, go to the company's Web site and search for information on the problem.

3. If the Web site doesn't have the answers, search the Internet for resolutions. This works more than you might think.

4. Call the company if you make it this far. It might lead to a replacement, repair, or some other solution.

5. Let others know about your experience by posting reviews on Amazon, forums, or wherever you like to share your thoughts.

Here are the sites referenced in the article.

* thesqueakywheel.com

* consumervoiceusa.com

* mywoes.com

* complainbook.com

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Service Speaker Says Renting Films From Netflix Isnt A Panacea
Monday, November 10, 2008

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

A few months ago I was raving about Netflix, an online movie rental service that enables you to use your letter carrier to get and return videos instead of wasting your precious time and gasoline.

And Netflix does constitute an improvement over other movie delivery channels, as I see it.

Cable and satellite force you to buy packages of movies at a high cost, or you must pay a premium price for individualized pay-per-view options.

Also, their selections are limited, while Netflix, and perhaps others like Blockbuster, can offer 60,000 or more titles at a time.

Still, Netflix has its problems.

Here are five drawbacks:

(1) You'll only get one "product turn" on average, per seven-day week. I thought I'd be able to get two turns, but it hasn't worked out this way, largely because Netflix warehouses don't operate on Saturdays! So, if you return a title on Thursday or Friday, your next title may not ship until the following Monday or Tuesday, which means you'll get a new movie that Thursday. So, you're saving a small amount over video store rentals, but not that much.

(2) The recommendation system that Netflix has in place is faulty. You are encouraged to view and then rate movies and based on your evaluations they will suggest titles you might like. But when you see most of these tips, they're way off the mark. At this moment Netflix is offering a million dollar prize to an inventor who can improve their recommendation system, and if you subscribe, you'll understand why!

(3) Blame the mail service if you like, but I'm not sure why it is that Netflix doesn't log in about 20-30% of my returns, promptly. Their sloth reduces my choices and increases the average cost of my rentals.

(4) Though there are 60,000 titles available, a surprising number are garbage. It takes forever to forage for satisfying rentals, and I almost always come up short, even after selecting known "hits" that I've viewed before. Foreign and independent films are on the list, but usually, they're VERY OLD RELEASES. You won't see much from recent film festivals, like Sundance and even Cannes.

(5) TV serials cost you as much to rent as movies. So, if you want to see some reruns of Masterpiece Theater or other BBC or PBS offerings, it's incredibly expensive to order disk after disk. Netflix and others should find a way to discount these lower demand, backlist items.

I suppose my video woes are really a blessing in disguise, because I'm finding myself seeing more live theater, ballet, operas, and yes, even movies.

Plus, I'm rediscovering the joys of reading!

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Why Is This Information Hidden
Sunday, November 9, 2008

Writen by Ron Kaufman

Sue forwarded me a strange e-mail she received from a catalog retailer in the United Kingdom.

The message says: 'We can confirm your order details;

Estimated delivery date: 16.10.2001
Order reference number: BA01
Total order value: 68.37

Unfortunately, Item 107-694 is currently unavailable. We have a substitute which is a similar item but all cream in colour. If you would like the substitute item sent please contact us by telephone or by e-mail.

Best Regards, Online Customer Care

What in the world is 'Item 107-694'? How strange that the company tells her the item code and available colors, but does not mention a name or description of the product.

The company asks Sue to contact them either by telephone or by e-mail, but no telephone number is provided.

Such simple information. So obvious to the company. Why is it hidden from the customer?

Key Learning Point
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Don't expect customers to know or remember everything about your products and organization. Customers appreciate convenient references and reminders. Make it easy for customers to contact, query, try and buy.

Action Steps
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Put complete access information on all your products, packages and points of contact. List your mailing and e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers on every page of your website. Put stickers with the same information on the back, bottom or side of all your products. Be sure the signature file in your e-mail program is accurate, detailed and up to date. Make it easy for customers to find you, know you and love you.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Attitude Of Service
Saturday, November 8, 2008

Writen by Margo Chevers

When conducting a training session about customer service, I always spend a fair amount of time talking about attitudes. After all, to be of service, you must develop an attitude of service.

It has recently come to mind that the attitude of service is not something you put on and take off when at work. It is something you carry with you throughout each day. Someone who truly has the attitude of service will always serve other people, no matter what the circumstances.

Let's take a look at a few of the more obvious ways of observing an attitude of service.

Have you ever had the occasion to approach a door at the same time another person is advancing toward it? I am frequently amazed that when the other person gets there, they barge through without any thought to me. I don't expect someone to wait five minutes for me to get there, but certainly, if we are reaching the door within seconds of one another, holding the door open would be a courteous gesture.

The reaction I get when I'm the first one to the door and I wait and hold the door open for the other person, is one of surprise. It is so rarely done, that they are more than delighted to have this consideration extended to them. I love the reaction I get. I notice it puts the other person in a better mood and they almost always smile at the gesture. Many times, if it is a double door, they will return the favor by holding the door open for me.

Other opportunities to practice an attitude of service is when driving on the road and someone is trying to pull out of a driveway. Stopping the car so the driver can safely navigate onto the road is almost always responded to with a honk and a wave. They always accompany it with a big smile.

Little things like always saying please and thank you show your respect for the other person. If you aren't saying this in everyday interactions, how will you remember to always do so with the customer?

When someone asks you a question, do you give them your full attention.

When you see someone struggling with their purchases, do you offer to help?

I was taking care of my two grandchildren earlier this year. One of them was 3 months old, the other was 17 months old. When I had to go shopping for necessities, it became a juggling act to get two babies into the store, into one carriage, and also place items in and around them.

The generosity of one woman while I was in line waiting to be checked out, was incredible. She offered to place my items on the conveyor belt for me. Then she spent a good deal of time distracting the older of the babies so I could pay for my purchase. Her kindness and thoughtfulness was so appreciated by me. I couldn't believe that someone who had nothing to gain was being so kind to a stranger.

It made me wonder what would happen if, those people whose job it is to do thoughtful things for customers did the same thing. Imagine how much more business would be attracted to that store.

Are you practicing your customer service skills, even when you aren't waiting on a customer? If not, you might want to begin. It will make it easier when you are face to face with the customer.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Freebies For Your Customers The How To Guide
Friday, November 7, 2008

Writen by Matthew Peschong

Who wants a free pen with your company's name on it? I don't and I doubt many others do. I recently advised a small business that was charging customers $10.00 if they wanted to purchase a t-shirt with the business's name on it to stop. Sure they sold shirts to about 10% of their members but the profit margin was only $4.00 per shirt.

Instead, I advised them that during the initial sign up for each new member the business owner provide a free t-shirt with the business's name on it in exchange for filling out a short survey designed to categorize who were the business's customer base. In order to get the t-shirt the customer would have to sign up for a minimum of 6 months.

I did so because the business owner was cold calling new potential members out of the phone book and I felt this was wasting not only his time but money. The better investment would be to spend the extra $4.00 difference per shirt. Then, 100% of his members would have and wear the shirts resulting in free advertising and the business owner would know more about who his customers were and where his next attack on the market should be. The profit margin on one year memberships was much more than the $4.00 difference or the cheap marketing he lost to potential members. The white pages would no longer have to be his battle ground. Within a week, he was contacting the Census Bureau and business was booming.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Service At Airlines
Thursday, November 6, 2008

Writen by Lance Winslow

Customer Service at the airlines has deteriorated in a big way over the past few years and now they seem to treat folks like cattle. Of course in all fairness your flying experience is not necessarily only from the airlines. It starts during loading and unloading only zones at the curb and a security guard with a sub-machine gun and gets worse from there as they expect you to take off your shoes, check your metal objects into a tray and ask you stupid questions.

Worse off those asking you stupid questions are former Wal-Mart Security Guards who were hired under a hiring emergency. And like any $5.00 per hour security guard they take their job way too seriously. After being treated like dirt from folks you would not even allow to baby sit your kids, then you get to be greeted by your airline of choice.

And after they have been treated badly by so many customers all day their attitudes are less than perfect too. When we talk about customer service at the baggage check-in, ticket counters and gates or the stewardesses on the planes, we first need to look back at the entire flying experience and who caused all this dissatisfaction in the first place.

You see many airline employees have taken pay cuts, lost benefits or had their pension funds raided and they are not so happy in life to begin with, then the government has scared the flying public along with the mass media after 9-11. It is for all these reasons that customer service at the airlines is not what it use to be. But I ask you, is that a good enough excuse for the customer?

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Dont Give Your Customers What They Want
Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Writen by John Payne

One of the mantras we hear repeatedly in business is "The customer is always right." I'm here to tell you that if you want to build a thriving business you need to forget that saying, and take note of Payne's Law #1 "The customer is always right- some of the time." I'll explain why in a minute.

The worst kind of businessperson is the one who cynically tries to force the customer to choose the thing that he has to sell, whether it is best for the customer or not. The old 'hard-sell'. Most of can agree- that is not a good way to do business.

Find Out What They NEED

To my mind, there is another, more common failing amongst businesspeople, and that is the lack of desire to do what is best for the customer. Believe me, the customer doesn't always know what they NEED. They might know what they WANT, but THAT may not be the best answer. It may even be answering the wrong question. Please don't assume that the customer is a lifetime expert in your field, has done a lot of research, or has engaged a firm of consultants to recommend what he is asking for. He probably saw it on TV, or got great advice from his buddy down at the bowling alley.

Let's take an extreme, medical situation. The patient visits his physician, and says "I've got a shocking headache. Prescribe that new painkiller, Fantast-something for me." The physician says "Sure", and sends him of to the drugstore for some Fantastifen. Yes, the physician's given his patient what he WANTS, but it may not be what he NEEDS. Some discussion and some intelligent questioning might have discovered that the real problem is a need for spectacles, or a malignant brain tumor! The physician only does the best for his patient when he tries to discover the real NEED, and advises (and explains) the appropriate course of action. In fact, if he doesn't do that, he is being professionally negligent!

If you want to build a successful, long-term business, you need customer satisfaction, repeat customers and referral business. Will you get those if you give the customer what he WANTS, but it then fails to do the job he requires, and wastes his money? I think not. Where you have the option, I suggest you take your dealings with your customers an extra step.

Let Them Know They're Valued

Let them know that having them as happy customers of your business is very important to you. That you would like to take some time to understand their needs a little better. That you like to make sure you give them the most appropriate, best-value answer to their needs. It normally doesn't take much time to gain an understanding of the customers needs, and to work out what the best solutions are. You can then 'play back' to them what you understand about their requirements, and recommend the appropriate solutions. With an explanation. "Product X is $20 cheaper now, but the refills cost twice as much. At your rate of use it will cost you more inside 12 months" "If you're planning on vacationing in the tropics, a pure cotton would be cooler than a heavyweight mixture" "That bike will last 20 years, but your son will be too big for it in a year, why not look at the next size?"

If you really care about your customer, it will show. If you really give good advice, most often it will be appreciated. Appreciative customers are happy customers. Happy customers are repeat customers. And happy customers refer other people to you.

Do yourself a favor. DON'T give the customers what they WANT. If you truly want to be a true professional, help them discover what they NEED.

John Payne is a lifetime Marketer, publisher of Web Marketing Ezine, and an SEO consultant.

He also founded and heads the fast-growing business Enviro-Friendly Products.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Service That Delights And Delivers Loyal Customers For Improved Bottom Line Results
Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Writen by Leanne Hoagland-Smith

This past week I had the incredible opportunity to experience first hand customer service that delighted and delivered loyal customers as well as just the opposite.

Delightful Customer Service Experience

Since I do a lot of traveling between my office and clients within the Chicago metropolitan area, I spend a lot of money at gas stations and hence I am always trying to save a few cents. At one Interstate intersection, there is one station that is convenient as it is on the same side of the street and an easy in-out. However, this station is always several cents to a dime more than the one on the other side of the overpass.

Time was short and so I stopped in this national gasoline store to purchase fuel. Before I left, I went inside to the convenience store to buy a soft drink. The dispenser was not functioning properly on my favorite diet soda so I took the other diet drink.

When I went to pay for the drink, I nicely told the cashier, Toya, that the one dispenser was not working correctly and they may wish to fix it. She immediately apologized, gave me my drink free and then handed me a card for another free drink at a later time. I told her that I was more than willing to pay for the cola, but she said No, because the one I had wasn't the one I wanted. Toya continued to express to me that my satisfaction is important because my patronage pays her salary and she wanted me to come back. Wow, does this lady understand the bottom line or what? I asked her if this was part of her customer service training or was she always so customer service focused? She said that she is always like this because she truly appreciates every customer who walks through the doors. I thanked her and walked to my car thinking that the couple of cents I pay more for this fuel was worth it.

Undelightful Customer Service Experience

As I attend and speak at conferences, I was attempting to reserve a room at a national chain. Since the conference had just moved, I was a new person to this particular hotel. The reservation person that I spoke to was not physically located at the site even though the number was for this hotel's geographic location. After waiting several minutes, I finally reached a reservation's person. This lady was polite, but sounded like she was speaking to a dead fish. And I was the dead fish!

I had to repeat information to her several times before I could learn if any rooms were available. When room availability was confirmed, I asked physically if these rooms were away from the pipes and noise that I had heard several other of my colleagues had experienced during the last conference. She couldn't tell me that. I said I would think it over.

My fingers quickly dialed or rather pushed the phone number of the other national chain where I had stayed in the past. The Manager of the Hotel, Dennis, answered and quickly assured me that rooms were available. When I gave him my name, he remembered me and said he was glad that I was returning as a preferred customer. Since I was driving in, I asked him for a phone number of my favorite restaurant as I wanted to make a reservation during the drive. He quickly complied with my request and said he look forward to seeing me again. Again, his actions have created a loyal customer.

Both of these individuals, Toya and Dennis, understood the value of connecting with their customers and providing service that delights. Exceptional customer service does deliver loyal customers. Now the only challenge is to make sure that all of your employees are delighting and thus delivering loyal customers.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Your Goodwill Has Expired
Monday, November 3, 2008

Writen by Ron Kaufman

Alice's prepaid telephone calling card said 'Expires August 31, 2001' on the back.

She decided to use the remaining value of the card at 8:00 pm on August 31.

Unfortunately, the card had already been terminated when she tried to make a call. There was no value remaining. She held a worthless piece of plastic.

The telephone company had terminated her phone card's value on the very first minute of the listed expiration date (12:01 am), rather than the very last minute as Alice had expected (11:59 pm).

The company may be technically right, but commercially they are dead wrong.

When you see an expiration date, don't you assume the product is valid until the end of that date? Isn't that how your credit card works? Isn't that how a food expiration date works? Isn't that how your telephone calling card should work, too?

Key Learning Point
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When setting policies and procedures, make every effort to see the world from your customer's point of view. Make their view, your view.

Action Steps
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Carefully review all recent customer complaints. Look for cases where customers complain that your policies are too narrow, your processes too slow or your procedures too bureaucratic. Revisit the source of these complaints. Is there another way to see the situation? Do your customers have a point you should consider? Start making changes. Keep on improving until their views and your views are aligned.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Improve Customer Service With Gps Vehicle Tracking Systems
Sunday, November 2, 2008

Writen by Ken Sink

Business owners: use GPS vehicle tracking systems to improve customer service and bring your business into the Information Age.

The Information Age allows us to read breaking news, review up-to-the-minute stock-market information and check on the status of our bank account—all on demand. We take for granted the ability to find what we want to know when we want to know it.

The concept of a constant flow of information through precise, up-to-the-minute notification is accepted by a majority of society. Having our email forwarded to our cell phones is another example of how 'connected' we are today.

So, why do we ask our customers to put up with delivery estimates of 'sometime between 9 a.m. and noon?' Do we put our customers on hold while we call our service technician to find out when they'll be at the customer's site?

Are you providing your customers with outstanding service? Are you taking advantage of every tool available? Or is your competition?

Consider using GPS vehicle tracking systems to bring your business into the Information Age.

Who should consider GPS vehicle tracking systems? Any business using vehicles, who has demanding customers and faces competition in selling a product available from several sources.

A broad spectrum of business types use GPS vehicle tracking systems. Florists, HVAC contractors, limousine companies, food and beverage distributors and many other businesses have all improved customer service through GPS tracking.

Why? GPS vehicle tracking systems provide up-to-the-minute information you can use to answer your customers' questions. Improving customer service equates to more satisfied customers, resulting in more business and more profits.

With the real-time data provided by GPS vehicle tracking systems, you can tell your customer where your employee is right now and estimate more accurately when your employee will be arriving. WOW your customers with precise delivery estimates.

The historical data from GPS vehicle tracking systems will tell you and your customer when your employee last visited their site and how long they were there. You can also analyze visits to their location for the last 30 days or longer with data downloaded from your tracking system.

Using GPS vehicle tracking systems requires devices installed in each vehicle and a PC connected to the Internet. The system provider operates a secure server which displays data: speed, direction of travel, location. After logging into the server, you view the data using a web browser.

Some systems allow you to add a specific location, such as a customer's building, to the map. This simplifies determining which vehicle is closest or visited that location last.

Where do GPS vehicle tracking systems work? Some GPS systems are limited to cellular system coverage areas; others use low-earth orbit communications satellites for coverage everywhere.

Now, before your competition realizes how to use GPS vehicle tracking to their advantage, research your options, pick your system and lease/buy it. Do it today.

Welcome to the Information Age.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Quality Service A Philosophical View

Writen by Chris Crouch

Often we get in such a hurry living, we lose sight of the important things that bring value and meaning to our lives. We spend much of our time repeating old habits and patterns, not really paying much attention to where these habits are taking us. Consistently giving quality service to your customers can help you bring value and meaning to your life. It will even bring you happiness, fulfillment, joy and success. Sounds too good to be true? What have you got to lose by taking a few minutes and reading on?

Our lives are given real value and meaning by our relationships with people, not by our relationships with things or possessions. Quality service is entirely focused on developing excellent relationships with people. Therefore, quality service is one of the best ways we all have to bring value and meaning into our lives.

Think about the last time you were involved in creating a positive memorable experience for someone. What went on in your mind and in your heart as a result of this experience? What effect did this experience have on the meaning of your life?

Developing caring relationships with other people is one of the best ways to bring joy and happiness into you life. Our customer relationships offer us numerous opportunities to do this each day. Don't miss out on your chance to create "the good life" for you and your customers.

At some point in most people's lives they begin to seek fulfillment and inner satisfaction as much or more than pursuing tangible wants and needs. They search for something that is missing that will make their life complete. Often during this search, they discover that giving is one of the keys to this inner satisfaction.

Quality service is all about giving in relationships with others. Some people have come to believe that giving means to sacrifice and lose something. The world tells them that what they have is diminished if they give. Others know that giving is one of the quickest paths to getting and expanding. We can only have more by giving more.

For example, consider one of the big pursuits of life, the pursuit of money. People usually want money because of the things they can do with it that will provide some sort of inner satisfaction. However, it is easy to lose sight of this fact and start seeking money as an end in itself. When people do this they are clearing chasing the wrong thing. They are, in effect, trying to trick money into their life instead of pursuing the true sources of money – giving. After all, people usually turn their money over to you because you give them something they want.

Now, there's nothing wrong with money. However, some people clearly get the "cart before the horse" by saying things like "I'll give good service when I start getting paid to do it." I believe that if you focus on positive giving of any kind, (especially quality service in a healthy business), tangible rewards will be a by-product of your efforts. But remember, for something to truly be considered a gift, you must expect nothing in return. Amazing things happen when you give with this attitude.

Let's look at another aspect of quality service. Quality service creates specific moments of value and meaning in your life. You may have read about the theory of quality service that is based on "moments of truth." This theory says that each day we have numerous chances or moments to create a positive memorable experience for our customers. It is interesting that most of us do not really remember years, weeks or even days. We usually only remember moments.

It is our everyday interactions, both large and small, that create meaning in our lives. Each moment that we serve others, we have a new chance to create a positive memory. People seem to think more and more about these memories as they get older. Start recording some meaningful moments today. You will enjoy reflecting on them in the future!

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

7 Things You Should Never Say To A Potential Customer
Saturday, November 1, 2008

Writen by Craig Dawber

Don't scare away your customers by saying the wrong things

Customers expect a certain kind of behaviour from companies and if we want to stay in business, it is our job as service providers or manufacturers to stand up to those expectations. There are certain things that are a total no-no while communicating with a customer. It will be a good idea to remember these things and have them as a ready checklist with you, always

1. Never say to a potential customer: We don't accept credit cards. As a business entity you are expected to accept credit card payments. Your inability to accept credit card payment may disappoint your customers and they may move to another supplier. As a business entity you can get your own merchant account to process credit card payments.

Bottom line - Accepting and processing credit card payments is a real must for any business and you must have a provision to do so. - if they understand the qualification process before applying. (We'll cover that in another article.)

2. Never say to a potential customer: Allow us 3-4 weeks for shipping. Please remember that when a customer is ready to buy, he wants the product immediately. If you tell a potential customer that he has to wait for some days/time before he can actually make use of the product, he will usually turn to the supplier who can supply the goods faster.

Bottom Line: To avoid losing customers, offer only those products that you can ship immediately or latest by the next day. For any a business entity it is criminal to expect customers to wait for the products after having made the decision to buy.

3. Never indicate to a potential customer: No questions entertained! The potential customers may want to speak to you before placing their orders, to clarify some doubts. But if your website does not include a contact number, then in a way you are telling the prospects that you do not entertain questions and calls, and this may discourage sales. It is human nature for people to make personal contact with the seller before they actually buy.

Bottom Line: To avoid losing sales and customers, always include a contact phone number in your web site, press releases, sales letters and advertisement messages.

4. Never indicate to a potential customer: We aren't interested in taking your call. All incoming calls to your business should be answered without fail, either by a live person during business hours or by a professional voice mail system after office hours. If business phones go unanswered then the potential customer can get a doubt regarding the reality of your business. They would want to place orders with a business that answers their calls. To always remain in touch with the customer, divert your office phone lines to your mobile phone, even during hours you are away from the office, especially if you do not have a voice mail system.

The same is true with fax calls. All businesses are expected to have a fax machine to be able to receive a question from a customer, an order from a buyer or anything else. You can not tell a customer that you will receive the fax message on somebody else's machine!

Bottom Line: Make sure your business phones are answered at all times by a person or a voice mail system or the calls are forwarded to your cell phone. You must make provision to receive fax messages, if you do not have a separate fax machine.

5. Should never have to say to a potential customer: We don't have a web site. It has become mandatory for all businesses to have a website, where the potential customers can get information about your company, the products you offer, sales support that you give, along with your physical location and contact information. Potential customers have their first interaction with a company through their website.

Bottom Line: It is expected for all businesses to have a website that is easily navigable and provides the information that potential customers will be looking for.

6. Should never have to say to a potential customer: Sorry, I am not carrying a business card. You should always carry your business card, even in non-business environments, because you never know when you may have to use one. At times contacts of potential customers may need your card to pass it on to the potential customer.

Bottom Line: Make sure you carry your business cards wherever you go, you may have to use one anytime, anywhere. The business card should give your name, your company name, your website address, email address and if possible a liner about what you offer.

7. Never indicate to a potential customer: our product can accomplish everything and anything you ever wanted in this kind of product. It is not possible for your product to get the moon for your customers, however great a product or service you may have. When asked about the features of your product, never exaggerate. Be honest when talking about product features, to the potential customers. Do not mislead potential customers about what your product can and can not do, people generally appreciate honesty.

Bottom Line: Never exaggerate about product features to the potential customers, as it is better to lose a sale than to have a disappointed or angry customer.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Previous Posts

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