For Customer Service

That's all I've got. See, it wasn't so hard, was it? Making customer service great is a lot easier than you though. And oh yeah, you won't lose me as a customer if you at least try. Thanks!

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

The Aces Model Of Exceptional Customer Service
Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The A.C.E.S. model of exceptional customer service is a simple pneumonic and diagnostic tool that will help you evaluate your company's ability to deliver service to the customer. Once you have your diagnosis, you then know where to apply corrective measures if needed.

A.C.E.S. helps employees focus on the three component parts of customer service. This model complements my 4 (and 7) laws of exceptional customer service.

The ACES model is a simple formula Attitude + Competence + Empowerment = (exceptional) Service

The first component, Attitude, contains the attitudes and beliefs that are required to provide excellent customer service. These include the basic imperative of providing service to others (as oppose to oneself), of improving the customer's condition, that problems are opportunities to excel, that positive energy and good humor are essential, and so on. The attitude factor can be assessed at macro and micro levels including: the corporate culture, the overall workforce, the general tendency of a given person, or the specific communications during an interaction.

The second component is Competence. A positive attitude is only a consolation prize when competence is low. Many decades ago I was a new waiter at an upscale restaurant. A patron asked me if there was mayonnaise in the Caesar salad dressing. I checked with the chef and was told there was no mayonnaise in the dressing. He ordered it and proceeded to have a tremendous allergic reaction. I had a great attitude, but I was less than fully competent. The dressing was made from scratch. No mayonnaise was added, but it was made with the same ingredients, eggs and oil! A competent food server would have known better. For that matter the chef should have known better as well.

Employee competence is largely derived from intimate knowledge with all aspects of the product and/or services being offered. I live in Pennsylvania where you can only buy wine in state-owned liquor stores. While it has gotten somewhat better in recent years, most sales people in these stores could not describe the difference between a Chardonnay and Ripple! I therefore do most of my wine shopping in another state.

In certain jobs, competence in the job also requires the ability to handle people. I was on a USAirways flight that was fully booked. A man a few rows behind was angrily attempting to jam his suitcase into the overhead bin. He was so aggressive, that it looked like he was going to destroy the door. The other passengers watching him began to look a little nervous. The flight attendant arrived and, in the most perfect tone of voice (combining humor and boundary setting) said, "Are you trying to break my airplane?" The man immediately stopped and allowed her to take care of his suitcase. Not wanting to miss an opportunity at friendly jousting with such an obviously talented person, I said, "Excuse me, but are your planes that easy to break?" She smiled and retorted, "Don't worry honey. They give us lots of duct tape. You can use duct tape for everything." (short pause) They even use it at the Miss America Pageant." Now THAT is competence in handling people.

On a more macro level, it is important that the systems and procedures of a company are competently designed to provide the exceptional service. Netflix is an example of an incredibly competent system for renting DVDs. You do not have to leave your house. They come in the mail they are returned in the mail. If there is any problem, you simply contact Netflix on-line and it is taken care of (at their expense). The system is designed so that the incentive to get the most for your money actually supports the efficient returning of the DVDs.

The final component of A.C.E.S. is Empowerment. Generally this is a structural issue within the company. Employees must be empowered in terms of proper training as well as actual power to solve problems. The main question to answer here is, in what ways are employees able to resolve problems on the spot so that the customer feels like his or her needs come first (Dr Bob's 2nd law of exceptional customer service). Any employee at the Ritz Carlton is empowered to spend up to $2500 to solve a guest's problems. The result is that a guest feels like he or she is a queen.

As shown in the diagram on the right, there three possible situations where a person or company has only one quality. There are three possible intersections of two qualities, and one point where all three qualities intersect. The single quality points are self-explanatory. So, I will not describe them here. At intersection 1 we have a good attitude plus competence, but not empowerment. Here an employee knows how to do something and has a great attitude, but somehow is not empowered to do it. This situation can exist when there is a poor manager in charge of competent, motivated people. It is often depicted in movies of the hero who wants to do it, can do it, but is prevented from doing it by the system. In real life, this is the situation we have all faced when a service person says, "You are completely right, this is not fair, but the computer system will not let me fix your problem for you." If it is a chronic problem, people in position 1 generally become demoralized. Another scenario is more personal. An employee may not be assertive (self-empowered) enough or willing to take an appropriate risk, even if he or she really does have the competence and authority to do so.

Position 2 is a situation where an employee has a great attitude and the system actually does empower him or her, but the employee is not sufficiently competent. My recent tech support call to Dell is a good example. The tech had a wonderfully pleasant attitude and was empowered with wealth of technical resources close at hand. But he could not fix my problem in a timely manner. In the end, it took 2 hours to solve a problem that a more competent person could have solved in 20 minutes . I have been a loyal customer of Dell largely because of their tech support, but their competence is deteriorating, and I am beginning to re-evaluate this position.

If the employee is new, it may just be a matter of training. If training has been supplied and the employee is not becoming more competent, it is most likely a poor fit with the job.

Position 3 is common with people who are often labeled as having low emotional intelligence. In fiction, this is often the crotchety engineer who can fix anything, just keep him away from other people. A person who is often in this position may not be the most appropriate person for customer service. This type of person may benefit from personal coaching to help shift his or her attitude about the importance of Attitude. When someone is stressed and having a "bad day" they are often in position 3 for a brief period of time.

On a macro level, position 3 describes a company that values competence and empowers its people to succeed, but does not value customer service enough for people to experience Exceptional Customer Service. Now many companies talk about the importance of customer service, but go no further than platitudes. A colleague of mine worked at a major metropolitan hospital. There were many signs around the building touting the importance of the patient and the how the hospital was committed to delivering the highest quality of service. Unfortunately this was often an empty promise. For instance, on the oncology unit the doctors were rarely forthright with patients. Nurses had to go around doctors' backs to communicate more openly with patients and family. There was little teamwork and so on. Hardly the state-of-the-art in care.

Finally only at position 4 do we really attain high quality customer service. On a personal level, each individual must empower themselves to cultivate a positive attitude of service and competence. Empowerment also means being willing to take a few judicious risks. The flight attendant I mentioned earlier demonstrated a personal use of all three dimensions.

At the macro level, position 4 describes an organization with a true cultural attitude of service-to-others. It often requires significant corporate courage to move into this level. It requires facing the truth about how the organization is not implementing important values. IT requires spending near term money for longer term goals. The organization makes sure its staff and systems have the competence to act on the attitude, and that people are actually empowered to use their competence. Furthermore, the interaction effect of the convergence of these factors is highly self-reinforcing. Working in such an environment cultivates an even more positive attitude. Employees are motivated from within. Company morale is high. Companies that inculcate and empower their employees usually raise the bar of competence to higher and higher levels. Companies that would be examples of this are Disney World Theme Parks, Costco, and Enterprise rental car (see my article on comparing and contrasting recent experiences with Enterprise and Sears)

If customer service levels are not at the desired goals, the A.C.E.S. analysis provides a rapid way to zero in on the problem. You can ask yourself, "Where am I on this chart most of the time?" Do I need to update my competence in something? Have i gotten so focused on making the sale to make money that I am no longer focusing on the customer relationship? Do I feel dis-empowered to provide great service. The manager or leader can ask, "Where is my sales force most of the time?" What has changed in the ACES model that accounts for the drop in customer service in the XYZ department? Is there a change in the market place so that people are no longer competent? Is there a new manager that is dis-empowering people? Did we have a huge turnover of people so that now 34% of the department has not had the company training? Do we talk about an attitude of taking excellent care of our customers, but fail to take excellent care of our employees so the corporate attitude of excellence of customer service is not manifested in its employment practices? Customer Service is not rocket science. But, it is not necessarily easy to execute at high levels. It takes courage and honesty to look at where you are. And, once you know where the problem is you are halfway to a solution.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Top 7 Tips To Create A Customer Service Culture Of Professionalism And Excellence
Monday, January 19, 2009

One would think with all the resources provided by technology that customer service would not be an issue in today's business world. At any given moment, there is survey after survey showing what customers want and the impact when customers don't receive what they want. With outsourcing being rampant, having an organizational culture where excellence is a habit seems to be a no brainer.

Common sense suggests that if I want to keep my job that is based upon a continual stream of customers then it would be extremely beneficial to deliver professional customer service. Unfortunately, customer service still appears to be a significant issue and millions, if not billions, of dollars are being lost on a daily basis because organizations and employees still don't get it. These 7 tips may help you to stem the tide and create a customer service culture where the goal of professionalism and excellence is achieved each and every business day.

1. Define Your Core Values
The Ritz Carlton had a simple core values statement that was shared by everyone: Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen. Whatever your core values are, they must begin at the top and cascade down throughout the entire organization.
2. Review and Reassess Internal Policies and Procedures
Many organizations set their people up to fail because the policies and procedures are not customer service friendly. For example, I recently returned a phone call to a manager of a national chain who left me his extension. I listened to the automated message and waited to hear the usual statement: If you know your party's 3 or 4 digit extension, please dial that at any time followed by the # sign. When the message wasn't heard, I hit the zero key and was told that it was not an appropriate key. I hung up and re-dialed. Then when prompted for "General Services," I hit the appropriate key and learned I was speaking to someone on the front desk. This automated procedure was not creating a customer service culture of professionalism.
3. Talk to Your External Customers
Many companies have now developed the habit of surveying customers using the Internet. Yet, communicating through technology doesn't allow for the organization to truly hear what is not being said. Remember what is seen is always heard before what is said. Take the time to conduct face to face interviews or at least telephone interviews. A good communicator can sense the tone and the nuances within the speech patterns of the person being interviewed.
4. Develop your Employees
Training is essential to performing any job. Yet, most people know how to answer the phone, but answering the phone consistently is really about development. When I called this hotel manager, 3 different individuals all of whom provided me with a different script greeted me. Knowing that consistency was a significant part of this hotel's training, I knew that only one of them had delivered the "trained" response. In speaking with the manager, he confirmed that all 3 were long time employees and should have spoken the same message. So the issue is not training or learning (the acquisition of knowledge), because the employees know what they need to say, but rather development or performance (the application of knowledge).
5. Align performance to quality criteria such as Baldrige
Just as the favorite cake from Aunt Emma or that delectable soup from your favorite restaurant, you know that every time you take a bite, you will receive exactly the same sense of utter enjoyment. Why? Because Aunt Emma or Chef Tony used the same proportions of quality food each and every time. To deviate from that recipe would spell disaster and create enormous disappointment for their favorite people.

The Baldrige criteria are one of the best predictors of organizational success. Employing such a criteria will help to create a customer service culture of professionalism.

6. Use Internal Customers Feedback
Checking with employees while they are employed and when they leave is a simple way to gauge what is happening within the company. Loyal internal customers or employees are what drive loyal external customers. Performance appraisals and exit interviews can be tremendous tools to elevate customer service.
7. Ask yourself "Would I Buy from My Company or Me?"
Finally, ask yourself this simple question: "Would I Buy from My Company or Me?" Do you find yourself going to other places to shop or eat? Why are you taking such action? Is it because of company policy, prices are too high, lines are too long? If you wouldn't buy from your company, then why should anyone else?

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Seven Ways To Make Your Customers Feel Important
Sunday, January 18, 2009

Two important pre-reading notes: Before you chose to read or not read this article, let make two things clear. Everyone has Customers. Even if you work in an internal staff department in a large firm, you have Customers. They are the people you provide work to. And second, don't be put off by the term Customer. Maybe you call them Clients, Students, Patients, or (heaven forbid!) Users. If one of those words works better for you, read that word every time you read Customer. Now that I have eliminated your reasons for not reading, please continue . . .

We can read lots of books and articles about Customer Service strategies and how to build processes that will serve Customers more successfully. All of these things are valuable, but if we put all of our focus on processes, systems, strategies and procedures we may lose track of something very important.

Customers are people first.

This means that each of your Customers, like everyone else, wants to feel important. It a universal truth - we all want that feeling, and will gravitate towards those that make us feel that way.

Hint: Having Customers gravitate towards you is a very good thing.

Here are seven ways that you as an individual, regardless of any corporate policies or systems, can make Customers feel more important, written from the Customer's perspective:

Please use my name. I know I may have a Customer or registration number and that I might need to give that to you. But I also know that once you put that number in the system, you know my name. Use it. If I hand you my credit card, now you know my name too. Please use it.

I want to be a part of the "in" crowd. That's why I like being invited into Frequent Flyer clubs, frequent buyer clubs or anything that provides me with discounts, special services, education or surprises. If you have this kind of club, invite me to join. If you don't have one yet, please think about starting one.

Ask me for my advice. I have an opinion, and if asked in the right way, at the right time, when I know you really care about the answer, I'll give you that advice. Opinion cards may be OK, but I would love to be asked personally. Give me the chance to tell you what I think, and I'll reward you with more of my business. I don't often get asked for my opinion and it feels good. And who knows, you might even get a great idea for a new product or service.

Acknowledge me. I know you are busy sometimes. I can see the line. I even understand that your system might be down, or that you have five people in the phone queue. I've been there, I work too. But when I call or come by, acknowledge that I am there and let me know you are glad I'm in the line. A smile and a hello, or a "We'll be with you shortly" will go a long way. Acknowledge me and I'll understand. Ignore me, and well, how do you feel when you've been ignored?

Surprise me. A little extra something with my order or a hand written note would be nice. A special discount "just because" or a free sample of dessert. It doesn't have to be a big thing, and it doesn't have to be every time. If you get a good surprise, do you want to share it with others? Me too.

Apologize. I hate it when people try to prove they were right, or don't mention that fact that the order is three days late, or the surcharge can't be removed, or the item is out of stock. But again, I know things do happen. When things do go wrong though, please give me a simple apology. Here's the funniest thing. When you make a mistake, and then apologize (perhaps even including a surprise of some sort) I'll love you more than ever. Apologies and good service recoveries are so rare that you can take my dissatisfaction and turn it into loyalty, if you will do this right.

Listen. Most all of the other things I've told you require you to listen. I can tell when you are really listening to me and that makes me feel very good – because true listening is rare, sometimes even at home. Listen to my concerns. Listen to my ideas. Listen to my order, so we don't have any misunderstandings. When you really listen, you can't believe how good that makes me feel.

All of us can do most of these things each day. When we do we will make our work more enjoyable, easier, and quite likely will begin creating legions of loyal Customers immediately.

And before you go, read these seven things again, with the voice of one of your Customers in your head, as a reminder of how you can make each of your Customers feel more important.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Praying Passenger Removed From Plane
Saturday, January 17, 2009

Although many people are known to pray before a flight, prayer by a Hasidic Jew resulted in his removal from a recent Air Canada Jazz flight from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to Newark, New Jersey, USA.

According to press reports, the man was reading from a prayer book and rocking back and forth in his seat. A flight attendant approached the man to tell him that his prayer was bothering other passengers. The man did not speak either English or French so he did not understand them. The plane aborted its takeoff and returned to the terminal where the man was removed from the plane. Air Canada Jazz allowed him to take another flight 90 minutes later.

A passenger seated nearby, Yves Faguy, said that the man's action didn't seem to bother anyone prior to the man being approached by the flight attendant who announced out loud the man was not a Muslim but would have to leave anyways.

The actions of the airline were a direct insult to the Muslim community, Middle-Easterners, and Jews. In her explanation of the situation, airline spokeswoman, Manon Stewart, further exasperated the situation by saying, "the crew had to act in the interest of the majority of passengers," indicating the airline was justified in removing the praying passenger.

According to Stewart the removal was a safety issue as the crew could not verify the passenger understood the safety regulations. His removal allowed for the airlines to secure a translator to communicate the safety regulations. Others point out that airlines do not normally verify that individuals understand the safety instructions, which are typically available in illustrated form for the hearing impaired or for those that may not be proficient in the language used by flight attendants.

Organizations need to be proactive relative to providing cultural training to their employees. Culturally trained employees know how to better relate to other employees and customers based on cultural norms. Therefore they are better equipped to handle delicate situations resulting from culture-based misunderstanding.

Many businesses fail to provide cultural training because of the time and financial investment required. However current training methods allow organizations to provide excellent training at minimal cost without a major disruption in employee schedules. The total cost to an organization is much less than the loss experienced by an organization that receives cultural backlash for insensitive customer treatment.

Stewart reports that Air Canada Jazz will be adding a cultural awareness module to their flight attendant training program to enhance awareness in the future.

Once employees understand regional, religious, generational, and other cultures they are better equipped to work harmoniously with other employees and customers making cultural training an outstanding value.

======

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Four Ways To Provide Customer Service On The Way Out
Friday, January 16, 2009

If your company is really about customer service, you do not want to stop providing service to customers just because they decide not to do business with you. Remember, many people visit more than once before they actually buy. Also, you will impress them by providing good service to them as they are leaving your business, and they are more likely to return and to refer you to others.

1. Be sure you have given them plenty of time to look around, and do not shadow them. When they decide not to buy, thank them for visiting your business and invite them to return. This is just simple courtesy, but it a good reminder.

2. Ask them if you can put them on your mailing or email list for future sales and discounts. If you ask their permission to stay in touch, they will appreciate the courtesy and the respect you show them. Also, you know that they are interested in what you have, because they came to your business. It just makes sense to find a way to follow up with them.

3. It is always a good idea to tell them you would appreciate knowing why they are leaving and whether their experience with your business was good or not. After they tell you the answer, ask them to tell you why it was good or bad and how it could be improved. You are showing them that their opinion and their satisfaction are important to you even though they are not making a purchase. No matter whether their response is positive or negative, always sincerely thank them for their answer and their time.

4. If you have any upcoming sales or promotion events, be sure to offer them a handout describing the event. A handout with a discount coupon is extremely effective and more likely to bring them back. If they are leaving because you do not have the item they are looking for, suggest some other places where that item may be available. Only suggest places that you know have good product and good service.

Part of good customer service is treating everyone who comes to your business with courtesy and respect. Show them that you appreciate the visit and they are important to you even though they did not make a purchase. Try to impress everyone every time with your commitment to customer service.

Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO Copyright 2006 Indigo Business Solutions. All rights reserved.

You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Faith And The No List Virus
Thursday, January 15, 2009

The No List Virus is spreading rapidly at retail store check out counters across the country. Common responses to customer questions by store clerks are a follow:

1. No, you can't use that coupon. It has expired.
2. No, that item is not on sale. I don't care what the store flyer says.
3. No, we don't carry that here.
4. No, we can't order it for you.
5. No, you can't order less than a pound.
6. No, the manager is not available.
7. No, you can't have 2 flavors of ice cream in the small cup.
8. No, I can't do that.
9. No, I won't do that.
10. No, you can't substitute one item for another.

My fellow Americans, I beseech you, is this any way to run a country? What ever happened to customer service? What ever happened to faith in our fellow man or woman? What ever happened to the Yes List? What ever happened to Gods commandments to be kind and caring?

Yes List items that have been excluded include:

1. Yes, I would love to carry your packages to the car.
2. Yes, I can help you find that.
3. Yes, I can sell you half a loaf.
4. Yes, we can order that in your size for you.
5. Yes, you can have 2 flavors of ice cream in the small cup.
6. Yes, The manager will be right with you.
7. Yes, you can substitute that item for the other one.
8. Yes, you can buy less than a pound.
9. Yes, you can use that coupon even though the expiration date was last week.
10. Yes, I will be happy to do that for you.

Corporate Gurus wake up. Where is your faith in your customers? Where is your customer service? How about making the world a friendlier place to live in? Where is your faith in God?

As you can see, I have been having some problems in retail stores lately, how about you? How about being a little kinder when it's your turn to say yes or no? How about having a little faith in your fellow man or woman? You do want to be considered a person of faith, don't you?

Please help us get rid of the No List Virus. How about a return to civility? The world may be watching. It's not just the overhead cameras in retail stores that you have to worry about, God may be watching too.

© Copyright Arthur Levine 2006
Please feel free to use this article as long as credit is given to my resource box.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Are Your Customers Confused
Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Does your website increase confusion or does it reduce confusion.

Remember confused people do not buy; they go looking for more information.

Your job is to give them that information, or at least enough information to give them the confidence to buy your product. You must convince your customers that your product will solve their problem.

You do this by providing factual, focused web content and web copy. What's the difference between web content and web copy?

Web copy is the sales pitch, while web content educates or entertains your customer. That doesn't mean that your web copy can't or shouldn't educate your customer, just that web content shouldn't be a pure sales pitch.

A great example of this is a white paper. A white paper provides your customers with the information to understand what is needed.

They need to understand how your product benefits them, how it solves their problem. Your white paper may even identify a problem they didn't know existed.

If your white paper has identified a need, your web copy can make an emotional appeal for the sale.

Another example of this is a targeted marketing article published on your website. Where a white paper may tackle a complete subject and take several pages, articles cover a specific piece of the subject.

Breaking the subject into segments allows you to fully exploit each angle of the story, keeping your customer's attention while doing so. Short focused articles are perfect for the short attention spans of our web patrons.

Some of the benefits of articles and white papers are:

• When posted online they can help drive traffic to your website.
• Help establish your expertise.
• Educate your customers.
• They keep on working long after you post them.

Say you have a white paper explaining how your product works and how it solved a problem for a previous customer. By the end of the paper the reader should be able to say "I have the same problem. If it worked for that person, it should work for me!"

The saying "People buy on emotion, and then justify with logic" is true. However, logic can be used to prime the emotional pump.

White papers and articles are great tools for this! Show them they have a problem, and then show them how to fix it.

Since you included a link to your landing page, the customer can go directly to your product without going to the home page.

You did include a link, didn't you?

How many times have you wanted to look at a product, but couldn't find it after you arrived at the company's home page.

Don't do this to your customers, take them where they need to go, and then ask for the sale. Yes, ask them for the sale!

Tell them what you want them to do, and they'll do it.

1. Use logic to identity a problem.
2. Then emotionally build on your customers' need for your product or service.
3. Finally, ask for the sale.

Get all of the sales you deserve!

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Be A Resource
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

What is one of the greatest ways to add value to your business? Nope, it's not giving away free merchandise, offering special discounts, or even creating a preferred customer club. One of the most valuable commodities that you can provide your customers is INFORMATION.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Think about it. In this society, we are faced with an overwhelming sense of information OVERLOAD. There is so much "junk" out there cluttering up the landscape that it can be hard to find the one bit of data that is really useful to you. How many times have you gone onto the internet or searched through the database at your local library for one very specific piece of information -- only to come up with hundreds or thousands of documents that are completely unrelated to the topic at hand? All of this informational garbage has become known as DATA SMOG, and it clutters up our heads as much as atmospheric smog clogs up our air.

WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?

As a business owner, this is where you can really be of service to your clients. It doesn't matter if you sell life insurance or organize people's offices or prepare wills -- you can be a valuable RESOURCE to your clients. Just listen the next time that you are talking with one of your customers -- you will recognize a lot of comments that indicate a NEED. When you hear things like, "I'm having a problem with…" or "I wish I could find a good…" or "I really could use some help with…" you are hearing an opportunity to help someone out.

WHY SHOULD I GET INVOLVED?

So what difference does it make if my client needs legal help or is looking for a good place to buy a used filing cabinet? That's not my business! Well, maybe not -- but you will immediately gain CREDIBILITY in your client's eyes. You are no longer seen as a mercenary business owner who is only interested in making the next sale. You are now a generous, caring person who goes out of his or her way to make sure all of your client's needs are taken care of. You have developed a rapport with your customers, and they will reward you with their LOYALTY -- as well as referrals to other potential clients. And it takes very little time or effort to locate a resource for your clients, as you will see a little later on.

GET TO KNOW YOUR CLIENTS

It's much easier to serve as a resource to your clients if you get to know them PERSONALLY. Ask about how their families are doing, what's happening in their businesses, and what new projects they've gotten involved in since the last time you spoke. The more you get your clients to open up, the more likely they are to mention a need that you can help them solve. And it's amazing how easy it is to get people to talk about THEMSELVES if you just ask -- it's most people's favorite subject!

MAKE NOTES

You might be thinking to yourself, "There's no way I can remember all of these 'needs' that each of my clients has!" And you are probably right -- unless you use some sort of a TRACKING SYSTEM for keeping notes about your customers. I always take a pad of paper with me to appointments for recording these "resource-related" to-do's. That way, when I get back to my office, I can respond quickly to my client's requests. Try to get into the habit of setting aside just a few minutes each day to take care of your "resource duties" -- just like you would do with making phone calls or returning e-mails or any other MARKETING activity. Because that's what this kind of customer care is -- marketing both you and your business.

SEARCH THE WEB

I find that, as a fairly computer-savvy individual, I have a talent that can benefit my less technically-inclined clients a great deal -- I know how and where to look for things on the INTERNET. When one of my clients mentions needing administrative help or a personal coach or even a good place to buy shelving, I can find an online resource for them quickly and easily. Rather than telling my customers, "I'm sure you can find this on the web," I send them an e-mail with LINKS to the appropriate sites. This not only helps my clients find the products and services they need, but I come out of it looking like a real hero.

DO YOU ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT CLIENT SUGGESTIONS?

It doesn't do any good to ask for a client's feedback if it's just going to get pitched into a file or left in your e-mail in-box. You actually have to move that idea into some form of ACTION -- clarify (or even change) your policies, implement a new follow-up program, offer specially-priced sale packages, make an addition to your marketing materials -- whatever it takes to keep your customer happy. And when you do follow-through with a bit of client feedback, be sure to send that customer a letter. Tell them how much you appreciated their opinions, and point out how you have put their suggestions into action. You will always come across as a hero.

CLIP AND SEND

I love flipping through a catalog, magazine, or newspaper and coming across something that I know a client of mine can use. I don't go out of my way to subscribe to tons of extra PERIODICALS -- I just keep an eye out for interesting subjects in my everyday reading. But if you have clients who always seem to need help in a specific area -- finances or technology or parenting -- you might consider getting a few additional SUBSCRIPTIONS (and count it as a business expense!) I've sent clients articles on everything from caring for elderly parents to creating a business plan, and I'm always clipping pages from catalogs that have new and interesting organizing products that meet a particular client's needs. It takes only a few minutes to tear a page out and pop it into an envelope, but the impression you make lasts forever!

MAKE CONNECTIONS

Finally, one of the easiest ways to serve as a resource for your clients is through NETWORKING. As you network, you will meet people in other fields who might be of use to your clients down the road. Remember, you never know what kinds of products and services your clients might require -- and the more people you get to know outside of your own industry, the more likely you are to say, "Hey, I know someone who does that!" when a client mentions a need. Nothing feels better than successfully connecting two people who can be of service to each other -- and in the process, you create two loyal sources of REFERRALS for your own business.

Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer and the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com -- a web-based one-stop shop offering everything that you need to get organized at home or at work. At OnlineOrganizing.com, you may get a referral to an organizer near you, shop for the latest organizing products, get tons of free tips, and even learn how to become a professional organizer or build your existing organizing business. And if you would like to read more articles about organizing your life or building your business, get a free subscription to the "Get Organized" and "Organized For A Living" newsletters. Please visit http://www.OnlineOrganizing.com or contact Ramona directly at ramona@onlineorganizing.com for more information.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

How To Get Customers
Monday, January 12, 2009

A satisfied customer brings ten more. This old law of business is often forgotten by business people to earn some quick buck. Many companies still believe in the policy of 'plunder with a tongue of honey'. Such companies are actually legal thugs and eventually earn the wrath of the customers. They publish juicy ads which make your tongue hungry with desire. Their marketing persons display all the charms they can just to hook you. Once you are hooked they don't leave a chance to make more and more money from you. A common customer always feels cheated with such tactics and starts hating the company. As soon as he gets an opportunity he wants to get away from the company. Some companies don't want to realise that dissatisfied customers are hitting them very hard. Seeds of future failure are being sown today. Such companies may succeed but only till there is a better and customer-friendly competitor. And to woo back the faith of a lost or angry customer is almost impossible.

UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER'S WISHES

It is true that a person generally ventures in business with an aim to earn money. When you invest a lot you expect a lot more in return. Businessmen never consider themselves social servants. They are in business to earn big money to meet their immense physical and psychological needs. But when your business is customer-oriented you must learn to have tight control over your wishes for money. Because a customer too has a wish of his own and if you don't satisfy it he won't like to shell money out of his picket. Then how will you be able to fulfil your dream of earning more and more. Concentrating too much on big profit may lead your business venture to breakdown. Your business can't afford the hatred of a customer. A customer neither knows nor wants to think about your wish. Instead he is obsessed with his own wishes. So never hurt the faith or the emotion of a customer with your greed.

GIVE MAXIMUM VALUE TO A CUSTOMER

Henceforward, forget your wishes and dreams and give top priority to the wishes of your customers. And you have got the secret of leadership in market. Make or sell a product that satisfies the emotional and physical needs of a customer. The customer will flock to you, and shower truckloads of money.

Every customer needs a good product. A product should not only have quality but it should also be wisely priced. A customer must be able to get maximum value out of it. Then comes the importance of service. If the service of a company is not good the customers hesitate to buy the products even if they are of super quality. Therefore a product must be customer-oriented in every way if it is to be sold successfully. In the jungle of business eventually only those persons survive who satisfy a customer like they satisfy their own hunger.

IMPRESSIVE BUT HONEST PUBLICITY

No one will argue with the fact that impressive publicity plays a good role in the sale of a product. The contents of an advertisement must be able to motivate a customer telling that he is getting a wonderful opportunity to get the best value for his hard-earned money. But advertisements aimed at fooling a customer prove very harmful in the long run. If a customer doesn't get promised value he definitely feels cheated and defame the company everywhere.

THREE STEPS TO DEAL WITH A TOUCH CCUSTOMER

To sell your product or service you need to be proficient in the art of convincing your prospective customers. You talk to them politely and help them change minds till they become inclined towards the thing you are selling. For a newcomer it seems a very difficult task and thus most of the persons like to opt for a comfortable office job. Marketing is really a challenging job in today's competitive atmosphere. It is also very remunerative.

The most difficult time for a salesperson is to convince someone who has already made his mind to buy a particular brand or thing. If a person has yet to decide you can sow the seed by highlighting the important features of your product or service. In brief you can easily make him willing to buy from you. Undecided customers also get interested in you once they get more information. But most of the salespersons want to know how to deal with a person who has already made up his mind, and constantly resists a sales talk.

1. Keep Patience

Many salespersons lose patience whenever they find a customer who has already made up his mind to buy a different product. Such customers often get irritated when they are pressurised with a sales pitch. At this moment a salesperson becomes hopeless and abandons his effort in the middle. If he ruthlessly tries he just ends up in severely antagonising a prospective customer. In this territory only those salespersons win who know how to keep their temperament cool under stressful situation. So the first step is to keep the hold of your patience.

2. Talk in his language

The second step is to understand the mind of a customer and talk in the language he likes. In marketing science it means talk on a subject he likes, appreciate his tastes, approve his decisions. Talk like a friend. If your customer is interested in cricket talk about it and admire his favourite cricket player. Admire his favourite movie star. Say a few words by appreciating his thinking and personality. As soon as you are able to create such rapport he will be able to respond in a positive manner. Now the ground of his mind is fertile and you can sow the seed of your idea.

3. What a Customer Wants

By acting according to the interests of your customer you are able to know what a prospective customer wants in a product. Then, as a final step, in casual manner (never press upon any thing) tell how your product or service is more valuable - cheaper, durable, of high quality whatever he needs. Slowly but surely the person will join you in your thinking as you have joined his. He will start showing his interest in your product. If a need arises be ready for a second, third or more visits.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Loyalty
Sunday, January 11, 2009

By nature loyalty is fleeting. It is built on the strength of the relationship between a customer and a business. Fill in the following blanks. My favourite drink is ……………… My favourite shirt colour is …………….. I would buy ………………… for a gift for my mother. I doubt if many of us would have the same three choices written down. We are spoiled for choice.

Some ways in which loyalty is derived

We, as customers, can make satisfactory purchases at a range of outlets. Sometimes we may gradually become fond of a particular brand. Maybe it is a clothing brand with styles that look good, feel comfortable and always seems to fit well. Brand loyalty is common for a variety of reasons that go beyond that just mentioned. It may be the prestige of wearing the label, driving the car or drinking the wine. It may also be associated with sporting teams, event memorabilia or club paraphernalia. These are strong loyalties but are not the only ones.

Customers change their mind and leave you

Do you still have the same favourite clothing label now as when you were a teenager; enjoy the same drink; even have the same partner? Few of us would answer 'yes' to all these. We change our mind; we change our priorities and we change our income. We change where, when, what, why and how we purchase goods and services because, as customers and consumers, we can, and do. As an online marketer, your shop is much more easily accessed by new customers and much, much more easily left by those same customers compared with our concrete-based brothers and sisters. Why? Because your customers and consumers have never met you, never grown to like you and so feel little guilt if they shift their loyalty to the shop next door (next click) where they can purchase exactly the same goods and services. Now they give their money to someone else and that is a bad thing.

Should I spend a lot of money to acquire and retain customers? How can we stop customers going next door? Many companies spend large portions of their budget trying to do exactly this. Do you have tens, even hundreds, of thousands of dollars to find out? Do you have even more money to fund loyalty programs, extensive giveaways or long term sales events? Can you match, dollar for dollar, advertising spend with international corporations? On this we finally have an area where we mostly agree. Microsoft, Apple, GEC, General Motors, Citibank and so on are probably able to spend a little more on customer acquisition and retention than we are. Is that a bad thing? Should we close our site, or forget about setting one up if we are just in the formative stages of building an online presence? Is competition from large corporations too great? They are sellers of goods and services just like we are. They have budgets to work within just like we do. They plan for success just as we should. In fact we find more similarities than differences, so we will ignore size, maturity, brand recognition and market penetration. These things do not happen overnight. We will start with our first customer, our first sale, rather than worry what 100, 1 000 or even 10 000 customers are doing. Then we will worry about customer 10, then 25 and so on, until we make a good income. And that is a good thing.

Approach with caution

We will explore the concept of loyalty some more. Why is it so important? Well, once we have our first customer inside and ready to buy, we do not want them moving next door to make purchases before we encourage our second customer into the store, do we? The more customers we keep, the more money we will have to spend on our favourite clothes, wine and car.

Thank you for your time.

WelcomeToTheMall.com is committed to online excellence. We hope you enjoy our series of articles. You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

About the Author:

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

How To Lose A Customer For Life
Friday, January 9, 2009

My friend told me about a local restaurant that serves a variety of Chinese dim sum dishes. He went there with five friends for a business lunch and ordered widely from the menu. Each dish featured six bite-sized items, one per person.

Most of the food was delicious, but one tofu dish did not measure up. All six diners popped the tofu into their mouths. Then all six turned up their noses at the taste. The tofu had gone rancid.

Tofu disintegrates pretty quickly in the mouth, so everyone swallowed hard and reached quickly for their drinks to wash away the taste. The waitress apologized right away and promised to tell the owner. Better-tasting dishes soon followed.

But when the bill was presented at the end of the meal, the tofu dish was still included! The waitress apologized again and referred to the restaurant owner. The owner appeared and defended the bill. 'But you ate the tofu,' he said, 'so we still have to charge you. If the tofu was no good, why did you eat all six pieces?' Despite their protests, the tofu remained on the bill.

And that was the last bill ever paid at that restaurant by any of the six lunchtime diners…or their families…or their friends…or their business associates.

Now, what should the owner have done? Provide free desserts or a round of free drinks for everyone at the table? Immediately remove the tofu from the bill? Apologize personally and thank the group for their valuable feedback? Promise to alert the chef immediately, and do so? Upon departure, give each of the six diners a business card from the restaurant with a hand-signed promise from the owner for 'Six delicious and fresh tofu dim sum…free anytime within the next two months'? All of the above?

This approach would help ensure that each diner returned in the near future, giving the restaurant – and the tofu – another chance. But no one eats just tofu. So there would be another round of lunchtime bills to pay by each diner…and their families…and their friends…and their business associates.

Key Learning Point
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Occasionally things do go sour. When it happens to you, fix the problem fast. Make it your speed, generosity and concern that gets remembered. Not the trouble, or the tofu.

Action Steps
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Develop a service recovery policy and display it with pride. Let your customers know: if something goes wrong, you will make it right.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Bad Customer Service Says We Do Not Need Your Business
Thursday, January 8, 2009

The opposite of good customer service is generally no customer service at all and this equates to many customers calling it bad customer service. But really the opposite of good customer service is indifference, that is to say treating the customer like they are not even there. You know some young gal talking to her friends on the phone while she rings you up, oh yah and have a nice day! Sure, I will do that indeed.

Bad customer service is when the business or employee literally goes out of their way to verbalize things. Such as NO, that is our policy, and we will not do business that way? It is basically the same as telling the customer; We do not want or need your business. Or like telling them where to go.

Indeed, it is without debate that bad customer service can ruin a business much faster than it takes to build it and an indifference to your customers only prolongs the inevitable death of your company. If you do not service your customers your competition will and if you send them away that is exactly where they will go next.

You need to train your employees to give good customer service to each and every individual customer and these employees must know that this is the minimum acceptable in your company. If you see your employees as indifferent to your customers or even worse giving them bad customer service you need to send your employees to your competition before they send your customers there. Please consider this in 2006.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Service Best Practices Referring Customers Properly And Professionally
Wednesday, January 7, 2009

When customers are referred to other members within an organization, they can feel frustrated and perhaps even become hostile if they feel they are getting the "run around". Read on for some great tips on handling the referral process so that your customer keeps on coming back.

If you deal at all with the public, it is probably a rare day when you don't have to refer a customer elsewhere for service. It may be that the person is in the wrong place, or the person is required to see several people in sequence and you are the first. Sometimes, the customer's issue needs to be dealt with by someone with a different authority level, such as a supervisor or manager.

It is a reality of business that some referring is necessary. Unfortunately, a common complaint on the part of members of the public is that they tend to be shuffled from person to person within the same company. On occasion one hears of situations where a person is moved from one person to another until he or she ends up back at the first person that was contacted.

Customers have come to expect this "shuffle of referral", but many times they prepare for it by behaving in a hostile manner towards you, even though, you may have never met. One common complaint that employees have is that when customers are referred to them, they are not given the information to appear informed and helpful to the customer. It can be embarrassing.

We are going to look at some ideas you can apply to help reduce customer frustration, and make the jobs of others a bit easier. Hopefully, others can do the same for you.

Tips

1. Do everything practical to ensure that the customer does not have to repeat his or her story to the next person.

2. When transferring a phone call to another staff member, make every effort to "fill in" that member about the particulars of the problem. Some phone systems allow conferencing, so you can have a brief 3-way conversation, to introduce the customer to the staff member.

3. Keep a list of names and phone numbers of other government employees to whom you might refer clients. You probably have a pretty good idea of the kinds of services your clients might need, so it is a good idea to learn a bit about who supplies those services. If possible, make personal contact with those people, and find out how they can help your customers.

4. Keep in mind that hostile customers may be best calmed down by referring to a supervisor. We know that people tend to behave less aggressively when they speak to a supervisor, regardless of level in the organization. However, you and your supervisor need to be clear when customers should be referred, and how they should be referred (e.g. number given, escorted to supervisor's office, supervisor calls customer, etc.)

5. Again, when referring to a supervisor, make sure the supervisor is aware of the problem, and the emotional state of the customer (hostile, angry, threatening, etc).

6. When referring to another member of your immediate organization, try to give some choices to the customer. For example, suggest that the person can take a seat for a moment, or offer to take the customer's phone number for a call back. Let the customer choose. It reduces hostility.

7. Before referring, make sure you understand the customer's situation and what he or she wants. A major error that employees make is to not listen well, or, not ask the right questions, and assume that a referral is in order. Good listening skills are important. If they are not applied, what can happen is that the customer is referred to the wrong place or person, resulting in frustration for everybody.

8. When referring, try to tell the person how long the wait will be, or what to expect. If there is a procedure to be followed, explain it if necessary. If the wait is longer than expected, make the effort to tell the customer (and apologize).

It is the little things that make the difference. Keep in mind that when referring you are trying to:

* reduce the need for the customer to repeat his or her story from the beginning,

* show the customer that you are making an effort to reduce his or her frustration,

* reduce waiting,

* appear knowledgeable by referring to the correct place the first time.

(c) 2005, Robert Bacal, Bacal & Associates. You are welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end) all links are made live, and this copyright notice and indication of authorship are included.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Provide Exceptional Value Grow Your Business
Monday, January 5, 2009

The primary objective of a business is to get and keep customers. Growing a profitable business requires providing exemplary customer service and products or services of exceptional value.

In the classic book, The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace D. Wattles writes that it is essential to provide customers with more in use value than you receive from them in cash value. Exactly what does that mean?

Imagine purchasing a training course contained on a set of CDs, and that its price is $1,200. Some would consider this rather expensive, especially if they are working with a small budget. The costs of copying a few CDs, and the packaging and shipping costs would not nearly be worth $1,200!

However, suppose you used the knowledge and resources contained in the course to generate several million dollars of income during your lifetime. In this case, you have obtained far more in use value than you paid in cash value. In fact, you might consider your purchase of $1,200 to be a real bargain.

The seller was not responsible for whether or not you would use the material. Nevertheless, he or she provided a product of extraordinary value.

This principle is easy to understand. It is also one of the most essential business practices in today's volatile economy. Just like you and me, our customers and clients are particular about how they spend their money. They deserve the most value possible for each dollar they spend.

Here is a little exercise that is fun to do, and provides some valuable insight. Think about all the companies you've done business with over the past year. Pretend you are holding a personal "Company of the Year Contest." Who would win, and why?

It would probably be the company whose product or service gave you far more in use value than you paid in cash value. It would be one whose product satisfied important wants or needs—one you enthusiastically told your friends about.

Consider also that both you and your winning company benefited when you made the purchase. By using this simple value principle, you and your customers will benefit beyond expectations.

You'll grow a profitable business because you'll get and keep more customers over time. They'll keep coming back and keep giving you referrals because they know you'll give them truly exceptional value!

© Copyright 2005 by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, motivational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Get the next issue by visiting http://www.AchieveEzine.com

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Service For Car Wash Equipment Manufacturers
Sunday, January 4, 2009

The show must go on as they say in show business and it is the same thing at a car wash. Those cars in line out front must be washed and these cars being dried off must be completed and moved out of the way for more. This assembly line cannot stop, as we are backing up traffic and cars are turning away due to the line. Oh no, the machine is on the Fritz. Now what? Quick emergency fix it, get the manual out and call the manufacturer while I trouble shoot this piece of; crap?

Well now you can see the need for Excellence in Customer Service from a Car Wash Equipment Manufacturer and without it the show cannot go on. It is the weekend all I get is the darn answering machine? Okay call the company who installed it and fast, we are upsetting customers. There goes our car wash customers and our customer service too.

The factory dealer is on another job and he will try to make it by 5 PM to fix it, he says he knows the problem at it will only take a few minutes to fix. But our car wash is in the middle of a $3500 day, we cannot simply tell all these customers that we are closed. Did he tell you what was wrong and how to fix it? No. Call him back. I can't his cell phone just went out of range? Oh great. Great customer service.

Customer Service for Car Wash Equipment Manufacturers is paramount and before you buy car wash equipment you will need to consider these truths. Will that equipment manufacturer be able to back up his products with service? After all if you are buying it you are the customer and there will be a day when you need great customer service.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

A Wellinformed Customer Is A
Saturday, January 3, 2009

When customers know what to do, how to do it, what to expect and why, they usually follow instructions.

When customers are uncertain about what, how or why, they will often hesitate in uncertainty and doubt.

This can be a major problem, especially when customer participation is essential to your success.

For example, medicines not taken on time will degrade the quality of a patient's recovery and healing. Automobiles with oil not changed will wear down before their time. Lawns not watered by owners after fresh fertilization will burn in the sun and die. Data backups not performed on time result in very angry customers when their hard drives unfortunately but inevitably crash.

Since customer performance and participation is so important (it's called compliance in medical terms), you'd think everyone would put more effort into educating customers about exactly what to do and motivating them to do it. Remarkably, this is often not the case.

Buy an inexpensive alarm clock and you'll get a 12-page user's manual on how to set the time, change the battery and work every feature of the alarm. But buy $96 worth of prescription drugs and you might get a little sticker on the bottle saying something cryptic like '1C 3X w/meals'.

A pharmacist will explain that '1C 3X w/meals' means 'Take 1 capsule, 3 times a day, with your meals.' A doctor may also advise if the medicine is best taken before or after your meals. (The cryptic code gives no clue.) They may even warn you of possible side effects and what you can do about them. (None of this useful information is found on the little sticker.)

How many people receive medication every day, but they are nervous or unwell when their doctor or pharmacist explains it to them? Back home they may forget what was said, and then they are left with only the little sticker reading '1C 3X w/meals'.

Under these circumstances, some patients will forget what to do, when to do it and why. They may feel uncertain and hesitate. In medical terms, they may not fully comply.

Consider the consequences for the doctor (an unwell patient), for the pharmacy (a dissatisfied customer), for the hospital (a complaint to be answered) and for the patient (a continued illness, discomfort or frustration). In short, a very bad situation.

How easily this could be avoided by making a better effort to inform, educate and motivate the customer! (Every company can find a way to do this better, including yours.)

For example:

The drug manufacturer could provide an easy-to-understand flyer or brochure with every medication. The doctor could create a simple list of what to take, what to expect and what to avoid. The pharmacy could design an attractive calendar to hang on the bathroom mirror or refrigerator door. The calendar could include space for you to 'check the boxes' and track your daily participation. The hospital could maintain a website with up-to-date information and helpful FAQs – and print the website address right on the bottle's little sticker.

A smart computer company could send out an e-mail once a day with a simple reminder: 'Back up your data now!' They could send another reminder at the end of the week with a checklist of costs in time and expense to recreate your data from scratch.

A lawn care company could provide a simple notepad with every page reminding you of the next time and date to water your fertilized lawn. They could add two photographs to keep you motivated: one lush, green and beautiful; the other dry, parched and pathetic.

A car maintenance company could put a bright sticker on the cap of your gas tank asking: 'Is it time to change your oil?' They might even include a note like this: 'Bring your auto in on time and save 10%.'

The bank could send you an e-mail one week before your term deposit matures or when your checking account approaches the minimum required balance. A link in the message could take you to the right web page where you can extend your deposit, increase your balance or transfer funds as required.

Key Learning Point
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Customer participation is a key to achieving high levels of loyalty and satisfaction. Earn this participation by giving your customers the information, education and motivation they need. Do it at the right time, in the right amount, at the right place and in the most engagingly effective manner. (Hint to pharmacists and doctors: a little sticker on the bottle isn't it.)

Action Steps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Improve the quantity, quality, consistency, frequency, accuracy and attractiveness of the information you provide to your customers this month.

Work on improving your handouts, flyers, e-mails, checklists, informative posters and brochures, stickers and decals, manuals, user guides, videos, web pages, guidelines and instructions.

Do a better job of telling customers what to do, bring, prepare, submit, copy, file, track, complete and expect. Tell them more about the time, steps, costs, input, output, problems, indicators and guarantors of success. Make them better informed, better educated and better motivated. In short, make them better customers.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

This Call Requires Someone Else Now What
Friday, January 2, 2009

Kumarie asked about a common service situation:

'Sometimes we handle calls on behalf of others when they are not around. Occasionally we can only help to a certain extent. If the query gets deeper than we can handle, we say "Sorry but I am only answering on behalf of so and so," or "I am covering the duty of someone else who is really the right person to help you."

'I'm afraid this message may sound bad to our customers who might think, "Are you saying I should stop asking you anything further? Should I wait for the person in charge to come back? Have you been wasting my time?"

'Your comments and advice, please.'

Great question, Kumarie! Here is my reply:

It is always good to offer help. It's also important to be honest if you are not the very best person to answer the question. When this is the case, tell your customer you will do everything you can to assist, and that you will forward their question to your colleague if necessary.

Throughout the call, take notes of all information given by your customer. If it becomes clear that you must refer them to someone else, explain honestly and calmly as follows:

'Mr. Customer, this question is now at a point where I want to be sure we get exactly the right answer for you. To do this properly, allow me to bring this matter to my colleague Ms. 123, who is the right person to help us resolve this matter and find the information you need.

'I have taken careful notes throughout our conversation and will share this information with Ms. 123 as soon as she returns. It will take me XX minutes/hours to review this with her, after which I will call you back personally, or make sure Ms. 123 calls you back with the information you need.

'In the meantime, let me give you the spelling of my name and direct phone line, so that you are able to easily call me again if you have any further questions.'

Note the following key points in my reply:

1. You retain primary responsibility for your caller's satisfaction. You are not passing the buck, dropping the ball or letting a customer fall through the cracks

2. You prepare your customer early for the possibility that you may be unable to complete the service required. You anticipate the need for referral to a colleague by a) explaining upfront that you will make every effort to help, b) letting the customer know there are others who will help if needed, and c) taking notes throughout the process to facilitate referral to your colleague if required.

3. You pride yourself in 'closing the loop' personally, either by calling back, or making sure someone else does, and by giving your personal contact information.

If you follow this carefully planned route, your customer's satisfaction will climb higher, even if you are unable to personally answer their question.

I hope this helps, and thank you again for asking.

Key Learning Point

Once customers make contact with someone inside your organization – like you – they count on you to help get the answers they need. If this requires that you refer your customer to another person or department, that's OK. Just do it in a way that lets your customer know that he or she did reach the right person the first time. And that person is...you.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

When The Customer Demands Quotgive A Discount Or Lose The Orderquot
Thursday, January 1, 2009

Periodically every sales person encounters the customer who refuses to buy unless they receive a discount. Sometimes this is driven by the organization's culture or the buyer wanting to look good to their boss and sometimes it is simply the mindset of the individual buyer them self. To some people price satisfaction and their perception of value, is not about the actual amount paid as much as it is their sense that they have negotiated the price down from a higher starting point, thereby obtaining a "better deal." A case in point is the retail consumer who will only buy items that are "on sale," even if the sale price is really no lower than the everyday price at a competitor.

Although not that common a practice in the western world, in some parts of the world this "bazaar haggling" mentality is almost universal among buyers. For companies that endeavor to enforce a published price list among their sales force, encountering a customer who "demands a discount or lose the sale" can leave the sales person and the company in a no-win position. The following is useful in arming your sales force to effectively counter such customer demands.

Our Pricing Commitment

We cannot discount the price of our products beyond the quantity discounts listed on our published price list for the following reasons.

1. Fairness to All of Our Customers – At ABC Company we believe in treating all of our customers equally. That means we do not play favorites or offer "special deals and pricing" to any customers. We believe it would be unfair to offer selected customers preferred pricing.

2. No Hassle – No Haggle – When you deal with us, you are always guaranteed the best price for your purchases, period! You don't have to be an expert negotiator and you do not need to lie awake nights wondering if you obtained the "best deal" for your organization. When you buy from ABC Company, you know that you have received the best price.

3. One Price Guarantee – With ABC Company, the first price we quote will always be our "best price." If you don't believe us, call around to any or all of the references we provided to you earlier. The price they received, based upon their specific configuration, quantity purchased, and unit prices effective on the date of their order, will be the same as the price at which we are selling to you.

4. We Sell Value, Not Price. Obtaining the lowest price does not always mean that you have obtained the Best Value. In fact, the contrary is too often true. If through your purchase you do not obtain the optimum results for your organization, then the price you paid, no matter how low, was NOT a good value. We believe ABC Company's products are the highest quality available and we offer them at competitive prices, resulting in you obtaining the Best Value, the first time and every time you order from us.

5. Everyday we continue to invest in our future and yours through product development. Our published prices reflect the costs of not only the product you receive, but also the support included with them, as well as product development. We continuously reinvest into on-going product development, in order to bring you more new and improved or cutting-edge technologies such as .... Without this constant reinvestment, we cannot continue to support you and your organization with the materials, technologies and systems you will need tomorrow.

6. Your Trust and Our Name – Since 19XX, we have endeavored to earn your trust. Today, ABC Company has an unparalleled reputation for being the premier provider of XYZ ... in the XYZ marketplace. We will not destroy that hard earned Trust and Reputation by offering lower prices to some of our customers than others. At ABC Company, every customer is a Preferred Customer.

7. Anti-Trust Legislation – The U.S. Sherman and Clayton Anti-Trust Acts are federal legislation designed to protect buyers in all marketplaces, including XYZ. These acts require that we offer the same pricing to all of our customers within the same class of trade. As with all laws and regulations, ABC Company expects all of its sales representatives to operate well within both the spirit and intent of the law.

Publishing this statement on your company's letterhead provides an excellent tool for your sales force to combat customer demands for price discounts.

Copyright 2005 by John Di Frances

John Di Frances is an internationally recognized organizational legacy expert and motivational speaker; http://www.difrances.com

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,