Gaining customer loyalty is always a key achievement for any business since revenue comes mostly from repeat business. In fact, maintaining relations with a loyal customer costs five times less than attracting new ones. The information age plays favorably towards buyers since they can acquire product information easily from the Internet. This makes comparing brands a lot … [Read more...]
PR 101: Customer Service Counts
Interesting business conversations can crop up just about anywhere—if you're paying attention and know exactly how, and when, to jump in. Such was the case the other day, during an informal meeting with a potential client. Informal, because our entire meeting took place at the checkout counter of her specialty food market. I knew from the start, that there would be … [Read more...]
Laws of Attraction – Attracting the People You Want
What kind of people are you attracting? Are you attracting the kind of people you want to work with? Or the contractors you want working for you? When writing on your website, twitter, help wanted ads, whatever it may be; it's important to write for the people you want to read it. If you have everything written in very professional language with a very professional … [Read more...]
The view from the top
Let’s face it, we all went in to business because we were really good at something and thought we could do it better. A couple of years later, we have learned some new things and are a little less willing to listen to someone else’s advice. But what if that advice is coming from a client? I recently had a situation where some unwanted advice led to a deeper understanding of my … [Read more...]
How GenX Affects Your Business
I was doing something decidedly none business yesterday (replacing my dead dryer) and the sales representative that was helping me was glued to his IPAD. Now I applaud the store for the use of technology to create a more accurate account of inventory, but to run a business you actually have to talk to your customers! The sales representative was great; he was friendly and … [Read more...]
Verizon Are You Listening?
As of January 15th Verizon will start charging its customers a $2.00 convenience fee for paying their bills on-line via a credit card. Now as a Verizon customer myself for my home and business, let me address all the ways that this situation was mishandled and hopefully give a summary of how customers don't want to be treated. Don’t spring change on your … [Read more...]
Does Customer Experience Trump Price?
Guest post by Sarah Hedayati (learn more about Sarah at the end of this post) When you go into a business, what’s more important to you: price or the experience that takes place? While you may be thinking, “I lean toward experience, but it won’t matter if the price is beyond what I can afford.” There is a line that separates price from experience. In general, most people will … [Read more...]
Promises to Clients You Can’t Keep
Did you ever make a big promise you can’t keep? Oftentimes there is a disconnect separating what we commit to do and what we actually can deliver. And not delivering on a promise is far worse than never committing to do something in the first place. At a hotel this week I was offered 3 things at check in. It was midnight and I was tired, but I did answer the questions … [Read more...]
Why is it so darn easy to say NO?
Oftentimes, there is more risk in customer service when the answer to our concerns is “yes.” Can you help me? Will you make an exception and do this for me just this once? Could you look into this issue I’m having? Being helpful comes with a price, and the price is more work. But what if the tables were turned and the risk was actually in saying “no.” How much better would … [Read more...]
Are You a Problem Solver or a Problem Blamer?
I fly a decent amount and have had a lot of good and a lot of bad experiences with the airlines. The biggest issue I have with the airlines, especially my carrier of choice, is not that they make mistakes. I don’t expect any business to be perfect. At issue is how they deal with problems. Too often, their first reaction is to put the problem back with me. The protocol seems to … [Read more...]