Let’s continue down the path of better customer service. It’s not rocket science. It’s actually quite easy. It takes patience, some educating and perhaps a shift in the culture of your team. Take a page out of Zappos.com’s play manual, recognized for its over-the-top, outstanding customer service. No request is too small or too great. They will make every effort to satisfy the customer. Read up on them. It’s inspiring.
3. Go the extra mile. It’s not about asking, “Can I help you?” when a customer walks into your store. What’s the automatic answer to that question. “No, thank you. Just looking.” Give it some thought and come up with a welcome that’s different and more helpful. Try to elicit a “Yes” answer. And don’t just point to where a product is, take the customer there. Whether you’re on the phone or face-to-face, provide more assistance than is expected. When you do, it’ll be noticed. And that leads to more customers.
4. A promise is a promise. If you allow for exceptions, there will be more and more of them. Keep your word, making only promises that you can keep. Most customers are forgiving…within reason. Say what you mean, be where you say you’ll be, deliver on time, honor and fulfill obligations…in other words, be everything you’d like other businesses to be. And do it all with a smile. It’s contagious.
If you’re interested in a consultation or have questions, please email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com. If you have any comments, please write them below.
Every Saturday, I update my Recommended Reading list. New topics each week. I think you’ll find my suggestions thought-provoking, inspiring and educational.
If there’s one thing in business that we all appreciate, it’s great customer service. It can make such a tremendous impact on our perception of a company. Equally so, one terrible experience can end a business or a consumer relationship. Let’s explore some simple ways of making sure your customer service is always great!
1. Is the customer always right? Not exactly. But what I do recommend is the following: Listen to them. Everyone has their own perspective and you’ve got to respect that. Realize that you can’t please everyone all the time…but you can certainly give it a good effort. Consider how many times you’ve told a customer service representative your whole story only to find out they’re not the right person to be talking to or they weren’t really listening at all. Then you get to repeat it all over again…in hopes that this time your story won’t fall on deaf ears. Frustrating, wouldn’t you say? Bottom line…make an effort. Listen to your customers and try to resolve their problem as best you can.
2. Come on, answer the phone! Since the first automated telephone response system was created, customer service has gone down hill. I called my satellite radio company the other day and it took 20 minutes to get through the 1000 questions they had for me. Then at the 40 minute mark, I finally got a real person. At the 43 minute mark, we got disconnected! So what am I getting at?! Answer the phone!! Look, I understand that some companies are just too big to answer every call live…most companies aren’t. Set up call forwarding, if that helps. You know as well as I do, it’s such a relief when someone answers. Pride yourself on answering within a certain number of rings. If it’s after hours, then I suggest your recorded message promises a call back the next business day. It’s not too much to ask…and it will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for visiting my site. I trust you’ll love it. It’s updated daily, with lots of great life and business tools. Take a look at the my “Inspirational Quotes and Images,” and “Recommending Reading” pages as well.
First and foremost, I want to acknowledge those of you who have taken action and applied some of the ideas/tools I’ve suggested. I also want to thank those who have emailed me questions. Continue to be proactive about your business. Complacency has no part in a successful business.
1. ASK! I can’t stress this enough. We all know that if you don’t, it’s very unlikely someone is going to offer you a better price, deal or discount. So…ASK! Just treat people with respect and be friendly…and then ASK! And don’t forget about your vendors, clients, attorneys, insurance agents, accountants, everyone…ASK! You’ll be surprised how far it will get you…and how much money you’ll save.
4. If you’ve got a product or service that others want…and I trust you do…then you might be able to save money by bartering. If someone’s got what you want, and vice versa, this could be a win-win for you both.
I’ve offered quite a few tools to start saving money in your business. We’ve covered 
1. There are important banking and credit card decisions that can save you money…or make you some. If you actively use cards and run a balance, shop around for low interest rates. They really vary. Ask you’re existing accounts to lower your rate – if they have an existing promotion going on, they might just do it. You don’t have to be loyal to one bank. That’s old school. And if you are in the habit of taking cash advances, keep in mind that most banks charge 2-3% fee up front and then the interest starts immediately. Some banks offer 0% for 6 months. They’re out there, you just have to find them.
4. Now this one is very important…and a bit confusing…so bare with me. If you are paying a manufacturer or vendor for product upfront and then selling to various retailers, you’re going to be out of pocket for what might be quite a while. If you have ongoing contracts with retailers that take your products as soon as you get them, they’ll probably demand terms for payment. Net-30, Net-60. They’ll want to pay you 30-60 days after receipt of goods. This could mean you’re out the money for 2-3 months. Keep this in mind when negotiating and managing your cash flow. If not managed well, this can kill your business.
It’s been a few days, since my last entry, so I trust you spent some time evaluating your businesses. Are you doing what you need to do in order to save money in your business? Saving in one area will allow you to put that money to other areas…or put it in the bank for a rainy day. Let’s start today looking at Shipping.
1. U.S.P.S. The U.S. Postal Service offers a lot of great value if you know what you need and what to ask them. Check out the various box sizes they have that allow you to ship any weight, as long it fits in the box. They can help you clean up you mailing lists, getting you zip codes + four numbers, bar codes, bulk rates, etc. Their international expedited rates are very competitive as well, but they don’t track door-to-door, as FedEx, UPS, etc. do.
3. If you ship internationally, talk to a rep from each of the major carriers. They will compete for your business and, in my experience, will provide solutions you probably didn’t think of. They get you set up online, with the software and equipment you need.
Over the past week I’ve offer up some money saving solutions that I hope you’re seriously considering. We’ve covered 
1. One of the unavoidable expenses, and for a good reason – it’s necessary! So be prepared, but don’t over do it. Make sure you work with a trusted agent and buy only what you need – not too much and not too little. It will save you money in the long run. Knowing your business and what would be catastrophic is very important. Make sure you’re adequately protected. If something terrible happened, you don’t want to be out of business…permanently.
3. If you’re part of a business or trade association, look into whether or not they offer group insurance. Many do, and this could save you plenty.
