How To Demand (And Receive!) Better Customer Service (26 Aug 2005)
Everyone has received poor customer service at one time or another. Whether by accident or on purpose, it's never pleasant and always frustrating.
Have you ever wondered what you could do about improving it?
Maybe you think there's n...
The Golf Test: Could Your Small Business Pass? (02 Nov 2005)
The game of golf looks easy. Just grab a club, put the ball up on the tee, and swing away. Easy!
Those of us who play the game would beg to differ.
All of us have at least seen someone swing a golf club before. But there are sever...
Customer Service Questions That Work: Did You Find What You Wanted? (13 Apr 2006)
I've always had a sweet tooth, so when the sugar substitute, Equal, came along, I was an early adopter.
Of course, the only problem with Equal is the price per packet, which I believe is about three times as expensive as the next well-known ...
Is It OK To Fire A Customer...? (21 Dec 2005)
Or is the customer always right? That's what you've always been
told. If you're in business, you know how ridiculous that
statement is. The customer isn't always right, the customer is
often wrong. Worse yet, you know it, he knows it, and he knows...
Train Your Customers To Be Your Restaurants Best Friend With A Frequent Diner Program (07 May 2006)
The History Of Frequent Diner And Customer Loyalty
Since the creation of restaurants, owners have always wanted and needed to know who their customers are and what they like to eat and drink. This information is vital to the...
The Guest is Not the Enemy (03 Aug 2005)
It sounds like a ridiculous statement. "The guest is not the enemy". Of course they aren't! But to many of us, the guest is the enemy. How quickly we can take that guest at the front desk and turn them into fire breathing dragons, monsters tha...
10 Reasons Why People Wont Buy A Second Product From You (01 Oct 2005)
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 provid...
Dont Worry, Bad Service Isnt Going Out of Style (17 Mar 2006)
When you're a customer service consultant and coach, it's just one of the standard nightmares you have.
Suddenly, every company in the world gets the message and they all start monitoring, measuring and managing their customer service effort...
10 Ways To Improve Your Customer Service (23 Feb 2006)
1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Offer
them a free e-zine subscription. Ask customers if they
want to be updated by e-mail when you make changes to
your Web site. After every sale, follow-up with the
customer to see if they ar...
4 Alternative Ways To Gain Lifetime Customers (20 Sep 2005)
You will always have more people that turn down
your offer than actually buy. They might not have
bought because of your price, payment options,
or any other possible reason. You will just end up
loosing all these potential lifetime customers.
How...
Small Talk = Big Sales + Customer Satisfaction (16 Nov 2005)
On my way home from the office, I decided to pick up a chicken dinner.
The woman who readied it for me asked, "How was your New Year's?"
"Pretty good, I replied."
She leaned over and confided in a whisper with a smile, "Mine SUCK...
Effective Listening Skills (13 Aug 2005)
Knowing customer wants and needs is a key part of providing a useful and successful business. Having effective listening skills is essential because if you aren't able to listen to your client then how can you be expected to know what they want or...
Types of Complaining Customers (12 Dec 2005)
You can't please everyone, though as a business your main purpose is to please as many customers as possible so that they keep returning. When customers are dissatisfied with the service you are providing they will be one of three kinds of complai...
Keeping Customers Loyal (06 Feb 2006)
It's a well-known fact that it costs many times more to acquire a new customer than to keep doing business with your existing ones. For this reason, the best way to become profitable is to have loyal customers who keep coming back again and again....
Customer Loyalty by Phone and Email (28 Aug 2005)
Calling your past clients on the phone to update your database is the perfect time to get their email address and let them know about any discounts, specials or new products you may be offering. Ask them if they would be interested in receiving a ...
10 Reasons To Turn Your Customer Service Into A Cross-Selling Platform (04 Nov 2005)
Cross-Selling is a great way to boost revenues and profits by gently persuading existing customers to purchase an additional product during service conversations.
There are ten really great reasons your CSR's should make an effort to cross-s...
Email or Snail Mail, Which Does Your Customer Prefer? (01 Jan 2006)
Give your customers a choice in how you correspond with them. Although email has received a lot of bad press, there's still no better or cheaper way to communicate. Ask your customers for their preference, would they rather receive updates, newsle...
Cross Selling Shouldnt Be Crass (12 Nov 2005)
The other night I phoned to activate a charge card, expecting it would take a minute or two, and I'd be on my way.
Instead, I was held hostage by a representative who immediately launched into a talk-a-thon about balance transfers and perhap...
One Bad Waiter Can Kill The Economy! (18 Oct 2005)
Whenever I speak out against lousy service I feel I'm performing my civic duty.
Unfortunately, all too many service providers think I'm a Johnny Damon, a team switcher, a traitor to the corporate cause. They wonder how can I be sincerely int...
Why The Extra Mile Never Has A Traffic Jam (09 Sep 2005)
We all hear anecdotal stories of horrible customer service. Sadly, many people have come to expect bad customer service as the norm today.
If you are starting a business in today's hyper competitive marketplace, you should realize this acce...
