Three ways to improve customer service this week

A quick read with three very basic ideas on how you can improve your customer service this week.


1.  Ask your staff to submit "Attaboys" to their fellow workers who have shown tremendous customer service.  After you acquire, have a training meeting highlighting the workers and have them describe how they handled the situation.  You made them the stars and showed your team exactly how to serve the customers.

2.  Do a blind survey with 50 of your most recent customers.  From the results, pick one, no more than two areas, and improve on those areas.  Get your team involved -- it makes them feel better and your front line people will always have better ideas.  If they can't, you might need new front line people.

3.  Work the front line with your people.  You will see first hand what they do everyday and if they have the tools they need to serve your customers.

Email me at Steve Willoughby and let me know which one you did and how it worked for you.  Have a great week.

It really isn't that hard!

Last week, I was sitting in the lobby of a business waiting for my appointment.   There were three ladies working behind the desk.  I was impressed with their professionalism and hard work.  Then one of the ladies made a phone call to set up some activities for one of her clients.  The result of the phone call was disturbing.

The lady that she called could not help her.  In fact, she did not know the operating hours of the business.  Her answer  was we are open early in the morning to late in the evening.

The next day, we were looking for a business in Springfield.  I called the business to get their address.  The lady that I talked to -- didn't know it.  To her credit, she put me on hold and got the information.

Before I throw too many stones, I got to thinking, how easy do we make it for our team to help our customers.  When we take the steps to get our team the information they need, it helps our people super serve our customers.  Remember, sometimes we do need to sweat the small stuff.  Some suggestions.

Create a list of five questions that you think your people should know.

Ask them.

If they know them, great job.  If not, you better get to work.

One customer could equal thousands

If you knew that a national spokesperson was coming into your store are there some things that you would do differently?  You would probably:

1.  Make sure that they felt welcome.
2.  Make sure that the store was clean.
3.  Answer their questions completely and suggest sell.

Every client that you have may not be a national spokesperson.  But, they have a circle of influence and their positive recommendation would help your business grow.

So this week, treat all customers as a national spokesperson and see how your word of mouth advertising grows.   Have a great week.

The very basics

John Wooden passed away this past weekend at the age of 99.  Stories about his ability, charisma, grace, and humility are all over the media.

His insistence on the basics will always stand out to me.  Coach Wooden actually had his players practice putting on their socks and lacing up their shoes for comfort and best opportunity for excellent play.  What can we learn?

Coach Wooden didn't change during the streak.  I am sure that players thought it was crazy to actually practice putting on their shoes and socks.  However, that did not stop The Coach.  He had a system, he taught them why the system will give them the best chance to win.  I will leave you with a few questions.

1.  Do you have a system for your employees?
2.  If yes, do you actively monitor that process?
3.  If no, are you saying you don't care how your employees deal with your customers?

Something for you  to think about this week.

How are you going to wow your customers this week?

You have opened the doors, advertised, you are there early and you stay late.  Your business is extremely important to you.  So how are you going to wow your customers?  A lot of businesses set the bar pretty low -- some high, what about you?

Some ideas to wow your customers:


1.  Tell them how much you appreciate them.  Look them in the eye and say thanks.
2.  Do what you said that you would do -- under promise and over deliver.
3.  Follow up with them.
4.  Help your customers reach their goals and your goals will take care of themselves.


Make sure that you are taking care of the customers and they will take care of you.  Go have a great week.

Do you customers understand your price?

What type of customers are you trying to reach?

Some people will say, all of them. That is a mistake.

There are customers who only want the cheapest price. The problem with building your business on these people -- it is really easy for people to come in and steal them. All they have to do is be a dollar cheaper.

The old saying says if you want to live with the classes, sell to the masses.

I believe that the masses want value. If you can explain to the masses why your prices are what they are, they will buy what you are selling. I heard of a business who was three dollars more than one of the box stores on automotive service. The difference between what the independent does and the big box store does is no contest. But the independent has to communicate the difference.

Make sure your advertising communicates your price and what they get for the investment. Here are some tips.

1. Don't be afraid to attack the box store and explain why you are a little higher.  Never pick on the smaller business, but you can attack the big boys.
2. Have professionally produced collateral material explaining the difference.
3. Communicate with your customers in between the times that they need you.

If you want them to understand your price, you have to explain it to them. Good luck.

What side of the desk?

I make no bones about the fact that I am a salesperson. Salespeople are vital to businesses and our economy.

Conversely, I get embarrassed and mad when I see sales people using "tricks" to close sales. I remember a sales trainer who said not to call your customer on the day of the meeting to confirm it, because they may cancel it. Really? Seriously? If your meeting was that shaky, I would contend that you really did not have a meeting.

As trite as it may sound, sales is all about helping the customer. Find your customers wants, needs, and goals and help them achieve them. Find out what keeps your customer up at night and help them solve it. In a nutshell, that is what sales is all about.

When you do that, you are on the same side of the desk. You are looking out for their business, their desires, and their goals. When you are on the customers side of the desk, things are always better for your company.

This week, go get on the customers side of the desk.