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October 20th, 2010Great TipsIt almost goes without saying that good customer service is essential to sustaining any business. No matter how wonderful a job you do of attracting new customers, you wont be profitable for long unless you have a solid customer retention strategy in place and in action. Its the actions that count not what you say youll do, or what the policy says. People will remember what you or your employees have done or not done.
One of the key components of an effective retention strategy is exceptional customer service. Not just good service, but memorable service. Today, consumers expectations are higher than ever and companies that fail to deliver, risk losing market share.
10 Tips for Delivering Good Customer Service.
1)Treat me like a somebody. Its been years since that Midas muffler commercial aired, but the Im a somebody phrase can still be heard from time to time. Why? Because regular customers expect (and deserve) to be remembered. As one woman summed it up, You dont need to remember my name, or what I order, but do acknowledge that Ive been there before.
One of the best examples Ive ever seen of this is at my local coffee shop. One day I noticed that the young man behind the counter greeted some people by name and, even if he didnt know their name, he knew what they usually ordered. As I waited for my tea (hed already placed my two milk on the side on the counter without me having said a word), I asked him why he said, See you later to some customers, See you tomorrow to others, yet always said, Have a good week to me. The smiling, friendly reply? Because you only come in on Mondays and Fridays. As I thanked him, I thought to myself, Wow. He wont be here long. Unfortunately, I was right.
2)Be polite! Too frequently company representatives ask customers for file information without saying Please or even being polite. It is not acceptable for a service rep to simply bark out, Account number? And it is never acceptable for a service rep to insult a client.
Six weeks ago there was a problem with my home internet account which is with a phone carrier I have used my entire life (and, as you know, this kind of loyalty to a phone company is almost unheard of these days). In all that time, I have never been late with a bill payment to them. There is a long and ugly story here, but the short version is that a) the problem was on their end and b) before they realized where things had gone wrong, their rep was extremely rude. When I asked him to please change the way in which he was addressing me, he snarled, Well whadya expect? If youd pay your bills on time you wouldnt have this problem.
I couldnt believe what I was hearing. In fact, if Id just read this account (instead of being on the receiving end), I wouldnt have believed the story. Whats worse is that although the company later apologized, their senior management seemed to feel that this was not an isolated incident.
A 2005 survey conducted by Schulich School of Business MBAs suggests that this kind of problem exists in over 30% of companies, and costs them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost customers (and revenues) each and every year. Dont let your company end up one of these statistics.
3)Thank your customers like you mean it. When your employees conclude a transaction, they should thank the customer with a smile and a sincere thank you for completed by whatever is appropriate for your business. Too often, customers received a rushed and barely civil Thanks-Have-a-nice-day-Next. With large purchases, the verbal greeting should be followed up with a hand-written card not just because it leads to increased referrals (which is does), but because it is the correct thing to do.
Oh, and by the way, the word Sure is no way to respond when a customer thanks you. To many people in many parts of the world, this is dismissive and suggests you dont care. The correct phrase is Youre welcome.
4) Appearances do count! According got two independent pieces or research, nearly 90% of customers form an impression about how competent and reputable your company is based on what they see when they walk trough your doors.
Preserve me from auto-attendant hell. Customers are becoming increasingly annoyed and frustrated with having to sift through a multitude of options and press numerous buttons only to be told that the desired service can only be obtained through the companys website. Worse is when the auto-attendant uses voice recognition but doesnt recognize your voice. People want to connect with human beings; they dont want to listen to a long list of prompts. For hints on how to use auto-attendants effectively, please read The top 5 new things people expect for good customer service on our ReallyGreatInfo.com webiste.
5)Do what you say you will… when you say you will. The expression Under promise, over deliver may have become somewhat hackneyed through over use, but is still germane. One of the quickest ways to lose customer confidence is to not follow-through, or to be late delivering a service or product, without notifying the customer in advance, determining whether or not the delay will impact the customer and providing an alternate solution in the interim if necessary.
One of the best examples I ever experienced of a company doing it well happened with Toyota. There was a problem with my RAV4 and Toyota couldnt repair it easily. I was driving a loaner, but had planned to go camping with my kids. It was our summer holiday and it had been planned for months. When Toyota couldnt repair my vehicle in time, they rented an SUV for us to use without me having to ask. I have since purchased another vehicle from this dealership and recommended it to 6 others who have purchased from them. Coincidence? I think not.
6)Surprise the customer from the time to time. When it is possible to provide an extra level of service, do so. Whether its an unexpected complimentary dessert in a restaurant, or an upgrade that has not been requested, these special gestures go a long way towards engendering customer loyalty and to winning you new customers. It has long been known that on average, a dissatisfied customer will tell 10 – 16 others, but people who have had an unexpectedly good experience also recount their stories.
7)Provide full service. When Successories sends out its framed prints, it includes the hooks and a small levelling device. Theres a remote control toy vendor near me who includes the batteries. My gas station dispenses free coffee with gas on weekday mornings. A drive-through drycleaner in northern Ontario opens early and hands you the morning paper with your order. Small things, yes. Greatly appreciated? No question.
I spoke to each of my local retailers and learned that in each case, their sales and profits have enjoyed double digits increases since they introduced more comprehensive service. Think about what you can add to help make things easier for your customers. In some cases, by looking at what else it makes sense to sell, you can even add a new revenue stream while improving the perceived level of customer service provided.
8)Mea Culpa. When you have made a mistake, admit it and set things straight. When customers have a complaint listen, truly listen. Then apologize and take corrective action. In many instances, the very act of listening (without interrupting) can be enough to diffuse the situation and make the person feel worthy as a customer. Then ask the customer how they would like you to resolve the situation. In most instances, your client will come up with something reasonable and often less costly than a solution you might have proposed.
9)Listen to your customers. Conduct your own surveys and get feedback on what they like and dont like – and take corrective action as required. Let customers know that their business is appreciated and that their opinions are important to you.
None of these suggestions takes a lot of time or money to implement, yet they can pay dividends in increased customer satisfaction and retention. The key, though, is to ensuring that employees understand the importance of their front-line role and get good training and supervision.
Tags: Attracting New Customers, Cl, Coffee Shop, Company Representatives, Consumers, Customer Retention Strategy, Exceptional Customer Service, Fridays, Friendly Reply, Good Customer Service, Great Customer Service, Job, Market Share, Memorable Service, Midas Muffler, Phrase, Risk, Service Rep, Tea, Young Man
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Tags: Attracting New Customers, Cl, Coffee Shop, Company Representatives, Consumers, Customer Retention Strategy, Exceptional Customer Service, Fridays, Friendly Reply, Good Customer Service, Great Customer Service, Job, Market Share, Memorable Service, Midas Muffler, Phrase, Risk, Service Rep, Tea, Young Man -
June 3rd, 2010DollarShareware was developed as a marketing tool, giving Bob Wallace who created the concept in the 1980’s an affordable way to offer PC-Write, a word processor he created, without all of the expense and hassle of conventional marketing.
Pro’s
There are unlimited Pro’s to Shareware Downloads and Programs, one such benefit being the true definition of try before buying option. With Shareware you are given a limited time to use the product and in most cases full version for a specified amount of time giving you plenty of opportunity to see if it is what you expected. Another Pro is to Shareware is the that there are multiple sites in which to find your download. When you first download the Shareware it is free of charge and in some cases you purchase a license for the product.Con’s
The fee’s for Shareware can range from a few dollars and up, so beware when you are choosing between different downloads and their companies. This is the major concern from consumers when they go to download these Programs.User ability
Shareware is considered extremely user friendly, with its ease of download and the vast amounts of places you can find them. All you need to know is what type of Program you are looking for and your favorite search engine. Just type in the Programs name or what it does and the word Shareware into your browser and you are all set for the super information highway, fondly known to some as The Shareware Internet to find multiple links of the program.Stability and Security
There have been a couple of Stability issues with Shareware, mainly referring to the fact that if you do not register your copy and thus paying the nominal fee associated with it then your program will no longer work. However this can obviously be avoided by simply purchasing it for the price you agreed upon when originally downloading it. The other stability issue is that though a few of Shareware Programs available are not the full version and do not have help features or a way to save your project during the trial period. This of course can be avoided by simply checking out the program before downloading it.The Security issue is the same with a vast amount of things you can download, one being that unless you are downloading from a reputable site such as Downloads 3000 you can end up with a virus. However once again if you take a moment to check out where and what you are downloading then this two can be avoided. However if you end up with something nasty in your download there are various Anti-Virus Programs available.
Summary and Rating
Shareware is considered the main alternative of allowing buyers a way to try a Shareware Program before buying it, going as far as only requiring an email address. Coining the phrase Share. A large part of Shareware is sold with a donation fee involved, though there are quite a few which are the standards try before you buy with time variations of 14 days to a month before you have to pay to keep the software.The overall rating to Shareware has to be a 9 and the only reason I am not giving it a 10 is the fact that although most Programs are available not all are. However with developer’s working daily that will soon change.
Tags: Amount Of Time, Benefit, Bob Wallace, Buying Option, Consumers, Dollar Shareware, Hassle, Information Highway, Limited Time, Marketing Tool, Program Stability, Search Engine, Shareware Downloads, Shareware Internet, Shareware Programs, Stability Issue, Stability Issues, True Definition, Word Processor, Word Shareware
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Tags: Amount Of Time, Benefit, Bob Wallace, Buying Option, Consumers, Dollar Shareware, Hassle, Information Highway, Limited Time, Marketing Tool, Program Stability, Search Engine, Shareware Downloads, Shareware Internet, Shareware Programs, Stability Issue, Stability Issues, True Definition, Word Processor, Word Shareware -
April 20th, 2010Debt HelpIn this day and age, it only takes a few financial missteps and many consumers can find themselves in trouble. The one factor that exacerbates this is debt, or, to be more precise, overwhelming debt.
For some consumers, getting out of debt simply means tightening the household budget and being more stringent on new purchases. For others, the challenge of getting out of debt can be more daunting. In either case, the best self-help plan for relieving debt is planning and discipline.
The first step to relieving debt is to find out where you are. Make an income list and an expense list. On the income statement, list all of your income. On the expense statement, list all of your current bills. Once this is complete, subtract the expenses from the income and you will have your disposable income. For some consumers, this may be a negative number, which means you are paying out more than you are bringing in.
In order to maintain a clean credit report and keep a high credit score it is imperative that you pay all of your bills on time. This is simple common sense, but what if you do not have enough money to pay all of your bills on time? What can you do?
When expenses outrun income you have two viable options. One is to increase your income; the other is to decrease the amount of cash needed to pay those bills.
There are many ways an individual or family can find fast cash by simply cutting back on what is spent per week on household items and living expenses. For example, rather than buying lunch during the work week, pack a lunch. Rather than going to the theater, rent a movie and watch it at home. You may find that getting a part time job for a while is a good way to increase your income. The key is to monitor your savings and protect those savings so that you have this cash available at the end of the month.
In order to decrease the amount of cash needed to pay your bills you may want to consider a consolidation loan on your credit cards. A consolidation loan allows you to bundle up several outstanding loans (all of which require an individual payment) and make one single payment, usually at a slightly lower interest rate. The total of the one payment under a consolidation loan is often substantially lower than the total of the multiple payments you were making before.
If you have any disposable income available for use after paying your bills, you may want to find the loan that has the lowest outstanding balance and begin making double payments on that one particular account. Once this account is paid, you can use the money that you would have been using to pay this account to help make additional payments on the next lowest balance account.
With some planning and discipline, you can begin to pay down your debt obligations and begin to see some real progress in your financial status. The important issues during your self-help in debt reduction are patience and diligence.
Tags: Common Sense, Consolidation Loan, Consumers, Credit Cards, Credit Report, Credit Score, Discipline, Disposable Income, Enough Money, Expense Statement, Getting Out Of Debt, Household Budget, Household Items, Income Statement, Living Expenses, Lunch, Part Time Job, Pay Bills, Viable Options
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Tags: Common Sense, Consolidation Loan, Consumers, Credit Cards, Credit Report, Credit Score, Discipline, Disposable Income, Enough Money, Expense Statement, Getting Out Of Debt, Household Budget, Household Items, Income Statement, Living Expenses, Lunch, Part Time Job, Pay Bills, Viable Options -
April 18th, 2010Debt HelpShould You Seek Professional Debt Consolidation Help When Considering A Debt Consolidation Loan?
When it comes to recounting the 21st century, one element that will play large is the fact that a very significant number of men and women found themselves dealing with financial problems of different types. Many people believed that they were buried under mountains of unrelenting debt. In fact, you may be one such person who is having trouble with his or her finances.
If this does sound like your situation, you may be considering obtaining a debt consolidation loan. Additionally, you may be wondering whether or not debt consolidation services can be an important additional tool for you in your efforts to pull yourself out from under a mountain of debt. Through this article, we will discuss some of the benefits associated with a deb consolidation loan and with a debt consolidation service.
Even if youve decided to obtain a debt consolidation loan, you need to understand that there might still be some benefits that you can realize through a debt consolidation service. Indeed, there are now debt consolidation services that work specifically with consumers in anticipation of making an application for a debt consolidation loan.
Debt consolidation services are perfect for a person like you who may have exhausted all other means of reigning in your debt without success. Obtaining debt consolidation services in tandem with considering a debt consolidation loan really are for people who are committed to resolving their financial problems and difficulties without having to resort to the awesome step of filing for bankruptcy.
There are many specific benefits associated with debt consolidation services obtained in conjunction with applying for a debt consolidation loan. For example, such a service can provide you with specific and explicit guidance about which of your debts you will want to bring together in a debt consolidation loan.
By utilizing a debt consolidation service together with a debt consolidation loan, you will be able to realize a marked financial savings. Moreover, you will be able to repair the damage to your credit history that has occurred because of your financial problems and difficulties. Repairing your financial history and credit score is a necessary and vital step towards ensuring a brighter financial future.
One of the important benefits associated with a debt consolidation service and a debt consolidation loan is convenience. A debt consolidation service utilized in conjunction with a debt consolidation loan will work to get creditors and debt collectors off your back once and for all — provided you make your debt consolidation loan payments in a timely manner.
By considering the information provided for you in this article, you will be in a more stable and steady position of determining whether or not a debt consolidation program and a debt consolidation loan used in tandem, used together, really are right for you. If you elect to utilize the services of a debt consolidation service, and if you elect to apply for and obtain a debt consolidation loan, you will be on your way to a brighter financial (and personal) future.
Tags: Anticipation, Conjunction, Consolidation Debt, Consumers, Deb Consolidation, Debt Consolidation Help, Debt Consolidation Loan, Debt Consolidation Service, Debt Consolidation Services, Debt Help, Debts, Element, Filing For Bankruptcy, Guidance, Loan Consolidation, Men And Women, Mountains, Success, Tandem, Tool
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Tags: Anticipation, Conjunction, Consolidation Debt, Consumers, Deb Consolidation, Debt Consolidation Help, Debt Consolidation Loan, Debt Consolidation Service, Debt Consolidation Services, Debt Help, Debts, Element, Filing For Bankruptcy, Guidance, Loan Consolidation, Men And Women, Mountains, Success, Tandem, Tool
