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•Seven Success Secrets to be Better at Everything
I have never met someone who didn’t want to be successful at something. It’s fair to say we all want to be successful. Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years that have helped me stay on track and move toward my dreams.
1. Do the Right Things Every Day.
The best way to accomplish anything is to put the power of action and time to work for you. Just like interest accruing on an investment, when you invest the right actions on a daily basis, you accomplish your goal much faster.
So,...
•What Do Customers Really Want Survey Reveals the Truth
It’s a question we should always ask and yet we often find so difficult to answer. How an organization handles this question (and the answers) will determine its ultimate success. Because if you consistently offer your customers what they want (at a price they feel is fair) you’ll have all the customers you can handle.
Recently, I surveyed about 2,000 people on this topic. They came from all over the USA (32 states). I asked them all this question:
When you are a customer, what do you...
•Amazing Customer Service Means Focusing on What Your Customer Wants Not What You Want
Too often I hear people give bad advice to others about how to talk with new potential clients. Rather than focus on what the customer is trying to accomplish now, they try to get their foot in the door for a long-term relationship with the company.
It’s like talking about marriage, kids and and the white picket fence before the other person has even committed to a first date.
I know why they do this. Part of it starts with good intentions. As a professional, you want to make sure your new...
•Customer Service Expert Offers 5 Steps to More Job Security
Remember, in tough times it’s even more important for companies to make their customers happy, so they keep coming back.
That’s the foundation of building your own job security. If you consistently make your customers happy they’ll help you have more job security by staying with you. Every smart manager knows one of the keys to a profitable and growing business is to have employees who keep customers coming back. You can be that person!
Here’s a five-step system to make it happen:
1. Serve...
•Forget Who Your Customers Are Focus on What They Want
It seems whenever we talk about finding and targeting our customers, we focus on who they are. Are they young, old or middle aged? Are they educated or not? Rich, poor or middle-class? Tall, short, skinny, chubby? Urban, rural, suburban or even ex-urban? (Ex-urban sounds like you divorced a suburb.)
Of course, these labels help us group our customers and find them. It’s the old “birds of a feather” concept. And to that end, this process can be useful.
But it can also be a problem.
If we...
•Four Things Airlines Or Any Company Can Do to Improve Customer Service
Poor customer service from airlines is legendary. It’s cliche. It’s so common that when we do get great service we feel like we’ve won the lottery, if only for a moment.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sure, airlines have big challenges that can be obstacles to providing great customer service. So do many other companies that find ways to provide remarkable service to their customers. They choose to overcome their challenges and they take care of their customers very well. And they do it...
•Six Steps to More Loyal Customers
We all know it’s important to have loyal customers. But do you know how important it is? A study by Bain & Company suggests that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can improve profitability by anywhere from 25% to 95%. It shows us there are big opportunities available for owners and managers who are willing to do what it takes to increase customer loyalty.
The good news is, it’s not hard. And you can do it with the people and resources you have right now. It takes time, effort and patience to...
•Six Step to Improve Customer Service Right Now
We get a lot of advice about how to deliver great customer service. Many of the tips are reminders of what we already know (but we occasionally forget). And these are useful. But sometimes, we need more than a reminder. Sometimes it’s helpful to have a system or, at least, some steps to follow.
Here is an easy yet valuable road-map I’ve taught in many of my customer service seminars. It’s easy to understand but it can be effective in keeping us on track so we consistently deliver what our...
•How to Handle Customer Complaints
Fifteen years ago I had a complaint at a very well known Italian restaurant in Minneapolis. I still remember how badly the employee responded to my concern. In fact, I’ve used it in my customer service seminars. It shows the power we all have to give our customers a memorable experience.
Here are some rules I teach in my seminars to help people handle customer complaints. If you and your staff follow these rules you can turn unhappy customers into loyal cheerleaders for your business.
1....
•Get More Customers by Sending the Right Message
I had a meeting at one of the newer hotel restaurants in my area. It’s a nice 4 star hotel - very well designed and decorated. If I were traveling I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there.
Approaching the hotel, it’s easy to see they spent a lot of money. And it’s an impressive place. As I entered the front door to the restaurant, I noticed a sign on the wall to the left of the door:
Smoking is prohibited in the hotel or on the grounds.
I looked around for an ashtray near the entrance and I saw...
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