Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Bobby Sager certainly are. And their incredible philanthropic endeavors are so ingrained in their public identities, that these millionaires are just as famous for their humanitarian work as they are for their business ventures.
So how can you help the world?
Well the best place to start is in your community. While most businesses don’t have millions to spare like Harpo Studios and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, there are still many opportunities to help others and the environment. Listed below are a few steps that you can take to accept civic responsibility and become more involved in your community.
1. Identify a cause that really speaks to your organization, and compliments your core goals.
2. Decide on a budget and determine all of your available resources.
3. Conduct research and find out if there are any existing programs that your organization can participate in.
4. Commit to a program or an activity that allows your organization to make a positive difference in your community.
5. Celebrate your efforts and look for opportunities to share your success stories with the public.
Establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with any community requires dedication and some skill. Therefore, it can be helpful to work with a community or public relations specialist that has experience connecting organizations with local communities in a meaningful and visible way.
For more information about how to foster good will, increase your community involvement, and build a favorable public image, attend the next CAMA event on 7/15. Read below for details.
Keri Glover is a freelance marketing communications professional who lives in the Charlotte area.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Charlotte AMA July 2009 event
Charlotte AMA July event: July 15, 2009 at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille
‘Cause It’s the Right Thing to Do: Cause marketing; it’s good for your business, good for the community
Learn how businesses are increasingly leveraging cause marketing as a powerful outreach and sales tool.
Register now
Cause marketing has become a “game changing” marketing tool for professionals looking to gain a competitive edge. A 2004 Cone Institute study found that 86 percent of Americans would change their buying habits if a company is associated with a good cause. It also showed that a cause / community affiliation impacted other decisions – when doing business (85%), where to work (81%) and products and services they would recommend (74%).
Learn best practices in cause marketing from our distinguished panel, hosted by Cecilly Durrett of In The Public Interest.
When:
Where:
Pricing:
Online Registration
‘Cause It’s the Right Thing to Do: Cause marketing; it’s good for your business, good for the community
Learn how businesses are increasingly leveraging cause marketing as a powerful outreach and sales tool.
Register now
Cause marketing has become a “game changing” marketing tool for professionals looking to gain a competitive edge. A 2004 Cone Institute study found that 86 percent of Americans would change their buying habits if a company is associated with a good cause. It also showed that a cause / community affiliation impacted other decisions – when doing business (85%), where to work (81%) and products and services they would recommend (74%).
Learn best practices in cause marketing from our distinguished panel, hosted by Cecilly Durrett of In The Public Interest.
When:
- Wednesday, July 15, 2009
- 5:30 p.m.: Networking, Appetizer Buffet and Cocktails
- 6:30 p.m.: Program
Where:
- Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, 911 East Morehead St., Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28204
Pricing:
- $20 AMA members/students pre-registered and paid online
- $28 Affiliate members paid online
- $35 Non-members pre-registered and paid on line
- Seating is limited. Walk-in registration on a space available basis for $35.
Online Registration
- Register online by Tuesday, July 7 at 6 p.m., at: http://www.charlotteama.com/register/20090715_meeting/
- Pre-register now to have a guaranteed seat, express check-in, and pre-printed name badge.
Monday, June 22, 2009
One Door Closes ....
By Ken Caputo
It’s an all too familiar story. The person who puts everything but everything into the job. The long hours… The missed social engagements…. Putting so much of all the other parts of their lives on hold.
I recently met a lady who fits the profile. She’s at the very top of her game. Held a prestigious position at one of the area’s premiere financial powerhouses.
Then the economy went south and the axe cut deep. All the hours… All the sacrifices… When it came down to it -- they meant nothing. The bean counters in some isolated part of the organization decided their shining star needed to be let loose.
Shock. Disbelieve. Then the effort to get back into the rat race. Almost immediately she poured all her energies into re-connecting with corporate America.
Only, some things changed. She took some time to take inventory who she was and what she wanted. She took stock of the way she was leading her life and came to the conclusion that something was out of balance. Out of whack.
In her quest to move higher in the corporation she concluded she gave more of herself to her job and the company. And everything else suffered. Mind you, this lady is gentle, highly ethical and extremely talented. She stabbed no one to reach the pinnacle. But, somewhere along the way she stopped smelling the roses….
The door closed on her and opened up a whole world of new possibilities. Her hunt for meaningful work lasted less than a half a year – record time in this crapola economy.
And the new company she’s joining? In interviewing with the CEO he stressed how his company respected the individual and actively encourages every employee to lead a balanced life. Of course this was music to her ears. After finding herself she now believes she found the place she never knew existed.
Ken Caputo is a marketing professional who relocated his family to the Greater Charlotte area from Central New Jersey a little over a year ago. He is currently consulting with Cristina Cassidy Productions of Charlotte, NC on a number of exciting projects.
Ken and Cristina are currently working on a series of videos exploring the world of the Greater Charlotte job seekers and emerging support groups. Look for it on the Web soon.
It’s an all too familiar story. The person who puts everything but everything into the job. The long hours… The missed social engagements…. Putting so much of all the other parts of their lives on hold.
I recently met a lady who fits the profile. She’s at the very top of her game. Held a prestigious position at one of the area’s premiere financial powerhouses.
Then the economy went south and the axe cut deep. All the hours… All the sacrifices… When it came down to it -- they meant nothing. The bean counters in some isolated part of the organization decided their shining star needed to be let loose.
Shock. Disbelieve. Then the effort to get back into the rat race. Almost immediately she poured all her energies into re-connecting with corporate America.
Only, some things changed. She took some time to take inventory who she was and what she wanted. She took stock of the way she was leading her life and came to the conclusion that something was out of balance. Out of whack.
In her quest to move higher in the corporation she concluded she gave more of herself to her job and the company. And everything else suffered. Mind you, this lady is gentle, highly ethical and extremely talented. She stabbed no one to reach the pinnacle. But, somewhere along the way she stopped smelling the roses….
The door closed on her and opened up a whole world of new possibilities. Her hunt for meaningful work lasted less than a half a year – record time in this crapola economy.
And the new company she’s joining? In interviewing with the CEO he stressed how his company respected the individual and actively encourages every employee to lead a balanced life. Of course this was music to her ears. After finding herself she now believes she found the place she never knew existed.
Ken Caputo is a marketing professional who relocated his family to the Greater Charlotte area from Central New Jersey a little over a year ago. He is currently consulting with Cristina Cassidy Productions of Charlotte, NC on a number of exciting projects.
Ken and Cristina are currently working on a series of videos exploring the world of the Greater Charlotte job seekers and emerging support groups. Look for it on the Web soon.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Where to Start Social Media Marketing
“Where do I start social media marketing?” That might be the biggest question that appealed so many markers to the Charlotte AMA June’s meeting as the topic is about Facebook. When Mark Zuckerberg found the Facebook as an online community to connect college friends five years ago, he probably didn’t expect this website would become a widely used tool to market various products.
I got a chance to chat with several people in the CAMA meeting and found that everyone was using at least one social media site and they all understood the vital role social media may play in the future marketing activities. Most people, however, still haven’t figured out where to start the first step. Markers are still observing various online communities, collecting trendy knowledge and searching for best practices they may apply to their own companies.
Why not stopping your research and start learning best tactics from your own experiments? Here are some tips to help you kick off your social media marketing programs:
Step 1:
Opening an account in social media for your company will cost no more than 10 minutes and especially there is no expense needed. Some people may think that sounds so easy. So they fill out the application form, post their companies’ logos and some basic information. Done! But, is that enough?
Don't wait for customers coming to knock your door. You need to proactively send social media invitations to them. The easiest way is to include a social media invite in your email newsletter or on the company website’s home page, such as “Fan Us on Facebook” or “Follow Us on Twitter.”
Step 2:
Imagine an interested customer links to your social community from your website but finds almost no content there. Will the customer still be interested in joining? To start your social media marketing, there might be no money directly needed from your pocket, such as costly ads or professional copywriting. But your company needs an administrator to regularly manage your community. There are a bunch of things the administrator can do, for instance, writing blogs, posting messages and photos, organizing discussion boards, conducting polls, etc.
No matter what you do, the main purpose is not to talk about yourself, but to stimulate conversations among your community members. Never forget the social media world is about person-to-person activity. You are not speaking as “the company”, but as a person. Don’t be afraid to add any content that may benefit your customers.
And then, be a good listener. Keep your ears open to any feedback, comment or suggestion on your product. You can also write a blog with questions or create a discussion topic to hear more voices. Other company staff can also engage in conversations with customers in all aspects. It’s like building up a bridge from one individual to another. Customers will be more open to speak up as they don't consider talking to a company but to people.
Step 3:
Be creative! The social media workplace gives you infinite capabilities and no boundaries to market your brand and products. You can post company news, announce product launch, organize events, and provide special offer or coupons to community members.
By adding the vanity URL to each marketing message, your Web analytics expert will be able to track the page views, visitors from your social community and analyze the user behavior by looking at the path they visited on your website. All the information will be useful to create more effective message in your next marketing campaign.
Nevertheless, it’s relatively hard to really measure the effectiveness of social media since its ultimate power is “word of mouth.” For example, if one person becomes a fan of your brand or RSVP your event (real or virtual), all the status will be displayed in this person’s home page and be seen by his or her 200 friends on Facebook. Maybe ten friends followed this person by doing the same thing and the information will be passed to their friends too. Think about the math if the activities continue to happen. That’s how your brand message to be spread out. That’s how companies like Coca-cola have had more than 3 million fans on Facebook.
Is your business struggling to find new opportunities? It is the time to stop looking around but to take some actions. Don't wait until you hear your competitors have gained tons of traffic and numerous quality leads from the social media marketing. Sometimes it’s good to hear more best practices from different companies but it will be more significant to find your own successful stories from the ground work. Good luck!
I got a chance to chat with several people in the CAMA meeting and found that everyone was using at least one social media site and they all understood the vital role social media may play in the future marketing activities. Most people, however, still haven’t figured out where to start the first step. Markers are still observing various online communities, collecting trendy knowledge and searching for best practices they may apply to their own companies.
Why not stopping your research and start learning best tactics from your own experiments? Here are some tips to help you kick off your social media marketing programs:
Step 1:
Opening an account in social media for your company will cost no more than 10 minutes and especially there is no expense needed. Some people may think that sounds so easy. So they fill out the application form, post their companies’ logos and some basic information. Done! But, is that enough?
Don't wait for customers coming to knock your door. You need to proactively send social media invitations to them. The easiest way is to include a social media invite in your email newsletter or on the company website’s home page, such as “Fan Us on Facebook” or “Follow Us on Twitter.”
Step 2:
Imagine an interested customer links to your social community from your website but finds almost no content there. Will the customer still be interested in joining? To start your social media marketing, there might be no money directly needed from your pocket, such as costly ads or professional copywriting. But your company needs an administrator to regularly manage your community. There are a bunch of things the administrator can do, for instance, writing blogs, posting messages and photos, organizing discussion boards, conducting polls, etc.
No matter what you do, the main purpose is not to talk about yourself, but to stimulate conversations among your community members. Never forget the social media world is about person-to-person activity. You are not speaking as “the company”, but as a person. Don’t be afraid to add any content that may benefit your customers.
And then, be a good listener. Keep your ears open to any feedback, comment or suggestion on your product. You can also write a blog with questions or create a discussion topic to hear more voices. Other company staff can also engage in conversations with customers in all aspects. It’s like building up a bridge from one individual to another. Customers will be more open to speak up as they don't consider talking to a company but to people.
Step 3:
Be creative! The social media workplace gives you infinite capabilities and no boundaries to market your brand and products. You can post company news, announce product launch, organize events, and provide special offer or coupons to community members.
By adding the vanity URL to each marketing message, your Web analytics expert will be able to track the page views, visitors from your social community and analyze the user behavior by looking at the path they visited on your website. All the information will be useful to create more effective message in your next marketing campaign.
Nevertheless, it’s relatively hard to really measure the effectiveness of social media since its ultimate power is “word of mouth.” For example, if one person becomes a fan of your brand or RSVP your event (real or virtual), all the status will be displayed in this person’s home page and be seen by his or her 200 friends on Facebook. Maybe ten friends followed this person by doing the same thing and the information will be passed to their friends too. Think about the math if the activities continue to happen. That’s how your brand message to be spread out. That’s how companies like Coca-cola have had more than 3 million fans on Facebook.
Is your business struggling to find new opportunities? It is the time to stop looking around but to take some actions. Don't wait until you hear your competitors have gained tons of traffic and numerous quality leads from the social media marketing. Sometimes it’s good to hear more best practices from different companies but it will be more significant to find your own successful stories from the ground work. Good luck!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Stop Eating Worms!
The signs are there if you look very close. The economy is waking up … a bit. We’re not out of the woods by no means. Yet, those joining the ranks of the jobless are a tad fewer. Hiring is starting to pick up.
And if you drive around the Greater Charlotte area you’ll note more “SOLD” signs on the lawns throughout many neighborhoods. The economy -- it’s slowly coming back. But no doubt it will be a long, long struggle.
And not all the jobs will return. At least not in the form we might know. The American auto industry, for example, is a wild card. No one is quite sure how it will emerge from the end of their hellish tunnel. We’re all praying it will be more robust and competitive.
An earlier blog talked about the importance of reinventing yourself. Now I encourage you not to submit to the temptation of throwing up your arms, sitting back and eating worms regarding your situation. Latch on to the glimmers of hope in our economy and take courage with the signs of an American renewal that appears to be developing.
Now’s not the time to lose heart. With spring comes hope. And it is your time to embrace the new day before you. Sure, easy to say, but I’ve been there and will say that allowing the eating of worms to take over does nothing but set you back in the awesome task before you.
So, vow right now to renew your commitment to yourself and your family. A new job or new way of making a living might be right around the corner. Do yourself a favor. Leave the worms for the birds and get back in the game!
(Incidentally, if you’re reading this and are interested please check out the LinkedIn Group I started - “Job Seekers-Charlotte Metro Area”. I welcome you to join and get involved.)
Ken Caputo is a marketing professional who relocated his family to the Greater Charlotte area from Central New Jersey a little over a year ago. He is currently consulting with Cristina Cassidy Video Productions of Charlotte, NC on a number of exciting projects.
One of his first official acts upon moving down was to join and get involved in the Charlotte Chapter of the American Marketing Association. He’s delighted he did.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Reinventing Yourself
Maybe you’ve been out of work for a while. Or, perhaps you just received your first unemployment check. Find yourself somewhere in between? Whatever the case, you have joined the ranks of millions of Americans who are out of work and struggling.
The jobless rate is frightening. For those who thought the Charlotte area might be spared the full brunt of the economic turndown, think again. We’re now in the double digit “u” zone and longing for the rebound.
This blog will be a little different. It won’t be about all the techniques now being used to land a job. You’re getting more savvy. You know a lot already. Instead, we’ll examine the impact the loss of job has on you, your family and loved ones.
By now you know I’m one of you. I came down to the beautiful Carolinas thinking I’d be able to zip right into a decent job. It hasn’t happened --- yet. But I’m still hanging in there.
And after a while you find that you cope with it a little better. The support of family and friends can’t be underscored enough. As a matter of fact you need to reach out to virtually anyone who’s breathing. Maybe not necessarily to put on the bite to someone for a job but rather to let them know who you are and what you are looking for.
And because things are so upside down right now you need to take this time to look within yourself and decide what you want to do next. It’s really a time to consider everything. Do you stay in the same field? Same profession? Same industry?
Is this the time to try to go out on your own? Keep in mind that in the depths of the ‘70s recession Bill Gates and his merry little band of now rich geeks as well as Steve Jobs and the future Applets were busy in their garages getting ready to hoist onto the world a whole new way of life. Do you have that great idea that might put you in the same league? Ya never know…..
The point is this is a time when you can sit back and eat worms about your situation. Or, you can decide to really challenge yourself and take stock of who you really are. Or really want to be.
While getting out there and networking, many job gurus talk about dedicating some time to do some volunteer work. That’s a great idea! No pressure and you can try utilizing some interests that maybe you’ve never had the time nor inclination to try.
Pick up a hammer and help construct a home for someone truly needy. Offer to serve on your local school board or municipality.Get your mind off The Hunt - at least for a short period of time while you are helping others. Personally, I’ve taken advantage of the opportunity to be appointed to a committee in the town of Fort Mill interested in maintaining the quality of the local water.
Take time to get out of your house, move away from the PC for a while and try to discover what you want to do for the next chapter of your life. In these unprecedented times you may need to cobble together a few opportunities to regain or approach the kind of money you used to make. Whatever it takes….
Certainly everyone’s situation is unique. One has to do what one has to do. I’m just encouraging you to make some lemonade out of the lemons that have been thrown your way recently.
Make the years ahead your best and most rewarding in all aspects!
(Incidentally, if you’re reading this and are interested in the “Job Seekers-Charlotte Metro Area” LinkedIn Group, I welcome you to join.)
Ken Caputo is a marketing professional who relocated his family to the Greater Charlotte area from Central New Jersey a little over a year ago. He is currently consulting with Cristina Cassidy Video Productions of Charlotte, NC on a number of exciting projects.
One of his first official acts upon moving down was to join and get involved in the Charlotte Chapter of the American Marketing Association. He’s delighted he did.
The jobless rate is frightening. For those who thought the Charlotte area might be spared the full brunt of the economic turndown, think again. We’re now in the double digit “u” zone and longing for the rebound.
This blog will be a little different. It won’t be about all the techniques now being used to land a job. You’re getting more savvy. You know a lot already. Instead, we’ll examine the impact the loss of job has on you, your family and loved ones.
By now you know I’m one of you. I came down to the beautiful Carolinas thinking I’d be able to zip right into a decent job. It hasn’t happened --- yet. But I’m still hanging in there.
And after a while you find that you cope with it a little better. The support of family and friends can’t be underscored enough. As a matter of fact you need to reach out to virtually anyone who’s breathing. Maybe not necessarily to put on the bite to someone for a job but rather to let them know who you are and what you are looking for.
And because things are so upside down right now you need to take this time to look within yourself and decide what you want to do next. It’s really a time to consider everything. Do you stay in the same field? Same profession? Same industry?
Is this the time to try to go out on your own? Keep in mind that in the depths of the ‘70s recession Bill Gates and his merry little band of now rich geeks as well as Steve Jobs and the future Applets were busy in their garages getting ready to hoist onto the world a whole new way of life. Do you have that great idea that might put you in the same league? Ya never know…..
The point is this is a time when you can sit back and eat worms about your situation. Or, you can decide to really challenge yourself and take stock of who you really are. Or really want to be.
While getting out there and networking, many job gurus talk about dedicating some time to do some volunteer work. That’s a great idea! No pressure and you can try utilizing some interests that maybe you’ve never had the time nor inclination to try.
Pick up a hammer and help construct a home for someone truly needy. Offer to serve on your local school board or municipality.Get your mind off The Hunt - at least for a short period of time while you are helping others. Personally, I’ve taken advantage of the opportunity to be appointed to a committee in the town of Fort Mill interested in maintaining the quality of the local water.
Take time to get out of your house, move away from the PC for a while and try to discover what you want to do for the next chapter of your life. In these unprecedented times you may need to cobble together a few opportunities to regain or approach the kind of money you used to make. Whatever it takes….
Certainly everyone’s situation is unique. One has to do what one has to do. I’m just encouraging you to make some lemonade out of the lemons that have been thrown your way recently.
Make the years ahead your best and most rewarding in all aspects!
(Incidentally, if you’re reading this and are interested in the “Job Seekers-Charlotte Metro Area” LinkedIn Group, I welcome you to join.)
Ken Caputo is a marketing professional who relocated his family to the Greater Charlotte area from Central New Jersey a little over a year ago. He is currently consulting with Cristina Cassidy Video Productions of Charlotte, NC on a number of exciting projects.
One of his first official acts upon moving down was to join and get involved in the Charlotte Chapter of the American Marketing Association. He’s delighted he did.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
8 Rules For Good Customer Service
Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won’t be profitable for long.
Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers.
If you’re a good salesperson, you can sell anything to anyone once. But it will be your approach to customer service that determines whether or not you’ll ever be able to sell that person anything else. The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship with customers – a relationship that that individual customer feels that he would like to pursue.
How do you go about forming such a relationship? By remembering the one true secret of good customer service and acting accordingly; “You will be judged by what you do, not what you say.”
I know this verges on the kind of statement that’s often seen on a sampler, but providing good customer service IS a simple thing. If you truly want to have good customer service, all you have to do is ensure that your business consistently does these things:
1) Answer your phone.
Get call forwarding. Or an answering service. Hire staff if you need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business. (Notice I say “someone”. People who call want to talk to a live person, not a “fake recorded robot”.) For more on answering the phone.
2) Don’t make promises unless you WILL keep them.
Not plan to keep them. Will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception. If you say, “Your new bedroom furniture will be delivered on Tuesday”, make sure it is delivered on Tuesday. Otherwise, don’t say it. The same rule applies to client appointments, deadlines, etc.. Think before you give any promise – because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one.
3) Listen to your customers.
Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone what you want or what your problem is and then discovering that that person hasn’t been paying attention and needs to have it explained again? From a customer’s point of view, I doubt it. Can the sales pitches and the product babble. Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.
4) Deal with complaints.
No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug, saying, “You can’t please all the people all the time”. Maybe not, but if you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time - and position your business to reap the benefits of good customer service.
5) Be helpful - even if there’s no immediate profit in it.
The other day I popped into a local watch shop because I had lost the small piece that clips the pieces of my watch band together. When I explained the problem, the proprietor said that he thought he might have one lying around. He found it, attached it to my watch band – and charged me nothing! Where do you think I’ll go when I need a new watch band or even a new watch? And how many people do you think I’ve told this story to?
6) Train your staff (if you have any) to be ALWAYS helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable.
Do it yourself or hire someone to train them. Talk to them about good customer service and what it is (and isn’t) regularly. Most importantly, give every member of your staff enough information and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so he never has to say, “I don’t know, but so-and-so will be back at...”
7) Take the extra step.
For instance, if someone walks into your store and asks you to help them find something, don’t just say, “It’s in Aisle 3.” Lead the customer to the item. Better yet, wait and see if he has questions about it, or further needs. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want to provide good customer service, take it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when people make an extra effort and will tell other people.
8) Throw in something extra.
Whether it’s a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting. And don’t think that a gesture has to be large to be effective. The local art framer that we use attaches a package of picture hangers to every picture he frames. A small thing, but so appreciated.
If you apply these eight simple rules consistently, your business will become known for its good customer service. And the best part? The irony of good customer service is that over time it will bring in more new customers than promotions and price slashing ever did!
Posted by Lien Leonardi
Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers.
If you’re a good salesperson, you can sell anything to anyone once. But it will be your approach to customer service that determines whether or not you’ll ever be able to sell that person anything else. The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship with customers – a relationship that that individual customer feels that he would like to pursue.
How do you go about forming such a relationship? By remembering the one true secret of good customer service and acting accordingly; “You will be judged by what you do, not what you say.”
I know this verges on the kind of statement that’s often seen on a sampler, but providing good customer service IS a simple thing. If you truly want to have good customer service, all you have to do is ensure that your business consistently does these things:
1) Answer your phone.
Get call forwarding. Or an answering service. Hire staff if you need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business. (Notice I say “someone”. People who call want to talk to a live person, not a “fake recorded robot”.) For more on answering the phone.
2) Don’t make promises unless you WILL keep them.
Not plan to keep them. Will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception. If you say, “Your new bedroom furniture will be delivered on Tuesday”, make sure it is delivered on Tuesday. Otherwise, don’t say it. The same rule applies to client appointments, deadlines, etc.. Think before you give any promise – because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one.
3) Listen to your customers.
Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone what you want or what your problem is and then discovering that that person hasn’t been paying attention and needs to have it explained again? From a customer’s point of view, I doubt it. Can the sales pitches and the product babble. Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.
4) Deal with complaints.
No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug, saying, “You can’t please all the people all the time”. Maybe not, but if you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time - and position your business to reap the benefits of good customer service.
5) Be helpful - even if there’s no immediate profit in it.
The other day I popped into a local watch shop because I had lost the small piece that clips the pieces of my watch band together. When I explained the problem, the proprietor said that he thought he might have one lying around. He found it, attached it to my watch band – and charged me nothing! Where do you think I’ll go when I need a new watch band or even a new watch? And how many people do you think I’ve told this story to?
6) Train your staff (if you have any) to be ALWAYS helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable.
Do it yourself or hire someone to train them. Talk to them about good customer service and what it is (and isn’t) regularly. Most importantly, give every member of your staff enough information and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so he never has to say, “I don’t know, but so-and-so will be back at...”
7) Take the extra step.
For instance, if someone walks into your store and asks you to help them find something, don’t just say, “It’s in Aisle 3.” Lead the customer to the item. Better yet, wait and see if he has questions about it, or further needs. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want to provide good customer service, take it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when people make an extra effort and will tell other people.
8) Throw in something extra.
Whether it’s a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting. And don’t think that a gesture has to be large to be effective. The local art framer that we use attaches a package of picture hangers to every picture he frames. A small thing, but so appreciated.
If you apply these eight simple rules consistently, your business will become known for its good customer service. And the best part? The irony of good customer service is that over time it will bring in more new customers than promotions and price slashing ever did!
Posted by Lien Leonardi
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