Linda's Business Blog

Customer Service: are you a May or How person?

In a potential sales situation, which of these two approaches do you think will bring a more successful response from a customer:

May I help you?

or

How can I help you?

If you are the salesperson or the business owner who inquires, the first question most often results in only 1 of 2 one-word responses:

"Yes" or "No"

If you ask the "May I help you?" question as part of your good customer service policy chances are your sales won't be as high as the salesperson or business owner who asks "How can I help you?"

The "How" question requires the potential customer to respond with a sentence.  Even if the response is "I don't need any help," or "I'm just looking," it is far more engaging than a simple, often dismissive "No."  The hoped-for answer, "Yes," often invites an inquiry back that opens up a true conversation between sales person and potential customer such as "Do you have this item in blue?"

As simplistic as this seems, the way in which you open a sales/potential customer scenario can make or break a sale.  Have you ever been shopping and been approached by the sales person who asked "May I help you?" and you could swear you heard in his or her voice a tone that almost begs you to reply in the negative?  I have.  It's as though the sales person doesn't really want to be bothered and hopes you'll just go away.  A "yes" answer is good, it does open the conversation but it requires further questions by the salesperson such as "How can I help you?" Better to just start out with "How can I help you?"

I think the gist of what I'm saying is that if you have a business, whether you are a solopreneur or the CEO of a major corporation, you have products/services that you wish, hope that others will purchase.  If you are the solopreneur then it is you and the customer...this is the quintessential direct selling situation.  If you are the CEO then you have selling divisions and personnel responsible for the selling situations.  Whichever case, it is important that the sales person have their heart in their work:

• a true belief that the products/services are worthy of sale, purchase and ownership
• a true belief in the value of the products/services
• a true desire to serve the interests of the potential customer

I follow the work of sales and positive attitude guru Jeffrey Gitomer.  He has an excellent article on his website, BuyGitomer, titled, "What's the best part of selling? Is it really just the sale?"  In this article he talks about getting your enthusiasm back for sales in what has been a down economy.  He lists thoughts to consider that remind a person of why they went into sales in the first place, such things as [from Mr. Gitomer's list] as:

• The challenge of asking and engaging.
• The great feeling of serving customers and helping them succeed.
• The personal pride of making the sale, and knowing the customer made the right choice.

Mr. Gitomer lists 5 things to put your heart into as regards sales:

1. Put your heart into your job.
2. Put your heart into your desire to serve.
3. Put your heart into your product belief.
4. Put your heart into your presentation.
5. Put your heart into delivering customer value.

So.   What better question to ask of a potential customer than, "How can I help you?"

Human Element is essential for Customer Service Success

When you go shopping or are in some kind of retail situation, don't you want the salesperson, manager or establishment owner to be friendly, helpful and accommodating?  Who wouldn't?  Who doesn't?

Recently I wrote about the importance of point-of-sale customer service and received a great response from a reader.  This reader, a young mom, related her experiences on a recent afternoon when she planned to take her toddler [age 3] to an afternoon matinee at the movies.  Her afternoon involved not one, but two examples of what NOT to do in the area of customer service.  She has given me permission to relate her story.

Example One:  First this young mom took her son into a discount retail store to purchase some snacks to take to the movie.  She thought she had allowed plenty of time before the start of the movie...and the discount store was in the same shopping center as the cinema.  In her words:

• "...I spotted at least 5 employees in [the store] just as I was standing in line. Only one checkstand was open and the line was growing. We waited in line for over 5 minutes before someone came and opened up another line...."

Granted this seems a small thing, but the store's manager should have been on his or her toes and put the clerks to work rather than let a line of customers grow at one lone open checkstand.  At the very least, if the clerks who seemed to be loitering were not indeed yet on shift, they should not have been standing near the cash registers giving customers the feeling of being ignored.  Yes, I'd have to agree with this reader that this was an example of poor customer service.  The result of this for her was to put her late buying tickets for the movie.

Example Two:  I think we've all, at one time or another, been late to the start of a movie.  I know I have.  I've rushed from the parking lot to run to the ticket window only to be told the movie had already begun...but still I bought my ticket and quietly took a seat.  This reader had a much different experience.  Again in her words:

• "...So now we were even more late to the movie...it wouldn't matter to [her son] if we missed the first 15 to 20 minutes of the movie so I went inside to buy my ticket. The girl at the ticket counter said we were too late and wouldn't sell us the tickets. My thought...why would a business turn down a paying customer? I was willing to pay full price for less of a product! I spoke with the manager and she told me that after 20 minutes the option to sell that show physically disappears off the computer. So she used the old, 'the computer wouldn't let me do it' excuse. If I would have been her, I would have said, 'Let me ring you up for your movie,' and 'I'm sorry for any inconvenience.' But she just said the computer doesn't let them. What kind of a business has a point of sale system you can't override? To me that is poor business...."

In this I totally agree with this reader.  There are a few key factors that made the manager's decision not to sell the young mom a ticket the incorrect decision:

• this was a weekday matinee - in most cases the house is no where near full, so allowing someone to enter the theater after the movie has started shouldn't be an issue
• "humanity" should have swayed this manager's decision: surely you can't look into the face of a 3-year old little boy and tell his mom that she simply won't be able to buy a ticket because the computer says 'no!'
• every business should have 'exceptions to the rules' for just such cases as this - yes the computer system has built-in time changes for ticket sales...however, managers should have the ability to receive cash, make out receipts and then account for them at the end of day

Business reputations can be made or broken by how that business' employees or processes affect and effect the buying public.  I know what it is like to have to face the disappointment of a child when a ride at an amusement park is sold out or broken down and they can't get on as example.  The human element of customer service is every bit as important as the dollars and cents elements.  In the movie theater example of this young mom and her son, for goodness sake manager...sell her the tickets and let them see the movie!

I will say that it is difficult sometimes to know what to do in a customer service situation.  Earlier this year I was faced with making a hard choice at a convention.  This convention had a day that was open to the public.  The convention involved attendees making and then bringing and displaying things they'd created.  The 'public day,' as it was called, was to allow the general public an opportunity to see these "cool" creations.  People had to pay a small entrance fee and the viewing hours were clearly posted.  The complication came when the public attendance grew beyond all expectations.  By afternoon it became clear that people would be turned away.  My job for the convention was public relations...never an easy job.

The situation that is relevant involved the very end of the public day.  The signs were up that public viewing was now closed and the very last of the public was in the main hall finishing their viewing of the displays.  Then a woman came to one of the fellows standing "guard" at the entrance and said she needed to get in, that her family was in there.  The man at the gate told her politely that we couldn't allow anymore people in and that she was welcome to wait right there for her family to come out.  Behind the lady was a small group of those who had been turned away and, for whatever reason, just didn't leave.  A bit of an argument was arising between the man and lady so I went to investigate.

Turns out that the "family" was only this woman's adolescent son and she was concerned that he didn't realize she'd been late to arrive.  There was more to the story, but suffice it to say that I made the on-the-spot decision to allow her to enter the hall.  After several minutes she and her son came to me, both very grateful for my decision.  However, one of the people in that group of disappointed people came up and demanded to also be let in.  In this case I had to be firm and say 'no,' but did offer that person an abbreviated explanation - which they graciously accepted. 

It's my belief that customer service policies should never be so carved in stone that they become cold and unyielding.  What would I have done in the case of my reader and her son?  I'd have just let them in, free, and offered them popcorn.

Point-of-Sale Customer Service is Important Too

Looks good doesn't it?  This past Saturday evening I stopped at the Strings Italian Cafe here in my community.  I had a coupon for a great deal on a dinner entree and was way too tired to cook.  I ordered meat ravioli with meat sauce for my husband and fettuccine Alfredo for myself.   It was fast, easy and very tasty.

 

So why was I so tired that I didn't want to face my kitchen?

This past weekend I was one of the participating artists at a 2-day outdoor art event in my community.  I was one of 40 who set up their booth in a 10'x10' spot on the grounds of beautiful Alden Lane Nursery.  The day was perfect: not too hot, slight breeze; nice people; I loved my booth location; had great sales...but a long day nevertheless.  My husband was out-of-town during the day and not able to help with setting up so I did my own "schlepping" and set-up.  And, although we were able to leave the display racks up overnight, the artists needed to pack up all their artwork and valuables and take them home for the night and re-set them on Sunday morning.  So.  By dinnertime Saturday cooking just wasn't on my schedule...I didn't even want to go out.  Strings was a great compromise.

Now to the point of the title of my post: I often write about customer service and the importance of a business in having a good plan for such.  You don't always hear about the customer service at the point of the sale...but it is vital to conducting a pleasant buying encounter.  The buying experience I had at Strings was a 10-pointer in Olympic counting.  Doesn't get better.

I stopped at the establishment on my way home.  I was dusty and sweaty and still wearing my sunhat.  I approached the counter with my coupon and said I wanted a "to go" order.  The young man who greeted me said he'd get the "take out expert" to help me.  A second young man came to the counter and I have to say he was friendly, helpful, professional and made the end of a very long day a good one.  As I was waiting for the order to be filled he asked if I would like a complimentary soft drink and quickly filled my request for an iced tea.  The bag he brought me was large - full of containers - and he opened the door for me so I didn't have to fumble with the bag, my purse and the iced tea. 

This point-of-sale customer service by this employee and this eatery is in strong contrast with a very unpleasant example just two weeks prior at a store in my local mall.  As is my habit, I don't mention the name of businesses who deserve a negative remark, so I will only tell you that I entered the store to purchase a supply of a favorite ingredient I use with my special recipe for iced tea.  It is a wonderful blend of organic fruits and flowers that adds the perfect note to my combination of green and herbal peach teas.

Helping me at the counter that day was a young woman.  The encounter began well enough with her smiling and greeting me.  I told her what I wanted...I knew the name of the mixture and the amount I wanted.  However.  She was determined to sell me more than I wanted both in quantity of the mixture I asked for but also she wanted me to purchase a quantity of a second mixture.  I was polite in telling her no thanks, just this please.  Three times she interrupted me to nearly argue her desire for me to purchase more.  I very nearly canceled my purchase right then...but I wanted that mixture in that amount and gosh darn it, I was the customer!  

Point-of-sale customer service can not only make-or-break an individual buying encounter, negative experiences can cause a business to lose customers and gain a bad reputation.

I had all this in mind this past weekend as I tried my best to give each customer at my art booth a positive buying encounter.  "Please," "Thank You," "Would you like a bag to put your cards in?" and engaging customers in conversations goes a long way to promoting good will.

Is a Customer Service Strategy important?

Here's a question for a woman-owned business [okay, it's really a question for any business owned by anyone]: is it important to have a strategy in place for Customer Service?

Asked a different way: does your business plan include a well thought out strategy for Customer Service?  Is it written down as a policy and procedure kind of thing?  Or are your thoughts on the matter along these lines:

• My company is too small to worry about a hardcore customer service plan.
• I'm a solo-preneur, for what reason do I need a concrete customer service strategy?
• I believe in dealing with customer service issues as they arise.
• I'm more interested in attracting new customers than retaining old ones.

Recently I was given an interesting study regarding this very issue.  It came via Forbes.com Forbes Insights and is titled, "Strategies for Recovery: Woman-Owned Small Businesses Put the Customer First."  This was sponsored by Key4Women, a program of Key Bank.  The summary:

• "...There’s little doubt that woman-owned small businesses understand the importance of customer service, and coming out of the 2008-09 recession, boosting loyalty and retention are clearly top priorities. But even with this customer-centric approach, a sizable number of these companies are not taking advantage of the full range of loyalty tools, and many don’t even have a formal customer service strategy in place...."

In a nutshell this study - which was based on a survey of more than 300 women small business owners - examined their "attitudes and actions" on the subject of customer service and found that:

1. most relied on old-fashioned, "tried and true" customer service practices
2. most did not utilize online tactics [including social media] to enhance customer retention and prospecting
3. many were hampered by a lack of planning...knowing that customer service is a good thing is not enough...you need a plan for it

I found one of the statistics revealing in answer to the question: Does your company have a dedicated customer service strategy?

• 18% replied yes, they did have a concrete company-wide strategy
• 55% replied that they approached customer service on a case-by-case basis
• 27% replied no - no plan at all

My initial reaction to these figures was Oh My Gosh!  A whopping 27% of respondents had no plan at all for addressing customer service and a huge segment preferred the shotgun approach.  By this I mean that if you operate your customer service policy as case-by-case then you have no consistency.  Without a formal concrete strategy that takes into account the 1) nature of your business, 2) the nature of your products and/or services, 3) who your current customers are and 4) who your desired new customers are you are flying blind.  What you say to Customer A in Situation A will be different than how you handle Situation B with Customer B.  This could lead to all kinds of mis-communication and potential loss of both business and reputation.

Here's a very simplified example:  I have a candle business.   I make my products and sell them through craft shows and on consignment through gift shops.  I have no formal plan for customer service.  One day a customer contacts me saying that the package of candles she bought the previous week did not perform adequately and wished a refund.  I decided to go ahead and refund her purchase.  On another day a different customer contacts me and says she is displeased with her purchase and asks what recourse there might be.  In this case I tell her that every purchase is final.  I don't offer this customer a refund or a replacement.  Should these two customers ever find one another and compare notes...well, you can see the potential problems for my candle business.

Over the next few weeks I want to take a deeper look at the survey and present some thoughts and research of my own.  I also invite feedback; it would be great to get a discussion going.

In your business do you have a dedicated customer service strategy?

Gracious Customer Care reminiscent of old-fashioned Innkeeper

On a recent Saturday, while visiting with friends, I went along as they attended to some errands before we all headed for lunch.  One of the stops they needed to make was at their bank, a branch of Bank of the West.  This is a 135-year old banking institution that began on the frontier of California in 1874.  This bank, like others, has shorter hours on Saturdays during which they are open for business in the lobby, or bank proper.  This branch stated that closing time on Saturdays is 1 p.m.  We were there well before, but because of the detailed task my friends had, we didn't leave until after the door was officially locked.

While my friends were occupied with their task, I sat in the comfortable waiting area and played Spider Solitaire on my iPhone and observed.  I've mentioned before that one of my previous occupations was as a newspaper reporter, so observing the world around me is a habit...as well as something interesting to do [people do and say the darndest things!].

One of the things that caught my attention during the wait was the song.  A mom and her young daughter - I'm guessing the little girl was 7 or 8 years old - had come in and were waiting their turn in line.  The little girl was singing softly.  Then it was the mom's turn at the counter and while the mom conducted business with the teller, the daughter - in the natural way of children - used the open floor as an imaginary stage and turned up the volume on her song and added dance.  She was oblivious to the world around her, caught as she was in her imagination and joy of singing.  I glanced around and smiles lit everyone's face.  What a wonderful moment.  This wasn't one of those moments people exploit by capturing it via video on their phone and then uploading to YouTube...and I'm glad it wasn't.  No, this was a spontaneous moment of wonderment that left such a good flavor on the day.

Another appealing flavor on this bank visit was in the personae of the day's acting bank manager.  Whether or not he was in fact the branch manager I did not learn, but it was obvious that he was that day's acting manager.  This young man was never still.  It was a busy Saturday for the branch, many people in line and some with lengthy business to accomplish.  There were plenty of tellers but still the manager bobbed and weaved his way around making sure that everyone had what they needed to conduct their business.  If the line stalled he announced to the lobby his appreciation for their patience and assured them their needs would be attended to in due course.  At one point, when the line was long, he walked up and down with the candy bucket offering goodies.

When 1 p.m. arrived the manager locked the front door but stood ready to unlock it to let folks out as they finished their banking tasks.  Twice he observed two patrons rushing from their cars hoping they hadn't arrived too late and both times he graciously allowed them to come in. 

What struck me the most about the awesome level of customer service was the graciousness of the manager and the friendliness of the teller staff.  I was in that comfortable seat long enough to see that these were genuine displays of SOP - standard operating procedures.  Can you imagine if every business had graciousness as SOP?  What a more pleasant world we would have.

Southwest Airlines, customer service in Florida and other thoughts on vacation

Took this photo this past Saturday out the window of the Southwest Airlines plane in which I was a passenger between Tampa, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona.  The clouds looked like huge drifts of snow covering a massive mountain range at the edge of an arctic sea.  It was awesome.

I spent 10 days vacationing this month and have some observations to mention.  I frequently write about customer service and customer care in this blog as well as interesting thoughts on business and businesses I've come across.

First many thanks to Southwest Airlines for stress-free flying.  The cabin crews were friendly and helpful.  I flew on two planes going to Florida and two coming back.  My daughter's mother-in-law, Claudia Finlan, is a flight attendant for Southwest and I was her guest.  We flew to Tampa and then drove to her home in Siesta Key [just minutes from Sarasota].  A few days later my daughter, her husband and little Matt joined us...it was Matt's 3rd birthday and we were celebrating it as a vacation.  The only negative was that my husband was not able to join us due to his work schedule.

This was my first trip to Florida and I found I loved the western coast...the Gulf side of the state.  Siesta Key has the distinction of having a remarkable beach...nearly 98% pure quartz sand.  It is brilliantly white, powdery fine and doesn't get hot in the sun.

• "...Winner of the 'Worlds finest, whitest sand,' Siesta Key Public Beach extends along a half-mile of the most pristine white sands in the world. The pure quartz...feels cool to the  touch...recognition as one of 'America's Best Beaches'...."
  

The water was incredible!  Warm and full of life.  I saw many fish of several varieties and dolphins...lots of dolphins.  During my time in Florida I was amazed at how friendly the people were and I have to say that I received wonderful customer service everywhere I went.  Whether it was the sales staff at the Wyland Gallery in St. Armand's Circle or the clerk at the local Publix grocery store, I was treated graciously.  

One of the examples of gracious customer care was at the snack bar at Siesta Key Beach.  The first four days of my trip, I walked the three blocks to the beach getting there about 8 a.m.  What a great time of day!  On one of those days I got hungry so went to the snack bar.  One of the menu choices was a shrimp basket with six breaded, fried shrimp and french fries.  Well, I didn't want the fries so told the counter person that I was quite willing to pay the basket price, just don't include the fries [they would only get wasted].  At first she told me that they didn't have a price for "only shrimp," and I assured her that I expected to pay the full $8, no problem.  But she smiled and said, "Wait a minute."  She came back and said "How about $6 for the shrimp alone?"  I was happy for the accommodation and the friendly way in which she handled my request.

One afternoon last week, Claudia and I went to St. Armand's Circle for lunch and window shopping.  And because she knows I'm an artist, we included the Wyland Gallery as one of our stops.  It turned out to be a treat because one of the artists whose work is represented was there that day.  David Wight is a glass sculptor who has created some fascinating wave pieces.  I took this photo which shows one of his beautiful glass sculptures - David Wight is in the orange t-shirt, then Claudia and next to her the sales person, Rich Sassone.  Rich was terrific - he took one of the smaller waves into a side gallery room and showed it off with special led lights.

Interestingly, last summer my husband and I first discovered these stunning pieces at the Wyland Gallery in Carmel, California.  It was great to meet this artist during this trip to Florida.

The day we left for home, the news regarding the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was that it might not impact the western shore of Florida.  It would be so very sad to know that Siesta Key's pristine beach would be damaged.  [I'm hoping it won't hit anywhere else and that the idea of the oil/water separation barges introduced by Kevin Costner will be used now].  While flying home, we actually flew over the Gulf and saw the spot where the spill ["spill?" or "gusher?"] originated.  I couldn't see the oil from the altitude we were at but I could see a tight circle of ships around the area and a plume of smoke.  So sad.

It's great to be home rested and refreshed...now back to work.

Customer Care is Human side of Customer Service

Customer Service is that part of our business that is devoted to aspects of a sale:

• before the sale: usually this is for point-of-sale purchases; sales people can offer to locate sizes, colors, alternative products; depending upon the business and product, can offer financing
• during the sale: answer on-the-spot questions; offer delivery
• after the sale: have a system in place for technical issues or questions about use/returns/exchanges

Customer Care is what I call the "human side" of customer service.  Business is now global and can often be seen as cold, unyielding and distancing.  We've all been in a situation as a customer where we felt marginalized.  Recently I was shopping at a grocery store.  It was not a busy time and I was the only customer in the line.  The clerk did not one time make eye contact with me or speak to me.  She instead talked to another clerk.  Although she did the bagging of my purchases, she took little care with them.  Bagging of my groceries does fall under customer service for a grocery store...but in this case of service there was no customer care.

In thinking about this topic of customer care, I have come up with two classifications: corporate-based customer care and point-of-sale customer care.  Here are my two most recent examples of both.

1.  Corporate-based customer care: my local Target store.  a look at the corporate information for Target gives you a hint that customer care, beyond just customer service, is part of their mission:

• "...Our mission is to make Target the preferred shopping destination for our guests by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and an exceptional guest experience...."

It was raining pretty hard the other day and upon entering the store to get a cart, there were bags for putting wet umbrellas into and wipes for wiping down the handles of the cart.  To me these are the "niceties" of doing business.  A small business can do these kinds of things but it's pretty cool for a major corporation to offer customer care services.

2.  Point-of-sale customer care: this past weekend we attended a 3-day conference, spending four days at a Marriott hotel.  I mention the hotel chain by name because this was exceptional customer care service.  As part of their core values:

• "...Openness to innovation and creativity in serving guests...Pride in the knowledge that our guests can count on Marriott's unique blend of quality, consistency, personalized service, and recognition almost anywhere they travel in the world or whichever Marriott brand they choose...."

I had many duties as part of the coordinating committee of this convention and no time to leave the hotel for meals; so I took all my meals in the hotel's cafe.  The cafe staff was small but the customer count was high for the weekend.  What surprised me was that two of the wait staff remembered not just me, but also my name and my beverage preference.  This is customer care.

Customer Service or Customer Care?

With prices of just about everything high and going higher, part of what's offered as value in the marketplace now is customer service.  It's not enough just to exchange goods for legal tender.  Business owners who want to see their businesses grow and see customers who give repeat business AND refer their family and friends must offer more.  That more is customer service. 

Typically customer service is defined as whatever suite of before, during and after the sale services you offer to customers and clients.  These include, but are not limited to:

• helping a potential customer locate an item
• offering suggestions for colors, flavors, sizes, add-ons
• bagging, packaging, wrapping the purchase
• helping to take a purchase to the customer's vehicle
• delivery of purchases
• follow-up communication to ask for feedback on customer satisfaction of the product/service purchased
• follow-up communication to ask for feedback on the customer service itself

The newest take on the term customer service is customer care.  This phrase carries with it the idea of humanizing the buy/sell environment.  It has within it the ideas:

1. that you learn what your customers might expect from your business in the way of service
2. that you listen to your clients with an open mind
3. that you problem-solve with your customers
4. that you provide an emotional element of friendliness and approachability to the buy/sell environment

All of us who own a business...offer goods and/or services for sale...need to have customers.  We need to have those people who want and/or need what we produce or provide in order to have a viable business.  For our business to grow and prosper we also need to have those same customers purchase more and refer their family and friends to us.  We need positive word-of-mouth advertising.  We need a positive and inviting face on our business for the prospective customer who is new to our offerings.  I think customer care is a more encompassing concept that simply customer service.

1.  Learn what your customers might expect from your business in the way of service: customers actually do have expectations of vendors of goods and services.  For example, when I go to the grocery store, I expect that the produce offered for sale is going to be fresh and ready-to-eat.  If the store has a butcher counter, I expect that the fellows behind the counter will help me with my purchases by offering such services as custom cuts, answering questions and even giving me cooking preparation hints.

At the the CPA's office, I have the expectation that this is a professional person who has the expertise to know what I don't know about my taxes and will help to make sure that my business accounts are in compliance.

Take a look at your business from the point of view of a customer:

• does your product or service require explanation before purchase?
• is delivery an issue?
• is there any training in your product's use or after-purchase maintenance that needs to be learned?
• can your customer contact you and do you respond in a timely fashion?

2.  Listen to your clients and customers with an open mind:

• not everything your clients tell you will be positive...as business owners it's important to remember that negative feedback can be instructive - complaints could be a starting place for improvement
• never be opposed to change; maybe your client likes your product but would love it more in the color red - is there anyway to accommodate that for this one client?

Many times customers will only tell us what they don't like about the products we sell or tell us about the gaps in our service...rather than tell us what they do like.  These complaints can actually be used as bits of information that we can use to improve.  Let's say you offer a product that has a screw-top lid and you find that a percentage of your customers complain about how difficult it is to open.  Have you done anything about that other than to shrug it off?  What about going to the product's manufacturer [if, indeed, that isn't you] and suggesting an easier opening top...especially one that arthritic fingers can open.  Or what if you offered a free lid opener with every purchase [as an added value] like those rubber or toothed grippers? 

Sometimes you'll hear your customers ask if you also offer "x" or "y;" ask yourself if the time has come to expand your product line and offer those items.  Or, at the very least, give your customers suggestions as to where they can purchase those particular items.

Coming up with a satisfactory response to negative or complaining comments can increase customer loyalty.  People like to be listened to.

3.  Problem-solve with your customers.  Sometimes a potential customer is attracted to your product or service but doesn't really know if they need it.  Engage that person in conversation and learn something about them.  Maybe your service is that of a life coach.  The potential client has heard about such consultancies but really doesn't know enough to decide if such a thing is relevant to them.  Begin by offering a little education about what a life coach does and what some of the benefits are.  Maybe there is some portion of your service that would fit this potential customer's needs rather than the whole enchilada.  Offer to tailor a program that will give this person value.

Problem solving isn't just about answering complaints.  It is also about getting to know your customers and their needs and wants.  If you have a variety of products, knowing something about your customers will help you to design a product package that is relevant to them and greatly improve your chance of sales.

4.  Communication is important in customer retention and gaining new customers.  If you have a business and you have promoted it in any way at all so that the general public knows about, then you need to provide a way for customers new and old to contact you.  If you have publicized a telephone number, have you also publicized its availability?  Meaning, is it 24-7?  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.?  Wed thru Sat, noon to 4 p.m.?  And during those hours is someone there to answer the phone?  Do you have a reliable answering service or voicemail system?  Do you check messages often?  If you promise "same day" response, do you?

In whatever manner you offer communication with customers and clients be sure to follow through.  Check your email often; check the comments on your website; answer your phone; check your messages.

Customer Care is the human, personable side of the mechanics of customer service.  You could have two grocery checkers.  Both also bag your groceries and place the bags in your cart.  One checker will smile and wish you a good day...the other won't make eye contact and talks to another checker during the entire transaction.  Which checkers' line will you stand in next time you shop?

Glad Disney ' s okay

My newspaper's business section has a great segment, the Motley Fool - which is certainly not found only in my newspaper - but I love the bits 'o biz news it gives.  The other day it had some heartening news about the Disney company that made me glad.  I was glad not because I'm a business woman...I have a home-based business and I write a business blog...but frankly because I'm a grandmom. My grandson is only 2-years old.  Matty is not yet old enough to enjoy the sites, sounds and experiences of  The Magic Kingdom and in my estimation...expectation, hope and prayer...The Magic Kingdom just has to stay economically healthy enough to be there when he is old enough to enjoy it...and his grandmom with him!  I reported last October that my husband, brother and sister-in-law and I spent a week at Disneyland in southern California.  It was so very much fun.  As enjoyable as it was to me now, as an adult visiting with other adults, oh my...I simply can't wait to see it all through the eyes of my grandson. So. As reported by the Motley Fool,  "...All told, revenue fell 7% from 2008 levels to $8.6 billion, and net income stopped at $0.51 per share -- 23% below last year's $0.66 per share. Still, that's $954 million of earnings and $881 million in free cash flow, straight into the bank. Disney remains a true cash machine, even at the worst of times...Disney's strong brands and near-constant stream of fresh, high-quality entertainment content drives this strength...." I love news like this.  Business just has to be good somewhere for somebody or why are we all trying so hard? Okay, I do have a couple more newspaper story-related comments to make from today's read:

• EBay is selling off Skype - [from the article online] "...EBay hoped the service would catch on with users of its auction site, but it never became a popular way for buyers and sellers to connect...."

I tried EBay as a home business several years ago, but it just wasn't me.  However, even with my limited experience, I would not have found offering a phone option for seller-buyer communication convenient...email seems optimal.  [I have a comic book collection I was selling - I know, who would think I have a comic book collection?]  For my limited totally uninformed opinion, selling Skype now appears to make sense.  Maybe if EBay goes back to being what it began as, then folks like me would re-visit and not think it so complicated.  Just my thoughts.

• Ford, Toyota and Honda Gain.... - I love the final sentence of the article as found online: "...Consumers are expected to steer clear of dealers this autumn now that the clunker rebates are no longer available...."

This was my thought when I saw the headline.  Sales only went up because of the rebate and now that it is over, so are the sales.  When people have no money to spend [or to risk] they have no money.  Also...who really won?  The rebate was paid with taxpayers' money.  Having asked that, I am glad for the auto salespeople who made commission on those sales...they have families to feed too. [caption id="attachment_663" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Grandmom and Matty-he's playing an "air trumpet""][/caption]

#3 Business Lesson learned at Disneyland

Excellence.  Customer Service.  Two valuable lessons learned, observed and experienced at Disneyland on my recent vacation...lessons from viewing Disneyland as a business and not just a vacation destination. One more lesson: a perceived desire on the part of the company to make my stay the best it can be. When people enter a business, they enter with the expectation of meeting some need or achieving some gratification for a perceived need.  I go to In-N-Out Burger because I have a need to meet - I'm hungry.  I choose this particular burger establishment because I have an expectation that In-N-Out Burger expects to meet my need for a good eating experience...and I think that this company desires to make my visit as successful as possible. I say that Disneyland has a perceived desire on its part to make my stay the best it can be because of the experiencial factors of excellence, quality and outstanding customer service.  I say that In-N-Out Burger has a perceived desire on its part to make my visit for lunch the best it can be because of the experiencial factors of excellence, cleanliness, outstanding customer service and an extremely high ratio of quality to cost...very high quality to very little cost.  Great burger lunch for less than $5. How many businesses can you say has a perceived desire on their part to make your stay or visit or purchasing experience the best that it can be?  How many times have you been to an upscale department store expecting not only great ambiance, great quality in clothing items but also great sales service only to be hounded to the point of irritation by a persistent sales person?  You come away from that experience perceiving that this business didn't really value your visit enough to pay attention to all of its business components.  Disneyland Park in Anaheim, CA fit my bill: we spent 5 days there and each day was as the day prior...satisfying. It is my hope in my business that my retail customers, people I sponsor [for my business is a network marketing business] will see a desire on my part for excellence of service...I'm totally confident of the excellence of product, it's my ability to fullfill excellence in customer service and sponsor-service to which I strive. Can people say of your business that they can perceive your desire for excellence? [caption id="attachment_167" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cinderella"][/caption]