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Add You - When Giving Service, Give It Cheerfully
Companies of all sizes can benefit from a variety of local, state and federal funding assistance programs to improve their quality management systems and upgrade employee skills. This broad definition covers ISO, Six Sigma, Lean, change management, leadership and basic skills training. Some of these programs offer matching funds while others provide tax credits. A few even bestow outright grants. However, gaining access to - and understanding - these funding programs can be a daunting task. That is why it pays to select a management consulting firm that knows how to navigate these often bewildering waters.A Multitude of Funding Programs are Available to U.S. CompaniesFunding assistance programs are designed to cover everything from
The airline agent responded with a priceless statement that speaks volumes about some company’s attitudes toward customer service, “Mr. Lee, Delta Airlines no longer allows us to show Southern hospitality.”
Syndicated radio talk show host Clark Howard frequently refers to customer service departments as “customer NO-service.” Howard is referring, of course, to the poor service frequently offered from customer service personnel.
Almost everyone enjoys doing business with people that are cheerful, and almost no one enjoys doing business with a sourpuss. Granted, as customers, we have
I remember back when I decided I was ready to start recording bands. I went to a local “metalfest”, setup a table, told everyone I charged $20 an hour, and nothing happened. I mean NOTHING happened. It was a total waste of time. So I went back to the drawing board and had to rethink my strategy.I'm a firm believer that you must give someone something if you want something in return. Take the approach of your potential customers. “What's in it for me?”. Well, in the case of me with the brand new studio in my house, I had a few problems. My demo I was handing out simply wasn't that good. It was about the typical quality of a local studio at that time. Most bands didn't feel comfortable working with a guy for $20 an hour who they didn't even know a
But customer service is not always what its name would imply.
Like you, I observe many so-called service providers performing their day-to-day activities: store clerks, automobile service writers, airline ticket agents, airline gate agents, rental car agents, hotel desk clerks, all kinds of home service personnel such as plumbers and electricians, plus quite a few salespeople who claim to offer their customers outstanding customer service.
Even when I observe customer service being delivered, it’s frequently not delivered cheerfully.
“Well, yeah, we can get out there and pick it up, but we’re pretty busy right now. It’s Monday morning, you know. How big of a hurry are you in?”
“Sure, we can make the change, but it’s going to cost you an extra $100.”
After purchasing some new garage doors yesterday, I asked how soon they could be installed. The salesperson answered, “We’re in our busiest season, so we’re pretty backed up right now. If you wanted them installed fast, you should never order in the spring. I believe I can get an installer out there in a couple of weeks. Is that okay?”
#1 CUSTOMER SERVICE RULE: If you’re going to give service, give it cheerfully.
Here’s one I heard a few days ago when I called to place an online order, “All of our customer service personnel are busy right now, so please hold. If you hang up, you will lose your place in line. Please understand that your call is important to us, but we anticipate that you’ll be on hold for approximately 20 minutes.”
Returning from a mission trip to Mexico a few weeks ago, I met an elderly lady who had a four-hour layover in the Atlanta Airport. Being a seasoned traveler, I asked an airline agent if she had plenty of open seats on an earlier flight. She answered that the flight had plenty of open seats. I then asked her if she could help this lady out by booking her on that particular flight that left three hours earlier. The agent said, “Yes, I can do it, but it will cost her a $25 change fee.” To which the old lady quickly responded, “I can’t afford an extra $25, I’ll just wait the four hours for my flight.”
With a big smile on my face, I said to the agent, “I just thought you might be able to show this lady some old-fashioned Southern hospitality.”
The airline agent responded with a priceless statement that speaks volumes about some company’s attitudes toward customer service, “Mr. Lee, Delta Airlines no longer allows us to show Southern hospitality.”
Syndicated radio talk show host Clark Howard frequently refers to customer service departments as “customer NO-service.” Howard is referring, of course, to the poor service frequently offered from customer service personnel.
Almost everyone enjoys doing business with people that are cheerful, and almost no one enjoys doing business with a sourpuss. Granted, as customers, we have n
Are you interested in trading futures? If you are, you may be wondering whether or not you should use the services of a commodity trading broker. While the decision as to whether or not you want to work with a commodity trading broker is yours to make, you should know that there a number of benefits to doing so. Just a few of those benefits are touched on below.One of the many benefits to using the services of a commodity trading broker is the knowledge that you may gain. A commodity trading broker is a professional who has an extensive knowledge and understanding of the trading of futures. When using the services of a commodity trading broker, that individual will share their knowledge and insight with you. Although it is advised that you first famili
Even when I observe customer service being delivered, it’s frequently not delivered cheerfully.
“Well, yeah, we can get out there and pick it up, but we’re pretty busy right now. It’s Monday morning, you know. How big of a hurry are you in?”
“Sure, we can make the change, but it’s going to cost you an extra $100.”
After purchasing some new garage doors yesterday, I asked how soon they could be installed. The salesperson answered, “We’re in our busiest season, so we’re pretty backed up right now. If you wanted them installed fast, you should never order in the spring. I believe I can get an installer out there in a couple of weeks. Is that okay?”
#1 CUSTOMER SERVICE RULE: If you’re going to give service, give it cheerfully.
Here’s one I heard a few days ago when I called to place an online order, “All of our customer service personnel are busy right now, so please hold. If you hang up, you will lose your place in line. Please understand that your call is important to us, but we anticipate that you’ll be on hold for approximately 20 minutes.”
Returning from a mission trip to Mexico a few weeks ago, I met an elderly lady who had a four-hour layover in the Atlanta Airport. Being a seasoned traveler, I asked an airline agent if she had plenty of open seats on an earlier flight. She answered that the flight had plenty of open seats. I then asked her if she could help this lady out by booking her on that particular flight that left three hours earlier. The agent said, “Yes, I can do it, but it will cost her a $25 change fee.” To which the old lady quickly responded, “I can’t afford an extra $25, I’ll just wait the four hours for my flight.”
With a big smile on my face, I said to the agent, “I just thought you might be able to show this lady some old-fashioned Southern hospitality.”
The airline agent responded with a priceless statement that speaks volumes about some company’s attitudes toward customer service, “Mr. Lee, Delta Airlines no longer allows us to show Southern hospitality.”
Syndicated radio talk show host Clark Howard frequently refers to customer service departments as “customer NO-service.” Howard is referring, of course, to the poor service frequently offered from customer service personnel.
Almost everyone enjoys doing business with people that are cheerful, and almost no one enjoys doing business with a sourpuss. Granted, as customers, we have
Gone are the days when glossy printed handouts would suffice in attracting customers to your restaurant. Today, in their quest to catch eyeballs, advertising agencies have created a nonstop marketplace that knows no limits.Restaurant Advertising Gets CustomersWill Rogers, the late entertainer, once said, "All I know is just what I read in the papers". Restaurant advertising generates interest in the papers along with the news coverage. Although, people know them to be mere ads, they start believing in them when they encounter them again and again not only in the print media, but also on the radio and television.So, if you want to promote your restaurant through advertising, keep these tips in mind:* Before you embark upon advertising,
#1 CUSTOMER SERVICE RULE: If you’re going to give service, give it cheerfully.
Here’s one I heard a few days ago when I called to place an online order, “All of our customer service personnel are busy right now, so please hold. If you hang up, you will lose your place in line. Please understand that your call is important to us, but we anticipate that you’ll be on hold for approximately 20 minutes.”
Returning from a mission trip to Mexico a few weeks ago, I met an elderly lady who had a four-hour layover in the Atlanta Airport. Being a seasoned traveler, I asked an airline agent if she had plenty of open seats on an earlier flight. She answered that the flight had plenty of open seats. I then asked her if she could help this lady out by booking her on that particular flight that left three hours earlier. The agent said, “Yes, I can do it, but it will cost her a $25 change fee.” To which the old lady quickly responded, “I can’t afford an extra $25, I’ll just wait the four hours for my flight.”
With a big smile on my face, I said to the agent, “I just thought you might be able to show this lady some old-fashioned Southern hospitality.”
The airline agent responded with a priceless statement that speaks volumes about some company’s attitudes toward customer service, “Mr. Lee, Delta Airlines no longer allows us to show Southern hospitality.”
Syndicated radio talk show host Clark Howard frequently refers to customer service departments as “customer NO-service.” Howard is referring, of course, to the poor service frequently offered from customer service personnel.
Almost everyone enjoys doing business with people that are cheerful, and almost no one enjoys doing business with a sourpuss. Granted, as customers, we have
The surety and effectiveness of a Six Sigma project relies heavily on leveraging the enterprise-wide knowledge of the project implementation team. Hoping for the best could hardly have any meaning, provided the team lacks overall knowledge of the goals, customs, and the treasury of knowledge and practices of the overall organization in specific and cross-sector knowledge in general. It is crucial for the project implementation team to know alternative practices and strategies available within the organization, and current status of the project.Leveraging the Existing Knowledge Base In Six SigmaThe knowledge levels expand as per the following in an enterprise:1. The HOW and WHY of process flow, the implementation goals and the change manageme
With a big smile on my face, I said to the agent, “I just thought you might be able to show this lady some old-fashioned Southern hospitality.”
The airline agent responded with a priceless statement that speaks volumes about some company’s attitudes toward customer service, “Mr. Lee, Delta Airlines no longer allows us to show Southern hospitality.”
Syndicated radio talk show host Clark Howard frequently refers to customer service departments as “customer NO-service.” Howard is referring, of course, to the poor service frequently offered from customer service personnel.
Almost everyone enjoys doing business with people that are cheerful, and almost no one enjoys doing business with a sourpuss. Granted, as customers, we have
Managing change in our lives and in our businesses is vital in the modern environments in which we live. There is much to learn from that old and cantankerous Dickens character, Mr Ebenezer Scrooge himself...The truth is, although he had an outward persona of grumpiness, deep down somewhere there was a man with a heart, seeing his life drift away from him.We all do this to some extent - to hide away our true selves behind a veil of something we are more comfortable with. Sometimes we appear intimidating, cruel or even harsh. We avoid the intimacy we really seek, because of past experiences.For old Scrooge, this became clear with the visit of the three ghosts, as well as what I find the most scary of all, th
The airline agent responded with a priceless statement that speaks volumes about some company’s attitudes toward customer service, “Mr. Lee, Delta Airlines no longer allows us to show Southern hospitality.”
Syndicated radio talk show host Clark Howard frequently refers to customer service departments as “customer NO-service.” Howard is referring, of course, to the poor service frequently offered from customer service personnel.
Almost everyone enjoys doing business with people that are cheerful, and almost no one enjoys doing business with a sourpuss. Granted, as customers, we have no choice sometimes, but as salespeople, customer NO-service is no way to grow your customer base. Customer NO-service is not an option.
Delta Airlines is hemorrhaging red ink, as are most airlines. Airlines desperately need more customers to cover their out-of-control operating expense levels. The Delta agent missed out on a golden opportunity to make a customer for life. All she would have had to do was say something like, “It would be Delta’s pleasure to help this nice lady out. Let me see your ticket and I’ll see what I can do.”
But, as the agent said, “We’re no longer allowed to give awesome service.”
MY PLEASURE is the correct response anytime customers make a reasonable request that you can accommodate.
Even if you render the service, but complain about it, you’re negating the gesture.
“We have a crew that’ll be on that job at 7 a.m. in the morning. Can you guarantee that you’ll have this material on the job so they can get started on time?”
WRONG ANSWER: “Well, I guess we can. I’ll have shift some deliveries around. Everyone seems to be looking for a ‘first out’ today, but yeah, I believe we can do it.”
RIGHT ANSWER: “It will be my pleasure to check it out for you. Let’s see here…yes, no problem, we’ll for sure have it out there no later than 7 a.m.
If you’re going to give service, give it cheerfully.
If you cannot give customers the level of service that they are asking for, try not to say NO, but rather, do your best to offer an alternative choice. Something like, “All of our trucks are committed for first thing tomorrow morning, but I could get the material out to your job late this afternoon. Would that work for you?”
CUSTOMER SERVICE RULES
1. SMILE when you are dealing with a customer. A smile indicates that you are enjoying your job as a salesperson and appreciate your customers’ business.
2. Use courteous words, such as, thank you, you’re welcome, it’s my pleasure, no problem, would you be kind enough to, yes sir, no sir, anything else we can help you with today, etc.
3. When you learn that you cannot live up to a customer service commitment, call the customer before the customer calls you.
4. Following a transaction, extend your hand and shake the customer’s hand as you say, “Thank you for your business.”
5. Occasionally, call your customer after the transaction is complete as a follow up. This is really great customer service.
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