| I took a phone call at my office the other day from a | | | | must be communicated and discussed daily. You, as a |
| pleasant sounding young man representing the national | | | | business owner or senior manager, must embrace |
| office supply store I have a reward card with. He | | | | customer service and demonstrate good customer |
| spent a minute of my time reading from a script about | | | | service at all times. |
| the current deals the company had and then asked | | | | Most employees see customer service only as a way |
| me if I would place an order and receive an additional | | | | of treating individuals who buy your products or |
| 10% discount. I was very impressed at this point with | | | | service. As a business owner or manager, you must |
| the telemarketing campaign this company was | | | | help everyone understand that Customer Service is an |
| undertaking to boost sales in this difficult financial | | | | attitude that governs how we deal with everyone |
| period. As all small business people do several times a | | | | including fellow employees and suppliers. |
| day, I wished I had thought of this marketing strategy | | | | Now that you have established a great customer |
| and assisted my clients in implementing it. | | | | service attitude in your company, you must make sure |
| Unfortunately, I didn't need 3 cases of copy paper or a | | | | the training and follow up with all employees is in place; |
| new desk chair so I told the young man that I could not | | | | even in a financial downturn. |
| take advantage of the program at this time. I expected | | | | There are many great resources on the internet and |
| to hear him say, "Thanks for your time and we look | | | | many good consultants who can get your company |
| forward to serving you when you need future office | | | | up and running quickly and assist you in making sure |
| supplies." Unfortunately, the next words out of his | | | | that training continues in a positive and efficient manner. |
| mouth were - "I need you to place an order today | | | | There are also numerous hardware and software |
| because I have a quota and will be fired if I don't meet | | | | products on the market that allow you to record and |
| my quota this week." Very little in the business world | | | | listen in on your employee's phone conversation. This is |
| shocks me anymore but this did. I immediately asked | | | | a great training and follow up tool for every business. I |
| him if I could speak to his supervisor and he uttered | | | | personally like the various software products that |
| some expletive as he quickly disconnected our phone | | | | record these conversations directly to your network |
| call. | | | | computer server and can be reviewed directly on your |
| I wish I could say this is an anomaly in the business | | | | PC in your office. Some of your employees may |
| world but it has become more and more common | | | | initially see this as an invasion of their privacy but you |
| place over the last year. As our sales slow and our | | | | must explain this is your way to provide positive |
| profits turn to losses, all companies are reducing | | | | feedback and customer service training. Your |
| personnel and asking our remaining employees to do | | | | employee manual should already have a statement |
| more until the recession ends. Many small and medium | | | | outlining that all activity on company assets such as |
| businesses are currently staffed with 50% to 75% of | | | | phones and computers can be reviewed by |
| their normal employee level. We all recognize that | | | | management at any time. Your outside legal advisor |
| while sales are down from last year, there is only so | | | | should assist you with your state requirements but this |
| long that we can stretch our people until they become | | | | is not a major issue in any state. |
| as frustrated as the telemarketer from the national | | | | If that young man from the office supply store was |
| office supply company. | | | | being reviewed with phone recording software, he |
| Due to my work as a consultant, I am much more | | | | would already be unemployed and I would have |
| tolerant than most customers and will continue to use | | | | received a personal letter from the company's |
| the national office supply company but how many | | | | president apologizing for that call and offering me an |
| individuals would simply tear up that rewards card and | | | | amazing deal to keep me as a customer. Since I have |
| switch to a different office supply company? I have to | | | | not received that letter, I have to assume his only |
| believe that young man will run off many customers | | | | review comes from a list of the purchase orders his |
| before he gets fired by the company and the | | | | calls have generated. |
| company will have no idea why several of their | | | | I have used this software in the past as an initial as |
| customers are not returning. I suspect the young man | | | | well as a continuing training tool to ensure a company |
| was hired just over the past several months after he | | | | knows and controls the exact message it is sending to |
| was fired from another firm and was hired because | | | | its customers and potential customers. |
| he was cheap and had experience. His training | | | | Another great and inexpensive customer feedback |
| definitely was not very good and his supervision is not | | | | tool is your own company website. Make sure you |
| good at all. | | | | have something listed on your home page that makes |
| Small and medium sized business must pay very close | | | | it easy and simple for a customer to get information to |
| attention to their customer service attitude at all times | | | | you. You can make this as sophisticated as you wish |
| since this is the primary element separating you from | | | | but do not burden your customer with having to know |
| your competitors. The internet and our new global | | | | the serial number, date purchased, color of the |
| business environment insure that having a unique | | | | cashier's hair, etc. Start out simple and make it easy |
| product is no longer the only acceptable piece of a | | | | for your customer to give you whatever information |
| company's sales strategy. Better products are | | | | he or she feels is necessary. |
| showing up in the marketplace daily so a good | | | | This also gives you the ability to lead your customer |
| business uses great customer service to keep | | | | back to your website for additional information you |
| customers from trying different products and | | | | want to provide. It's truly a win-win situation. I would |
| companies. It is ironic that your company must pay | | | | also recommend having your website programmer |
| more attention to customer service when sales drop | | | | attach a simple "auto-responder" message for your |
| yet you cannot afford customer service employees. It | | | | customer. The message should be sent to their email |
| is, however, a fact of business life. | | | | address within 5 minutes of them hitting the submit |
| Great companies make sure all their employees are | | | | button. It should be simple and just state something to |
| involved in customer service. Are your employees | | | | the extent of "We appreciate you taking the time to |
| trained and a part of your customer service strategy? | | | | contact us and someone will be back with you within |
| The Accounts Payable clerk, the warehouseman, your | | | | 24 hours. If you do not hear from us, feel free to |
| delivery personnel, and even your janitor must all be | | | | contact our President personally at 999-999-9999." |
| trained and understand the company's customer | | | | Your problem is to have an employee review this |
| strategy and how they fit into it. If this has not been | | | | information every few hours and you, as President, |
| the case in the past, take the time right now to start. | | | | must be able to take those phone calls if your |
| This cannot be a onetime all employee meeting. This | | | | company doesn't respond properly. Putting your phone |
| must be several meetings every month and must | | | | number on the email will ensure your company listens |
| continue forever !! | | | | to the customer feedback and replies timely. |
| Customer Service must be in your Mission Statement. | | | | Customer Service is a major responsibility and privilege |
| It must be a part of your interview process with | | | | for every company. |
| potential employees. It must be in your training for all | | | | Not paying enough attention to customer service will |
| employees. It must be a part of your incentive | | | | ensure the failure of every small and medium business. |
| package. It must be a chapter in your employee | | | | Take the time during this financial downturn to review |
| manual. It must be talked about daily in staff meetings, | | | | your company's customer service attitude and insure |
| employee gatherings, etc. The bottom line is that it | | | | your customer has no need to buy from your |
| must be the primary attitude in your business and it | | | | competitors. |