Identify Your Silent Customer Service Message
By Harry Hoover
With the growing number of people in every business sector, doing business requires creativity and ingenuity. The entrepreneur that understands the importance of thinking differently is the entrepreneur that sees their businesses growing.
However, too many business owners are relying on the old
ways of doing or packaging their products and services.
Whether retail or service oriented, old clichés and
techniques no longer work.
A recent trip to Universal Mall in Warren, Michigan,
provided some great examples without having to look too
hard. One store with glass displays cases had a two-inch by
six-inch black and white engraved sign on every case stating
"Please Do Not Lean On Glass." Behind the counter was a
series of handwritten signs behind the telling customers
such topics as their $15 service charge on all refunds, the
need for a sales receipt and period for getting a refund,
and the policy that all refunds are given in the form of a
store credit.
Across the hall was a store celebrating their grand opening.
Amid the celebratory flags welcoming people to the new
store, was a sign disallowing food and drink in the store.
At the back of the small store under another grand opening
sign was another sign providing the charge applied for all
returned checks. The sign, printed as a lower amount, had
been alter with a black marker to $25 per check. Another
store owner was busy in his cell phone in an obvious
personal phone call, did stop talking briefly to ask a
waiting customer, "What do you want?"
Despite the message they thought they were giving, the
consistent message was "Don't do business here". Think about
the message at the first store. Is the owner telling us that
he is customer focused, selling quality products, and
standing behind what he sold? Absolutely not! He is telling
every customer that he has had such poor quality merchandise
that he must address the tremendous number of returns he
experiences. And what about those signs, perhaps "For your
safety, please do not lean on glass". Then there is the new
store: Have they already had problems with spilled drinks,
crumbs, and bad checks? In fact, they have already had to
change the returned check fee. Their signs, which are
nothing more than disastrous clichés of unsuccessful past
businesses are focused on the business owner, not the
customer. These signs turn away business instead of building
it.
Now let's talk about other entrepreneurs. Although
networking still is the number one way to build business,
traditional networking is proven to be discouraging to many
entrepreneurs. Citing few or poor-quality referrals, many
are looking for other ways of building business. In reality,
referral groups are filled with entrepreneurs that know one
or two people in most of the fields represented by others in
their group. The referrals will always go to those with whom
they have the closest relationship. Some are also learning
how to build their own groups of professionals that they
form with complimentary goods and services providers. These
individuals see their customer base growing as they are able
to provide a more complete answer to the problems or pains
of the customer. They are breaking with the "clichés" of old
networking techniques and launching cutting edge
relationships.
Leadership at all levels requires superior customer service.
Leaders look at how they can meet their customer's needs by
finding new ways to recruit them, making them feel
appreciated and wanted, and building a long relationship
that continually looks at creative ways to address needs on
an ongoing basis.
About The Author
Rick Weaver is President of Max Impact, a national
leadership and organization development company based in
Rochester Hills, Michigan. Rick is an accomplished business
executive with experience in retail, market analysis, supply
chain and project management, team building, and process
improvement. He has worked with hundreds of companies to
improve sales, processes, and bottom-line results. MaxImpact
offers leadership and organizational development services
along with employee assessments and background checks.
Contact Rick at 248-802-6138 or via email, rick@getmaximpact.com.
MaxImpact is on the web at
http://www.getmaximpact.com.