About Me
- Waltmorey
- Pinellas Park, Florida, United States
- I founded Core Business Solutions with the goal of helping business owners improve operating results, add value, and recapture the energy and passion that was present when the business was new. We also have the expertise to assist start-up companies create the foundational structure needed to provide the best opportunity for the business to grow and prosper in uncertain economic times. Our goal is to help the business entrepreneur/owner, through mentoring and coaching, develop or enhance managerial skills while providing that independent and objective advice and expertise usually provided by a board of directors.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Why Provide Good Customer Service?
5:16 PM | 
Posted by
Waltmorey
Have you heard people say that if not for customers, work will be a lot smoother? They ask questions for which the answers are so obvious. Or they can find the answers if they will just read the instructions that are provided with the product. They just have to call and ask all kinds of questions and sometimes you are not even the person who is supposed to handle such questions. Are you looking for good reasons that will help you feel better about this?
First thing is, if there are no customers, then there is no business. If there is no business, then you do not have a job. It does not even matter if yours is not a customer-facing job. Customers are needed. The question now is how you can look at the situation differently so that providing good service to the
customers is something that you can be happy doing.
The basic reason, of course, is that you get paid to do the job and providing good customer service is
part and parcel of the job. It does help to remind yourself that the organization promptly pays you and it is only fair to deliver your responsibility.
The next reason is that good customer service is the best pre-sales effort for the next purchase by the customer. People go all the way out to run promotions and write great copy to entice customers to buy their products.
Nothing though can beat good customer service.
There are customers who will repeatedly buy from the same company because they are happy with the service provided. Good customer service is not about falling over yourself providing everything the customer asks for, but it is about providing the customer what they rightfully should get for having bought a product from your company.
There is also a completely personal angle that you can look at where service is concerned. Most people nowadays are conscious of their social responsibilities and like to donate or make contributions to worthy causes.
Why not make good customer service as such a contribution? In this case, you also get paid for it. In the words of N. Eldon Tanner, "Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth". The moment you can start thinking that service is something that you want to do, then every customer
request will be much easier to respond to.
Is it going to be easy? Not all the time. There will be difficult situations but there will also be customers who will be very appreciative of the service that you provide. For those difficult situations, say to yourself that this is why you are paid a salary and just do it. The moment you stop fighting it, handling the situation gets less difficult.
Now, how do you handle difficult situations so that they do not upset you? The best way to handle this is to calmly listen to the customer. Many a time service representatives have a solution even before the problem has been described. Stop to listen first. Then ask clarification questions if necessary before providing the resolution.
Theodore Roosevelt said, "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care". You will do well to remember these words. If you can listen with a sincere desire to help and be happy to help the customer, you will feel good providing service. Some people even enjoy it. In addition, your whole attitude and listening with care will come through and even the customer's demeanor will change.
Good customer service is not about having a good customer service week once a year. It is about providing good service every day. As you start work daily, if you can accept that your purpose for being there is to respond to customer needs with concern and a desire to help, it will be a lot easier to get through work. You can even start enjoying it.
Remember, at a minimum you are getting paid to respond to customer requests. You are also helping to drive more sales from customers because of the excellent service you help provide. Besides this, from a purely personal perspective, you get an opportunity to be of service even without getting out of your normal routine.
Start having a different outlook to providing good customer service. It will make a great difference to how you support your customers and importantly to how good you feel deep inside you.
In about 4-6 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All The Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All The Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Customer Loyalty Ideas
As the Holiday Shopping Season has begun I thought it would be a good time to share some thoughts about Customer Loyalty. We all know that keeping one customer is so less expensive than acquiring a new customer. So here are some ideas to help you retain your current customers.
1.
Product Awareness. Know what your steady
patrons purchase and keep these items in stock. Add other products and/or
services that accompany or compliment the products that your regular customers
buy regularly. And make sure that your staff understands everything they can
about your products.
2.
Reliability. If you say a purchase
will arrive on Wednesday, deliver it on Wednesday. Be reliable. In fact I'd also suggest you 'under promise and over deliver' by actually delivering your customer's purchase on Tuesday. If something
goes wrong, let customers know immediately and compensate them for their
inconvenience.
3.
Be Flexible. Try to solve customer
problems or complaints to the best of your ability. Excuses — such as
"That's our policy" — will lose more customers then setting the store
on fire.
4.
People over Technology. The harder it is for
a customer to speak to a human being when he or she has a problem, the less
likely it is that you will see that customer again.
5.
Know Their Names. Remember the theme
song to the television show Cheers? [ Everybody Knows Your Name]
Get to know the names of regular customers or at least recognize their faces.
- Communicate. Whether it is an email
newsletter, monthly flier, a reminder card for a tune up, or a holiday
greeting card, reach out to your steady customers and do it often.
- Customer Service. Go the extra
distance and meet customer needs. Train the staff to do the same.
Customers remember being treated well. It's about customer satisfaction, that's what brings people back to you.
- Employee Loyalty. Loyalty works
from the top down. If you are loyal to your employees, they will feel
positively about their jobs and pass that loyalty along to your customers.
- Employee Training. Train employees
in the manner that you want them to interact with customers. Empower
employees to make decisions that benefit the customer.
- Customer Incentives. Give customers a reason to return to your business. For instance, because children outgrow shoes quickly, the owner of a children’s shoe store might offer a card that makes the tenth pair of shoes half price. Or install a customer loyalty or "VIP" program that rewards your customers or clients for repeat business. Likewise, a dentist may give a free cleaning to anyone who has seen him regularly for five years.
I recommend you review this list regularly to keep your business on track towards increasing your customers loyalty to your service or product.
In the next few weeks or so I'll post another article to help you work 'on' your business!
"Remember, to get your business to the top, you must get off your bottom."
"Remember, to get your business to the top, you must get off your bottom."
Here's Wishing You A Happy and Prosperous Holiday Season.
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws http://www.corebizsolution.com
Practical Business Advice
Core Business Solutions
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws http://www.corebizsolution.com
Practical Business Advice
Monday, October 15, 2012
4 Ways to Grow Your Business
This post will review four fundamental ways to increase your company's revenues, net profit and overall value.
Be careful here…it’s easy to say "I'm already doing that," or "that won't work in MY business." When, in fact, in most cases you can- 1) do a better job doing what you're doing, and/or 2) creatively adapt the idea in your business
Here are four methods that could work for you:
1. Sell to and serve more people
I know this seems so obvious ‘get more customers’. But ... let’s break it down further and look into all the possible channels by which you can advertise and reach new customers. Print, internet, signs, trade shows, direct mail, social media and the list goes on.
If you're like most businesses, you're probably advertising in some places but not yet in others. I suggest you start testing lots of different marketing channels to find new ones that can work for you.
Begin with the one that stands out as the one most likely to pay off (getting the most qualified people to contact you per dollar spent).
Are you really using social media consistently? Have you stopped networking as much as you used to when your company was new? Have you considered door flyers? Don't knock these marketing channels unless you've really tried them to the best of your ability.
Remember: the more marketing campaigns you try, the more likely it is you'll find the one or two that you’re not using that are solid gold. And these many times these become long-term assets, generating you profits month-after-month, year-after-year.
2. Increase your average order size
How many times have you heard “you want fries and a drink with that?” Fast food companies have learned this one well. Have you? It’s called ‘Cross Selling’.
Once someone has come into your store (or online property, or calls you) your goal is to maximize their total order amount. In doing so, you should simultaneously maximize your revenues and completely fulfill the needs of your customer.
The key is to not do it obnoxiously. For example, when you're in a restaurant and the waiter suggests entrees, appetizers and/or asks if you want dessert, it's not seen as being pushy, but it maximizes the restaurant's profits. Are you maximizing your profits?
Another example of this: you may have been calling to order something by phone like supplements and they suggest they can add an item in your package with no additional shipping charges.
You could add to your customers' order sizes by finding out what accessories or related items they might need, and have them available.
This can also be done Online. When you ‘checkout’ at Amazon.com a message will pop up saying "Those who bought X also liked Y...". No wonder they have one of the highest conversion rates among online stores.
Over all industries, cross selling generates 35% additional gross revenue and averages 18% more profits!
That’s serious money in anyone’s book.
3. Increase your customer order frequency
How often do your customers need your product or service? Is it something totally out of your control, like a real estate client not needing to buy another house for several years?
But are there things within your control that can motivate customers to come in more often or purchase more often from you, like a restaurant inviting its customers in for specials on slow nights?
Loyalty and reward programs can help make this happen. For example, hair salons can provide a VIP Reward program where the 3rd or 4th or 5th visit provides you a deep discount on their services and many coffee shops will give you a card to punch each time you buy a coffee to get the 10th one free. If you have 7 of 10 punches already, you know you'll be a little more likely to choose that place over others to get your reward sooner.
Continuity income is another huge one. If you can offer any kind of product or service on a recurring, monthly basis...do it. Ever hear of the ‘Book of the Month Club? A winery or liquor store could offer a wine-of-the-month club. Bakeries can offer weekly batches of cookies to local businesses for team meetings.
The odds are that whatever you're offering, a certain percentage of people want it every month like clockwork and will pay accordingly for it.
4. Increase your monetization methods
Finally, look for your business' byproducts that might be of value to someone else.
Think about this: when sawmills and furniture manufacturers stopped throwing away the tons of sawdust accumulating on their floors, and began selling it to other businesses who could use it (such as for making "starter logs" for burning in your fireplace) they found new income streams.
Another interesting example is a group of real estate investors who built a brand around their vanity number, 1-800-NO-AGENT, offering homeowners a chance to sell their house to them at a discount instead of listing it and waiting.
They found they could sell the leads (those who responded but didn't' want to sell to them) to local real estate agents (who would contact them to see if they could represent them). Their company ended up generating nearly as much revenue from selling "dead" leads as it did from their core business of "flipping" houses!
I have a client whose main business generated literally tons of scrap lumber. He has turned what was once a $3,000 monthly dump bill into a $350,000 revenue stream by converting the scraps into landscape mulch which he sells by the truckload!
Doubling revenues just by thinking outside the box...that'll add value to your company.
Hopefully as you read through these value-adding methods, you were able to find things you can do right now to increase your revenues and profits. At a minimum, add one new idea to your To Do list to accomplish in the next 30 days. Go after that new additional income with a positive outlook and you'll start seeing the benefits!
In the next few weeks or so I'll post another article to help you work 'on' your business!
"Remember, to get your business to the top, you must get off your bottom."
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com
Practical Business Advice
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Success is a Marathon
I recently ran across an article written by Harvey Mackay (author of 5 business best sellers) that I shared with a client and I think he makes some great points that all business owners should remind themsleves of frequently. Let me know what you think...
"Success is a Marathon" by Harvey Mackay
Persistence and determination are what keep us hammering away. I've known entrepreneurs who were not great salespeople, or didn't know how to code, or were not particularly charismatic leaders. But I don't know of any entrepreneurs who have achieved any level of success without persistence and determination.
When you have a dream that you can't let go of, trust your instincts and pursue it. But remember: Real dreams take work, They take patience, and sometimes they require you to dig down very deep. Be sure you're willing to do that.
Mackay's Moral: Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can.
In the next few weeks I'll post another article to help you work 'on' your business!
"Remember, to get your business to the top, you must get off your bottom."
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions Inc.,
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Practical Business Advice
"Success is a Marathon" by Harvey Mackay
The key to success is sometimes just the willingness to put one foot in front of the other one more time. Here's how I do it.
I have ten marathons under my belt, including four New York races and one Boston. When you are running a grueling race with thousands of people, for the most part it doesn't matter where in the pack you finish. What matters is simply that you finish. It's all about persistence.
Even the elite runners - those who make the 26.2-mile trek in a little over two hours - have to convince themselves to take the next stride. Imagine how a runner who is still at it after four or five hours feels! Then think about the rush that comes when the finish line is in sight.
The difference between those who finish and those who give up lies in the old axiom that successful people do those things that unsuccessful people don't like to do. Successful people have the determination, the will, the focus, the drive to complete the tough jobs - like running a marathon. Or launching a business.
You may recall the story about when I was starting out, and asked a colleague I respected how many calls he would make on a prospect before giving up. He told me: "It depends on which one of us dies first."
Keeping your eye on the prize is usually easier said than done. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the demands of a long-term project. Here's how I stay motivated.
I have ten marathons under my belt, including four New York races and one Boston. When you are running a grueling race with thousands of people, for the most part it doesn't matter where in the pack you finish. What matters is simply that you finish. It's all about persistence.
Even the elite runners - those who make the 26.2-mile trek in a little over two hours - have to convince themselves to take the next stride. Imagine how a runner who is still at it after four or five hours feels! Then think about the rush that comes when the finish line is in sight.
The difference between those who finish and those who give up lies in the old axiom that successful people do those things that unsuccessful people don't like to do. Successful people have the determination, the will, the focus, the drive to complete the tough jobs - like running a marathon. Or launching a business.
You may recall the story about when I was starting out, and asked a colleague I respected how many calls he would make on a prospect before giving up. He told me: "It depends on which one of us dies first."
Keeping your eye on the prize is usually easier said than done. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the demands of a long-term project. Here's how I stay motivated.
- Focus on what you can accomplish rather than the obstacles that stand in front of you. Direct your energy toward achieving a goal, and tackle the problems with an emphasis on edging closer to a successful result.
- When you identify a roadblock, develop a realistic plan to overcome it.
- Work with your colleagues or employees to make it easy for them to say yes to your requests. Provide options so they can contribute to the best of their abilities.
- Never ask them to do something that you wouldn't do yourself. That is the essence of leadership.
- Be assertive without being aggressive. Set the direction and take responsibility for results.
- To paraphrase Winston Churchill: Never, never, never, never, never, never, never give up.
Persistence and determination are what keep us hammering away. I've known entrepreneurs who were not great salespeople, or didn't know how to code, or were not particularly charismatic leaders. But I don't know of any entrepreneurs who have achieved any level of success without persistence and determination.
When you have a dream that you can't let go of, trust your instincts and pursue it. But remember: Real dreams take work, They take patience, and sometimes they require you to dig down very deep. Be sure you're willing to do that.
Mackay's Moral: Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can.
In the next few weeks I'll post another article to help you work 'on' your business!
"Remember, to get your business to the top, you must get off your bottom."
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions Inc.,
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Practical Business Advice
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