The Consumer Power

While most companies talk about consumer friendliness, customer centricity, customer relationship etc. more often than not they are mere lip service or jargons with little sincerity behind these grand sounding words.

When a company lacks the sincerity to deal with their customers fairly, some one comes along and puts the company on the dock and though the trial by the customers may be long drawn out it is ultimately the death sentence for the brand or the organizations itself many a times.

There are hundreds of recorded cases of companies going down the tube in spite of the best possible product and high visibility promotions just because they failed to take care of the customers in all sincerity.

Jeremy dorosin and the Starbucks is a case in point where one single customer created a movement and media attention so wide that the company had to close shop.

Starbucks coffee simply refused to acknowledge the genuine grievance of a customer and laughed him off. In spite of their claims of people oriented service, they failed to note a genuine customer complaint. When Jeremy Dorosin went to the media and the inteet, millions of affected customer whether of starbucks or other companies joined in to orchestrate their protest against the high handedness of big business? The unfaiess was visible when Starbucks painted Jeremy Dorosin as a nut.

The company had to close shop ultimately and we now have the famous term Starbucked out of this customer victory.

Just do a search of the word Jeremy Dorosin in any search engine and you can read all about it.

The point that needs to be raised here is:

Can the customer be used like a whore? Use them and discard them when you feel like. Is he just a number; the more you have the better is your bottom line.

Or is the customer going to be an important component around which your business revolves.

Would you like to shortchange the customer for your short term profits?

Do you react differently to your customer and you as a customer?

Is your entire organization designed to revolve around the customer or only your Sales and Customer Care have to think about them and rest of the organization is trying to beat the customer orientation by an accountant mind set.

These are just the basic questions you need to ask yourself if you want to survive and profit from business. As Peter Drucker said almost 50 years back, Customer is Business.

Decide whether you want run a business or run out of it by forgetting the customer.

R.G. Srinivasan is a Certified Trainer, Writer and Author with more than two decades of managerial experience. He writes a regular blog on management thoughts which you may check out at http://management-thoughts.blogspot.com for interesting articles on management, managerial resources, strategies and experiences.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Customers

Customers don�t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.
- Donald Porter V.P., British Airways

MARK is a local celebrity in his city. When his �big sister� and her husband visit, Mark likes to treat them to dinner in a fancy, lavish five star restaurant. On one occasion, upon arriving at the restaurant of choice, Mark and his family leaed there were no reservations in his name. He calmly asked, �Well, what are we going to do fix this? I�m sure there�s something your manager can do.�

The ma�tre d' retued with the manager, who apologized for the error and assured Mark they would resolve the situation at once. Meanwhile, the ma�tre d� went to several tables and explained to each diner that the restaurant had misplaced a reservation and asked if they would mind helping by allowing their table to be slightly �shifted.� He offered them a twenty percent discount off their bill for their inconvenience. Naturally, the other diners complied.

A space cleared in the middle of the room and four waiters carried in a table and chairs. In less than three minutes, accommodations were ready for Mark and his family.

Sooner or later, you�re going to disappoint a customer. How you handle that crisis, will determine whether you lose a patron or gain a devoted supporter. If you can make a customer feel special after you�ve disappointed them, you�ve taken a negative situation and transformed it into a positive.

TURNAROUND TIP: When you make a mistake, make no excuses. Own the mistake and begin to correct it at once. However, it doesn�t do you or your associates any good if you try to solve a problem without a specific plan. The following steps offer a blueprint for crisis resolution that you can adapt to your business. This guide comes from the book, Juiced! by Lipkin and Gillis.

1. Apologize immediately with genuine empathy. [The manager apologized to Mark without restraint for the embar-rassment and inconvenience the misplaced reservation caused his family.]

2. Take responsibility. Take control. Don�t badmouth your company and don�t go hunting for blame in front of the Customer. Dance, Don�t Fight. [The manager didn�t come out with blazing accusations saying, �It�s the hostess� fault!� He took the heat. He owned the problem and made no excuses. Your customer doesn�t care who�s to blame.]

3. Do whatever you can to fix the problem or resolve the situation immediately. Be crisis-ready. [The manager had extra tables and chairs for just such an emergency.]

4. Have a resource-in-reserve that can be app-lied when and where it�s needed fast. [The manager authorized the twenty percent discount to the other diners to express gratitude at their willingness to help. You might keep gift cards to give to Customers to offset the bitteess of a disappointment � along with an apology.]

5. Minimize the Customer�s inconvenience or discomfort financially, emotionally and physically. Take the sting out of the negative experience. Manage your customer�s memory. [Will Mark remember the misplaced reservation or the way they fixed it? Both, but he won�t tell the story without telling what they did to alleviate the problem.]

6. Follow up within twenty-four hours. Make another deposit into the memory bank account. [Mark received a thank you note for his patronage and for his patience and understanding along with another apology for the inconvenience.]

7. Evaluate the service delivery process and implement changes to prevent the mistake happening again. �What can we lea from this?�

Only you can answer the last question. Adapt and apply this guide as needed. In fact, you don�t need to save it for your customers. You can adapt it to work with family and friends, too. Run towards a problem, not away from it. �A crisis is a moment of truth: you can make it a moment of magic or a moment of misery.�

Mike Dandridge md@theperformancepro.com Mike is the founder of High Voltage Performance, a consulting firm that specializes in designing customer experiences for the industrial marketplace. He is a keynote speaker and a seminar leader with 25 years experience in electrical wholesale distribution. Dandridge is author of, The One Year Business Tuaround, a book based on his years in wholesale, containing a year�s worth of ideas for improving your customer service. You may reach Mike at 254-624-6299. Visit his Website at http://www.highvoltageperformance.com. Subscribe to his blog at http://www.businesstuaround.blogs.com.

Word of Mouth Advertising is Not FREE

It has been said by many a marketing consultant and book writer on the subject that Word of Mouth Advertising is great, but they wa; It Does Not Just Come Out of Thin Air. In fact they are correct, it does not come out of thin air, no sir, you get word-of-mouth advertising, referrals and customer volunteered testimonials being uttered around town the old fashion way; you ea it.

You ea it and create a �customer salesman� as I call them when you give customer service, which exceeds expectations and when you have done everything else along the way in your business marketing plan correctly.

You see, this is hardly free and no it does not come out of thin air as the marketing gurus tell us or wa us. You must ea it and it does cost money, but it is worth every penny too. Additionally you can create word-of-mouth advertising without ever servicing the particular customer running around town bragging about your Great Company.

In fact once the Buzz gets going, it gets harder and harder to stop and you would swear every employee at your company is ten-foot tall. The trick is to live up to and try to go beyond all the hoopla that people are talking about when mentioning your company name.

Customer Service is the key to keeping it going and you must concentrate on that along with the marketing, which got you to that point in the first place you see? Consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Who Says the Customer is Always Right

We all know the old adage, "The Customer is Always Right." If you are an online business owner or offline for that matter, you are on both sides of the subject almost everyday.

Before I started my online business, I was just on one side... the customer. I whole-heartedly believed in the above adage and never questioned it at all. In fact, I would get rather perturbed at ANY business owner, manager, or supervisor that would disagree with any complaint I had.

When I started my own online business back in 1997, I slowly began to lea the "other side."

My business products are all downloadable. If your business includes downloaded material, you know where I'm going with this one. I get NUMEROUS complaints EVERYDAY about useames and passwords not working, corrupt downloads, and the big one... "I can't open the download." Now I always reply in a very helpful gesture, but my first question is always, "Are you entering the useame and password exactly as shown?" This seems to be one of the "biggies" with newbies. They do not understand "case-sensitive" -- heck -- they don't even know what that means!

But it doesn't matter HOW simple I make the instructions and overall download process, I STILL get these everyday. I am accused of being a "scammer" at least 4 - 5 times a week... and that's on a GOOD week! :o)

The whole point of the above example is NOT that customers are wrong -- that's not the problem at all. Many of them are very new to the inteet and sadly, they do not read through the directions most of the time. I have found that I basically have to put myself back into the "newbie" frame of mind -- as hard as that is to do! I don't remember NOT knowing how to download, enter case-sensitive passwords, etc.

You MUST try to understand that customer... at the point of contact, whether by email or phone, they have probably sat there for HOURS trying to figure it out. They are irritated, angry, and they've pretty much decided at that point that you scammed them.

Yes, it's irritating getting these "dumb" questions and emails even when you have them broken down so simply in the instructions. But face it, you're going to get them and you will get them often as more and more climb on the "web wagon."

When I get a very insulting email (yes, I HAVE been called the "B-word," the "MF-word," and recently a new one that I have never heard before... it was quite disgusting), I do not answer it immediately. I let my initial anger subside. When I can read through it and giggle... it's time to answer. I find that 80 - 90% of the time, the customer is VERY embarrassed of their initial email by the time I have helped them courteously through their problems.

I had to lea this process through time. Believe me... I am a VERY sensitive person and I used to take these to heart. It HURT! I had to revert back to my "customer side" as well as the "newbie" frame of mind and do my best to understand the person's anger.

One angry customer can lead to thousands if not millions in lost business revenue! Especially on the inteet. That one customer tells one friend who in tu tells another and so on a so forth. You COULD get a real "psycho" customer that decides to start a website all about YOUR company and YOUR poor service or product.

Watch that one spread like a virus! :o)

On the other hand, exercise great customer service (get those emails answered within 24 hours, folks) and watch the *praise* of your company spread! I guarantee that you just GAINED thousands in sales!

MOST importantly remember these three things:

** LOVE YOUR CUSTOMER

** UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER

** VALUE YOUR CUSTOMER

You are NOTHING without them. Treat them like gold and you will RECEIVE gold in retu!

Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com

FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane

The High Road Is Still Best

Over the past few months, we've been working with a group of small business owners to take the lessons from Thomas L. Friedman�s book �The World Is Flat� and apply them to their business model. Picture it as a book club by telephone, with members spread from Connecticut to Califoia. The participants are inspired entrepreneurs, and we�re making great progress in opening their minds to capitalize on new opportunities.

The premise of Friedman�s bestseller is the walls between nations, customers and competitors are being eliminated because of technology. Thus, paradigms we�ve long accepted as true are being challenged, the biggest of which - as alluded to by President Bush in his recent State of the Union address - is America�s future as the preeminent global power. �If we ensure that America�s children succeed in life,� said Mr. Bush, �they will ensure that America succeeds in the world.�

The purpose of this E-Newsletter isn�t to discuss America�s supremacy, its politics, or whether Mr. Friedman is correct. Instead, I would like to share a personal story about the flattening world as a framework for a discussion affecting every small business owner, wherever you live: providing world class customer service...always, especially when you fail to live up to expectations.

Each month I write an �11 Things� list with additional tips for improving your small business. A couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a gentleman in Dubai who saw February�s �11 Things� list posted on EzineArticles.com, and had a question about one of the items I recommended. Here is a portion of his note:

Dear Sir... Considering point number: �9. Recover - Did you know Google was supposed to be "Googol" (like the number)? Someone misspelled it on an application, so they went with it. Not a bad decision as it tus out.�

From what I know, googol was registered as a domain in 1995, while Google came to life in 1998. If this is correct, then your point does not hold true. Please share with me how there was a mistake in this application, and how you came to know about it.

I have to admit, my first reaction was, 'Do I want to spend my valuable time responding to this?' However, one of our company core values is �Quick follow-up to all e-mails,� so, I googled �Google misspelled googol.� Clicking on many of the links, I discovered the real story might not have been as my original research suggested. Oops! So, recognizing the irony in my advice about recovery, I sent a retu e-mail to Dubai:

Thank you for reading my article...and for paying such close attention! In my research, I discovered several references for this... Some articles I read quoted co-founder Larry Page telling a story about making a mistake on "an application." However, in following up today...it appears Google company lore suggests their first investor misspelled it on a check...and that may be the reason. Bottom line...I defer to your excellent point and keen eye, and will endeavor to write more clearly in the future. Thanks for making me better.

Of course, the story would have stopped there and I would never have written about the art of recovery...except the gentleman took the time to respond with this:

Now this is a great example of terrific, completely-friendly replies... I'm speechless. Since we are both in good moods, I'd like permission to translate your articles and post them on my Arabic blog.

Let�s recap what occurred here in less than half an hour, half a world apart. Someone [imagine your potential client] questioned something I wrote [a customer disappointed in your service will tell nine others about her poor experience]. I took the time to check my facts [always find out what really happened], then I owned up to my error in a friendly way [treat others as you want to be treated]. And, because of my open, honest communication [non-defensive, non-confrontational], my articles will now be published in Dubai [many more potential new clients will see them].

Success Handler Action: Recovery is all about making things right in an equitable way with your clients and customers to keep potentially long-term relationships in tact. To measure where recovery ranks in your small business, after you finish reading this, ask yourself these questions about your service philosophy:

~ Who on your team is responsible for solving customer service issues?

~ What is your policy for dealing with client disputes, and is it written down anywhere?

~ Where do you draw the line on clients' requests when resolving disputes?

~ When was the last time you gathered your team and facilitated a discussion on the importance of customer service?

~ How do your team members feel about this statement: �The customer is always right.�?

It may be too early in the flattening of the world for our company to receive business anytime soon from the other side of the planet. However, someone who knows someone will forward these articles, even the Arabic versions, to the right person - and there will come a time when they need help clarifying and executing their vision. Thus, 30 minutes of my time will eventually lead to new clients who will contribute substantial revenue to our company.

That�s the power of recovery. Always take the high road, and your small business will win in the end.

The Coach, David Handler, is the founder of Success Handler, (http://www.successhandler.com), and specializes in helping small business leaders find clarity and take action. He understands the challenges of running a business, because he�s been there � as a small business owner, franchisee, franchisor, corporate leader and trainer. Much like sports coaches, his coaching will show you how to compete on a level playing field in your industry.

The Three Elements of Building Long Term Profitable Business Relationships

There are three basic elements of building long term profitable business relationships. What needs to be kept in mind is that the following process should be followed FOR EACH PROSPECT. This can result in some �extra work� but the payoff is well worth the additional effort. The biggest obstacle in relationship development processes that I see is they don�t get very specific with regards to individual prospects. By observing the following steps and becoming creative in the ways you apply them, you can rest assured that the outcomes will be what you want them to be for both you and your prospects.

1. BEGIN AT THE END

A. Compose a short story of what the relationship with the prospect looks and feels like, how much money this relationship will bring into the company over a specified period of time and how much value and joy your organization will bring to the prospect (what you will give so that you can receive)

B. Devise a written plan detailing the steps that will be taken to create the desired outcome; obtain input from everyone in the value-chain who will have an impact on this prospect as a customer (be sure to tell them the story of the organization�s future relationship with this prospect)

C. Determine a date by which the desired outcome will occur

D. Assign specific milestones and timelines that need to be accomplished along the way

E. Budget for each prospect the amount of money needed to take the steps (if you skimp here, you�ll probably wind up wasting any money you do spend; remember, you�re investing to develop a long term business relationship, not a short term sale)

F. Hold �Huddles� with rotating contributors to the value-chain at least once a month to report progress, review the story (is what we�ve done so far helping to tell the story we wrote at the beginning of this process?) and solicit feedback and additional input; revise the relationship development plan based on the results of these Huddles

G. Engage in �Business Edification:� develop cost-free and low-cost ways you can help your prospect succeed in their business without charging them; this is an investment in the relationship and is provided without expectation of retu � furthermore, this sort of activity should be constantly pursued even after (especially after) the prospect has become a paying customer

H. Determine who else (what other products and/or services) could benefit the prospect in ways they haven�t yet thought of (this is thinking about the prospect�s business needs and opportunities before they think of them themselves); explore creative ways you can partner with your prospect to help them get more than they expected in their business enterprises; go one step further and explore ways you can help them partner with other businesses that will help them grow their business influence and profits

2. FOCUS ON YOUR CUSTOMERS BUT KEEP YOUR COMPETITORS IN VIEW

A. Review all available marketing data and current research on competitors at the Huddle meetings

B. If new information indicates the need, create a strategy and a plan for countering any competitive advantages a competitor might be developing or might now have

C. Incorporate this information and this strategy into the relationship development plan

D. Determine what makes your customers continue to do business with you and then write a story about how your customers are better at what they do because of their relationship with you (use metaphors and analogies rather than merely reporting the �facts� and inserting testimonials)

3. UNDERSTAND THAT MARKETING IS RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

A. When it comes to developing long term profitable business relationships, a sale is a natural result of marketing � selling should not be considered as a separate process independent of marketing (the sales process flows out of and back into the marketing process)

B. Make every contact with the prospect (in any form � phone, email, letter, face-to-face, etc.) value added regarding information they can use immediately to solve a problem and/or increase their business influence and profits; the first two contacts should be both about you and about them with all subsequent contacts primarily about them (as an example, faxing articles about their industry which demonstrates that you know about them, their industry and what they�re reading � or should be reading)

C. Think ahead of the curve of your prospect�s need; consider their fiscal year and when they will be most likely to need your products/services and those of other businesses as well; this way, you become viewed as a solicited trusted advisor and not an intrusive salesperson (as the marketing guru Dan Kennedy says, �an invited guest, not an unwanted pest�)

D. Follow up with every opportunity to define and solve a problem or create and capitalize on an opportunity; if you can help your prospects see their businesses a little more clearly from an outside perspective, you�ll have gone a long way in forging a strong and lasting bond of respect and trust with them

Ken Wallace, M. Div., CSL has been in the organizational development field since 1973. He is a seasoned consultant, speaker and executive coach with extensive business experience in multiple industries who provides practical organizational direction and support for business leaders. A professional member of the National Speakers Association since 1989, he is also a member of the Inteational Federation for Professional Speaking and holds the Certified Seminar Leader (CSL) professional designation awarded by the American Seminar Leaders Association.

Ken is one of only eight certified Business Systems Coaches worldwide for General Motors.

His topics include ethics, leadership, change, communication & his unique Optimal Process Design� program.

Tel:(800)235-5690 Claim your free eBook, "How to Do Better Than Your Best in Anything You Do" by visiting the Better Than Your Best website.

The Sushi Effect How a Supermarket Loses a Customer

I didn't intend to change to another supermarket.

For the last 18 years my family has used the same supermarket.

It's less than half a mile from our home. It sells almost every food item that we need. We buy our petrol there, our newspapers, postage stamps, stationery, wine, CDs. We even buy our domestic gas and electricity from this store.

But one little thing has really been bothering me recently.

When I go to fill up my motorcycle with petrol, there is a sign that says I must remove my crash helmet before entering the shop to pay for my fuel. And I can understand that this is to deter any potential robbers who might use a crash helmet to conceal their identity.

This wasn't too bad in the summer. And I complied with the request. Although I noticed that the petrol stations of other supermarkets and oil companies had no similar condition.

But when the colder weather arrived, I started to wear a thermal balaclava under my crash helmet. And so now this petrol station wants me to remove my crash helmet and my balaclava. To do so means first removing my gloves. Then I take off my glasses and store them safely. Then I am able to remove my crash helmet, undo my jacket, remove my neck tube and finally take off my balaclava.

To put everything back on really means taking my jacket off otherwise I cannot get the various layers to lay flat and comfortably. And where do I store everything that I've just taken off. On the floor???

I mentioned to the cashier how inconvenient this was for me. She seemed to be very understanding but explained that this was company policy.

I then suggested that they might like to ask motorcyclist to use the payment hatch to her side. The one that would allow motorcyclists to pay from outside the shop without even having to enter. "That's a good idea," she told me. But I could tell that it wasn't going to go any further.

I also asked her how many fewer robberies they now had as a result of this policy. "It hasn't changed," she said. "We've never had any robberies."

And so I tried phoning the store manager to ask for his help. I even explained that both my brother and my mother work at another branch of this company. And I really don't want to buy my petrol anywhere else. I explained the idea of using the exteal hatch so that motorcyclists don't even have to enter the shop. But, despite his assurance that he doesn't want me to shop elsewhere, nothing has changed.

Now maybe I'm getting a bit old and grumpy. But this situation irritated me. And I wondered about how other customers might cope. What would a nun have to do? Or a lady wearing a hijab? Or maybe even a man wearing a turban? Are we all potential villains?

A couple of weeks went by and, just by chance, we had to buy our shopping from a different supermarket. We went to Marks & Spencer. Although it was a little harder to locate all the things we needed in a strange store, we quite enjoyed the adventure. And then I spotted that Marks & Spencer sells sushi. And I've been a sushi addict for some time but our normal supermarket doesn't sell it.

So guess what has happened? We now visit Marks & Spencer on a regular basis. And I notice that my wife is coming home with food from several other stores too. Maybe we've not switched allegiance to any one particular store. But we've certainly switched away from the one that we spent approximately �10,000 with every year. Over 18 years, that's a lot of money.

What can we lea from this story?

I suggest that you let your team think about this situation and how it could have been handled differently. Let them come up with the ideas and suggestions. That way they will feel more involved and any ideas that could be applied to your business will be their ideas.

The sort of things that I'm thinking of include listening to customers, understanding lifetime value, following up a customer complaint/suggestion, making it easy for customers to buy from you.

Derek Williams is creator of The WOW! Awards� and Chief Executive for the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Europe.

For more information about Derek Williams visit http://www.MrWow.co.uk. For The WOW! Awards (including access to a FREE customer service newsletter) visit http://www.TheWowAwards.com

What if Every Company Gave Great Service

As a customer we have all come across business establishments where we received good customer service and occasionally when that service is great it really stands out. Today even good customer service stands out, because we seldom get that very often. At Starbucks Coffee they instruct all their team partners, a fancy name for employee line worker, to give not good or great service, but Legendary Service. Ask any employee it is a mantra around there. Now that does not mean you will get Legendary Service all the time, but you will see the sparks of it and generally you will receive good customer service. And to us customers, well that is a good thing.

There are many companies, which give good customer service, companies such as Enterprise Rent A Car, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Fed Ex, Dell and I am sure you have a list of your own. Personally I like Sam�s Deli, but since you have never been there you will just have to trust me on that one. Good customer service is something every company should give if they want to keep you as a customer? I just have to ask this question; What if Every Company Gave Great Service? Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Three Ways to Improve Your Help Desk s Reputation

I recently did some consulting for a large retail company and sat in with their help desk department, which was probably the worst I have seen in my 10+ years in business. This was an inteal help desk, with the end-users being employees from the various retail stores and warehouses. Not surprisingly the perception of their company�s IT support was not flattering to say the least.

Some of the problems I noted were:

�Poor (often rude) phone answering skills with the majority of calls being answered on speaker-phone, whilst swearing with heavy metal music in the background.

�Lack of management

�No system(s) or procedures in place to keep track of calls and problems

�No central call person (anyone could answer the phone)

�And a lack of morale within the help desk team

Here�s some of the suggestions I would make to resolve these problems�

1) Team bonding

The nature of customer support/help desk is problem solving. No one calls in to say that everything is going well. It�s a bit like being a policeman. People only call you when a crisis occurs. That in its self can become daunting for workers. Dealing with unhappy customers all day, every day, can negatively affect your team�s morale.

The first thing that an IT manager needs to make sure off is that their help desk staff feel supported. Give them somewhere they can vent safely without any information being passed on to anyone else. Also rotating your staff so that it isn�t always the same person answering the phone.

The second thing an IT manager needs to put in place is respect between all the team members. Too often, the help desk is seen as unprofessional because of their lack of respect towards the competence of their fellow workers. Make sure that people are able and willing to work as a team, and you will without a doubt, increase the efficiency and morale of the department.

2) Hire Competent Support Officers

There�s nothing worse than having your computer crash just when you�re pushing to reach a deadline. Actually, having no one who can fix your problem is even worse. Computer technology is a mystery to so many employers. Many seem to think that if someone can install software or surf the inteet, that they are competent enough to run or work in their IT Support department. There�s a lot more to it than that.

First and foremost, you want someone who is going to represent your company to have a �can-do� attitude. Look for someone that genuinely wants to help others, whether or not they know the answer to their problem. Secondly, you want someone that has the basic tools and technologies used in the customer support industry.

Depending on the end-users your help desk supports, either fellow company employees or exteal customers, you will need different types of help desk staff.

If you�re looking at hiring an inteal support officer for your IT infrastructure, you�ll need to make sure that they have a good knowledge of the type of network, and hardware you have as well as a general working understanding of your software applications.

If you are supporting exteal customers, you will most probably need to train your new support staff on your own support software. But, as I said before, the most important quality you want in the people you hire to take care of your customer service is the �can-do� attitude. Add to that excellent phone manners, patience, confidence and logic. This will make the difference between getting customers that come back to purchase again or them spreading the word that doing business with you was a big mistake.

Because there�s more to customer support than merely answering phone calls, you�ll want to make sure you train your staff appropriately. Remember that your help desk staff are usually the first people your clients will come in contact with at your company. Having someone competent and helpful at the end of the line will make for a great experience for your customers and will build trust towards your business.

Training your support staff is therefore crucial to keeping ahead of your competitors. You will also save time and money if your support people have procedures in place to solve problems and take charge of difficult situations, promptly and efficiently.

Take the time to fully prepare a training program for your support staff, in the likes of videos, books, one-on-one sessions with an experienced work colleague, training sessions over a few weeknights, etc. Anything to make sure that the people servicing your customers have the knowledge and skills to exceed your clients� expectations.

3) Get Proper Tools to Support your Support Team

The help desk industry has one of the highest tuovers of staff, meaning you not only need a system that is fast and effective in helping solve problems, but that is also easy for staff to lea. A help desk system to easily log, track and assign calls to staff for resolving issues, will improve the efficiency of your help desk and will ensure that no calls get lost, thus improving your customer service.

Allowing your customers to log their own calls (through the web) and to see the progress of their issue(s) can reduce the number of phone calls placed to your support team by 78%.

Having a database where every employee and/or customer as well as the help desk team can find previously resolved calls can make for an effective way to solve new issues, faster.

As the IT Manager, it is always prudent to know what your help desk team is working on and what issues are common. One way to ensure that your customers are not left waiting for days to get an answer, is to have an issue escalator. This way, if an issue isn�t resolved in a timely manner, you will receive a notice in your email saying so. You can then make sure that actions are taken to fix the problem.

To get the best out of your support team, give them all the training they need and easy to use tools, that take minutes to lea. A good help desk system is THE ingredient that will take you to the next level in customer service. It is with this tool that you can blow away your competition. If you want more information on how a help desk system can help your business, please check out the following link:

http://www.helpdesk-support.com/webciss

Paul Smith is the manager of Auratech Software, a company that specialises in Help Desk Software to help businesses with their customer support. If you would like to read more articles on improving your support or would like to check out Auratech�s range of Help Desk Software, please visit: http://www.helpdesk-support.com/better-support.htm

The 7 Principles of Business Integrity

If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don�t have integrity, nothing else matters. -- Alan K. Simpson

If I were to ask you what attribute is the most influential in regard to the success of a business, would you know immediately which one is the most important? Based on my many years as a business owner and entrepreneur, I have discovered that at the very top of the list is the distinguishing quality of integrity. Without integrity at the helm of a company, a business is usually short-lived. In fact, when business integrity is present throughout the deepest layers of a company and not just at its surface, it becomes the heart and soul of the company�s culture and can mean the difference between a company that succeeds and a company that falters.

The Inteet�s Immeasurable Impact on the Marketplace!

The importance of integrity has always existed among the business community, but in recent times has been shown as falling short. It is the Inteet�s immeasurable impact on the global marketplace that is now making the expression of integrity, reliability and credibility extremely important. Furthermore, the consequence of global competition means that customers will simply not consider a company that shows any less than the highest level of integrity. Since there is a wealth of competitive companies easily available and accessible via the Inteet, there is in fact no need to accept anything less than the best.

Where Does Integrity Start?

In an effort to build upon a foundation of integrity, the first requirement would be to establish excellent rapport with clients. Based on many years of study, the best and most practiced method for achieving rapport is by way of Relationship Marketing. Just as it sounds, Relationship Marketing is founded on the single and most critical characteristic, known as �Integrity.� However, achieving true integrity with clients often leaves many an entrepreneur bewildered, grasping for techniques and strategies that guarantee their futures. But integrity is not something that can be grasped and then simply used. Integrity in its essence must be so ingrained within the nature of an individual, its company and the team members, that it remains steadfast no matter what. Without question, others sense it and find it very attractive.

The True Nature of Integrity!

Now you are probably asking yourself, what is the true nature of integrity? There are in fact some very basic principles that surround the qualities of business integrity. At its core, integrity begins with a company leader who understands the qualities of integrity which then filters down throughout the company into every department and every member�s approach and attitude.

In recent research performed by the Institute of Business Ethics- an organization which is among the world�s leaders in promoting corporate ethical best practices, it was found that companies displaying a �clear commitment to ethical conduct� almost invariably outperform companies that do not display ethical conduct. The Director of the Institute of Business Ethics, Philippa Foster Black, stated: �Not only is ethical behavior in the business world the right and principled thing to do, but it has been proven that ethical behavior pays off in financial retus.� These findings deserve to be considered as an important tool for companies striving for long-term prospects and growth.

The following 7 Principles of Business Integrity are the basics of integrity and a good starting off place to consider. By integrating each of these principles within a company environment, the result will be nothing short of a major rebirth of the enterprise.

Principle #1: Recognize that customers/clients want to do business with a company they can trust; when trust is at the core of a company, it is easy to recognize. Trust defined is assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of a business.

Principle #2: For continuous improvement of a company, the leader of an organization must be willing to open up to ideas for betterment. Ask for opinions and feedback from both customers and team members and your company will continue to grow.

Principle #3: Regardless of the circumstances, do everything in your power to gain the trust of past customer�s and clients, particularly if something has gone awry. Do what you can to reclaim any lost business by honoring all commitments and obligations.

Principle #4: Re-evaluate all print materials including small business advertising, brochures and other business documents making sure they are clear, precise and professional; most important make sure they do not misrepresent or misinterpret.

Principle #5: Remain involved in community-related issues and activities thereby demonstrating that your business is a responsible community contributor. In other words, stay involved.

Principle #6: Take a hands-on approach in regard to accounting and record keeping, not only as a means of gaining a better feel for the progress of your company, but as a resource for any �questionable � activities; gaining control of accounting and record keeping allows you to end any dubious activities promptly.

Principle #7: Treat others with the utmost of respect. Regardless of differences, positions, titles, ages, or other types of distinctions, always treat others with professional respect and courtesy.

While it is most certainly an integral and positive step for a small business to recognize the significance of integrity as a tool for achieving its desired outcomes, that is only the beginning. What must truly be recognized for true success is that while certain precise universal principles lead to business integrity, it is in the overall mindset of the company and the unfailing implementation of these key elements that an enterprise is truly defined. A small business that instills a deep-seated theme of integrity within its strategies and policies will not only be evident among customers, associates and partners, but its overall influence cannot help but to result in a profitable, successful company. By recognizing the value of integrity, and following each of the aforementioned 7 principles for achieving integrity, your success cannot be far off.

Robert Moment is a best-selling author, business coach, strategist and the founder of The Moment Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping small businesses win federal contracts. He just released his new book, It Only Takes a Moment to Score, and recently unveiled Sell Integrity, a small business tool that helps you successfully sell your business idea. Lea more at: http://www.sellintegrity.com

or email: Robert@sellintegrity.com

The Most Powerful Way To Influence Your Customers

Have you ever read a book or article and immediately felt a powerful connection with the author? As if the author was just like you, as if he knew exactly how you felt, as if he truly understood you?

Have you ever read a salesletter that made you feel that way?

For me personally, very few salesletters have had that kind of effect on me. But one thing's for sure... every time I have come across such a sales letter, I've found myself pulling out my credit card and buying whatever the site was selling by the time I was done reading the letter!

How useful would it be if you could influence your customers that strongly?

Here's the simple secret to wielding that kind of power...

Before you try to sell to them, meet them where they are!

What do I mean by that strange phrase?

Just this... Show the customer that you can see the world from where he is standing, through his eyes. Show him that you understand, that you're aware of, and sensitive to his feelings, thoughts and experiences!

The only way to show the customer all those things is to genuinely understand and empathize with his problems, challenges and frustrations. In other words, you can't fake it. You actually have to step into the other person's world and really see it through his eyes, through his point of view.

Think about this...

How are most friendships formed? It starts when you find out that the other person has something in common with you. That the two of you are alike in some way, you share a common interest.

That relationship becomes even stronger when you begin to realize that the other person understands you, that's he's going through the same challenges that you are!

Nothing creates a bond faster between two people than sharing something in common, especially a common pain or frustration.

This is what those great sales writers mean when they say "you have to know your customer!" It means, you have to know what your customer is going through, what motivates him and what pains him!

When you can show the customer that you see the world from where he's standing, that you can feel what he feels, the "plight" they're at, the frustrations and struggles they're going through, you can then easily lead them to the solution!

Before you can offer to solve your customer's problem, you have to show him that you empathize with his problem!

Everyone's offering to solve their problems and making them all kinds of promises. Yet very few people actually take the time to show the customer that they really understand them, that they care! That they appreciate and empathize with their problem!

Why do you think "personal stories" and "testimonials" work so well to sell products? It's because the customer can relate to the people in the stories. The stories can often time take the reader from the place where he currently is.. and gently, naturally lead him all the way to the end result, the solution... the happy ending!

If you have personally gone through the same problems and challenges and can use your own personal story, that's even better. (This is why those 'rags to riches' stories sell moneymaking products so well.)

The better you understand the mindset of your customer, the better rapport you'll have with him, and the easier you'll be able to sell to him.

This is why individuals who have purchased and loved the product themselves tend to be much better at selling it to others. It's because they have personally experienced the pain and frustrations that existed before they found that product. And they are much better at conveying that message to the reader (i.e. the customer.)

Before you can get the customer to see things from your point of view, you have to first meet him where he is and see things from his point of view! Only from there can you lead him towards the solution... and to the sale.

Do that and you will create instant rapport! Your salesletter will take on a magnetic quality! It will compel your customers to buy from you! And, it will leave your competition in the dust!

To your success!

Copyright � 2003-2005 by BryanKumar.com. All Rights Reserved.

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What To Do When You ve Blown It

It�s bound to happen sooner or later � yes, even to you and your business. Sometime or other, you will make a blunder that upsets a customer. It may be an employee mistake (honest or intentional), it could be a defective product, it could even be an unreasonable expectation on the part of your customer. The cause really isn�t important.

What is important is that you have an angry customer on your hands.

What, you ask, does this have to do with marketing advice? Everything. Because it costs you eight times as much to get a new customer as it does to keep an old one. Because your angry customer isn�t going to stop at avoiding your business � she�s going to tell everyone she knows just how sorry you are. Because if you have been getting a steady stream of new customers (at eight times the cost, remember) but your overall numbers aren�t growing as fast, you are losing money. Bigtime.

Here�s an example: Jane is a regular customer of Joe�s Bargain Dry Cleaning. Once a week she brings her entire business wardrobe in for cleaning. Since her entire business wardrobe isn�t that big, she spends about fifty bucks every time. This week, a stain on her favorite blouse isn�t removed, and Jane calls in to complain when she gets home. The employee Jane speaks to claims to be sorry (though she doesn�t sound like it) and says that not all stains can be removed by the dry cleaning process. She will, however, give Jane a coupon for a free one-item dry clean.

Well, Jane wanted to wear her favorite blouse tonight for her big date with Jim. Now she can�t. Since she lives right around the coer, she asks if she can bring the blouse back now and have the stain treated. She is told that Joe�s does not accept same-day orders after 10 a.m.

Jane hangs up totally disappointed. Forced to wear a less-flattering blouse on her date, she is somewhat lacking in self-confidence (it�s hard to feel good about yourself when you think you look bad) and her date does not go well. She vows never to darken the door of Joe�s again. And she doesn�t.

Now, lets crunch the numbers: Jane was spending $50 a week at Joe�s. Subtracting two weeks for Jane�s vacation time, that means she was spending $2,500 a year at Joe�s. Ten Jane�s in a year (if Joe is really lucky) and that is Twenty-five thousand dollars Joe will not be putting in his back pocket this year. Ten more next year and Joe is losing $50,000.

But if Joe had handled the situation correctly, Jane could have tued into one of his most loyal customers. Here�s what he (and you, when it happens) should do next time:

1. Own up to the mistake. The sooner the better. It�s hard for people, and businesses, to admit mistakes � but do it anyway. In the story above, the employee passed the mistake off to �the dry cleaning process.� Never do that. Even if the problem is something completely out of your control, stand up and take responsibility. Yes, it may be hard on your ego. But what�s more important: your ego, or your wallet?

2. Make it right. Immediately. Don�t make them jump through hoops to get a refund or a replacement (or better yet, both.). Jane should have been allowed to come down right then and have her blouse treated while she waited. If the stain still wouldn�t come out, she would know Joe�s had done their best.

3. Make it better. Your customer hasn�t just been irritated. She�s been inconvenienced. Give her something extra for her trouble. After treating Jane�s blouse while she waited, she should have been given an entire weeks dry cleaning for free. Joe would have been out $50 in the short term, but his $25k for the year would have been saved. And Jane would never even consider another dry cleaner as long as she lived.

Following these steps will give you rabidly loyal customers. And when you combine that with steady new ones, your business will grow exponentially.

Lisa Packer, author of "How To Dramatically Increase Your Business... Without A Blockbuster Budget," is an independant Copywriter and Marketing Consultant. To read more helpful articles like this one visit http://www.dramatic-copy.com