Using Buttons and Badges to Increase Customer Service and Business at a Restaurant

The food service industry is usually a fast paced and often precarious one. Advertising is critical in a restaurant and there are many ways to use a button maker machine in this industry. When the advertising budget is tight, a button-making machine will expand those precious dollars. Buttons can be used for a myriad of purposes such as advertising specials and for identification of wait staff. Whether you serve a five star cuisine or mom and pop specialties, a buttons can help lower your overhead and raise profits.

Every restaurant has a line of specials that they serve. Servers may suggest the special, or describe it, but a button can really show it. People are stimulated by what they see – hence all the pictures in menus. It would just make sense to have an appetizing photograph of your daily special or weekly special on a button to attract attention. The server might suggest the special while pointing to the button "As you can see, today for our special we have a delicious pot roast with mixed vegetables".

Buttons and badges are a really inexpensive way of advertising your specials and increasing your sales. Buttons can also be used to advertise the next night's special to tantalize your guests to retu. Want to increase the dessert sales? Nothing makes the mouth crave cool creamy ice cream more than a photograph of a hot fudge Sunday or a malted milkshake – words just can not describe those types of images well enough. These buttons can be made and handed out to the staff each day or each week of the special and then retued. Buttons are small enough to store easily, reusable, durable, and still large enough to make the mouth water when covered with pictures of your luscious entrées.

Do you have a unique or unusual theme to your restaurant? Sell souvenir buttons with your restaurant logo. If you are in a travel location, such as along an interstate, buttons with the state information and name on it are also great souvenirs. These buttons can be sold for as little as a dollar and still generate a handsome profit. "I always eat at Joe's Bar and Grill" or "World's Greatest Bar-be-Que" over a picture of your restaurant would be a simple button to make and could also be sold as a souvenir. Do you have a signature dish or a super large portion? For that guest who accomplishes the clean plate give them a button. For example, "Survivor" stamped over a picture of a porterhouse steak with your restaurant's name at the bottom would certainly get people's attention.

Making up buttons with your logo and address on them are great for sponsored events as well. Does your restaurant support a local youth sports team? Making up buttons to let people know who you sponsor and to give out to the team players is a great way to get the word out that you are involved in the community. Staff members can wear these buttons in the restaurant to let guests know that your establishment inspires youth activities. These buttons can also be made with the team's final placement or the word "Champions" over your restaurant's logo. This is a keepsake for the team members and a way of getting your logo and name out in the public.

Would you like to reward your frequent repeat customers? A button that reads "Thank You for Your Business" can be a great way to say thanks and will get the word outside the restaurant that you appreciate your guests. These can also have a discount on them. If you have regulars who visit often, give them a button for five or ten percent off their next meal. These buttons can be retued at the time of the purchase, just like a coupon, and saved for the next customer you want to reward. This is an inexpensive way to promote your establishment at openings as well. Pass these buttons out to new customers to draw them back in, and maybe even their friends.

Use buttons as nametags for employees. These can be customized with the restaurants logo and address or if you are a less formal establishment, have the servers and staff design their own buttons – within reason of course. Buttons are also large enough to include years of service. Rewards for staff can also be made out of buttons. The employee of the month or week can wear a button saying "Employee of the Month" or "This week's Star Performer".

Buttons for special meals or special employees are an inexpensive addition to your establishment. These buttons can help increase sales, generate more revenue, advertise inside and outside the restaurant and reward your frequent guests. No restaurant should be without one of these money saving devices.

Greg Allison is the marketing director for Button Biz. Button Biz is an online distributor of button maker machines and button supplies. Each button making system includes a button maker, button parts, and circle cutter. Make round or rectangle buttons and choose from eleven different badge sizes.

Using Christmas to Keep in Contact With Your Customers

The end of the year is fast approaching. I remember that years back I would take a couple weeks in December and just solidify my relationships with my buyers and sellers. I know that we are a little early right now but it is a good time to plan as some of the work can mount up during December if you are lucky.

Today, go through your list of clients and maybe clients and decide two things:

1. What is the value of this relationship today and tomorrow?

2. What is the best way to show that I care as a person and not as a salesperson?

Here is what I used to do. I would hand write Christmas cards to everyone on my maybe list of buyers and sellers with a little personal note, this could go out to 300 or 400 people or maybe only 50 you have to decide. You can write these Christmas or more probably holiday cards very quickly once you get a roll going. I just go to the local Wal Mart or somewhere where boxed cards are cheap and buy a bunch, fill them out with a short message personalized with their name on top and send them out. One bad mistake is to have the office pre print cards as it just screams of insincerity. On the same note be sure to stamp the envelope as your office may have a meter machine for postage and this will make your letter look more like a bill, no need to remind them of January early!

The next thing you can do is to find a supplier of low priced quality chocolates and get together with others in your office to order to drop the price point per box and then hand deliver these chocolates to each of your good clients. This will take more time as you want to do it close to Christmas and getting time in everyone's schedule is difficult. When you do deliver these chocolates you will also drop of the holiday card as this will save you postage for a few people.

Calendars are the last thing on the list. Everyone gives out Calendars so you want to make sure that your calendar stands out. I have seen Realtors give out appointment books, as an alteative and I am not sure how well this can really work as no one else will see this. By all means give out calendars this year but if at all possible give out something that people will use at other times of the year. Go to a promotional supply store personally and see what you can find. Maybe you can get a fridge magnet with your picture and the schedule for one of the local sports teams that you can mail out in the spring or maybe you can get a magnetic month at a glance board that is just 8 and a half by 11 inches, I know my mom still has one of these on her fridge and it lasts forever. The best thing you can do with the idea of calendars is to be different because it is really hard to stand out when you are doing the same thing as every other Realtor in your area.

Bill Nadraszky offers great real estate articles and a directory system that allows you to see the top real estate sites anytime at realtor.calputer.com. Check it our today.

Think Positive Care for Your Customers

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Operating a business on a daily basis dealing with customers can actually be frustrating and they often don't make it easy for you and your employees to treat them nicely.

You need to remember where all your revenue and sales come from for your business. Every dollar in sales that your business gets comes from these customers that can sometimes be frustrating. You want to treat them well and hope that maybe they'll retu another day happy and satisfied and bring family and mends.

The old saying, "The customer is always right", is really not true. One unhappy customer, through word of mouth, can translate into a lot of lost customers. Just because customers aren't telling you how good you are, often times you think, "Everything must be okay." They may not come to you and say, "That was a horrible experience, but they might tell their family and friends that." Silence is not golden.

Each person really has different theories on this, but they have the potential to tell just one or many other people positive or negative things about your business. Look at a happy customer as free advertising. You might already know how much it costs for advertising.

It's been said that an unhappy customer will tell a minimum of 1-10 people their negative experience. Think about that. 1-10 people automatically not doing business with you. That might change the way you respond to someone. Just maybe a receptionist having a bad day and being rude on the phone - that person telling 1-10 people about that and they will never do business with you.

The first step to a better relationship is to realize customers aren't different from anyone else. They are people with feelings, reactions, wants and desires. They've been studied for the last 50 years and during that time, more than any other time in history. It's your job to understand human drive, passions, emotions, fears and target those emotions.

You want to always be looking for a response from them good and bad. Every bad response you get from a customer is an opportunity to improve.

The second step is to reverse your "Money Plan" that is always thinking of them as money machines. You want to think, "How can you get them more - better - faster - easier - less expensive - higher quality - longer service- better benefits - more options - and more desirable things that they want?"

In order for this to work you must think of your profit will come as long as you are running the business properly. You can't think like this for long without ending up with more value in your business or product or service. A greater number of customers that are doing more business with you, doing it more frequently, and they're doing it more often for a longer term and they're giving you referrals. Treat your customers like you want to be treated.

Abe Cherian is the founder of Multiple Stream Media, a leading performance-based Inteet advertising company dedicated in helping small businesses create online presence, brand recognition and online automation. Main company web site: http://www.multiplestreammktg.com

The Golden Rule of Customer Service

"Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." Don't worry; I'm not trying to take you to Sunday school under the pretense of a business article! However, in one form or another we have leaed this rule for as long as we can remember. Many people try their best to apply this rule in their everyday lives. But, how many of us try to follow such a simple principle when it comes to business?

If you think about it, it could single handedly be the most important rule to follow in business. After unpleasant sales encounters, most customers are not most upset with the product or service that they purchased. Sure that may have been the root of the problem. But, most people understand that we don't live in a perfect world and sometimes things don't work!

The reason most people leave these situations upset is because of the way that they've been treated. They feel that they have spent the money for your product or service that for one reason or another did not perform properly. This upsets them, but what really angers them is that they feel that no one cares.

We've all had negative customer service experiences. Those of us in sales have most likely been on both sides of such exchanges.

When we're in the salesperson role, we may be running ragged from an extremely busy day. We may have issues going on in our personal life. We might simply have gotten up in a bad mood that moing. There's nothing innately wrong with any of those things. However, it is our job to find a way to put all of those things aside to help the people we're paid to assist. This is why I feel that sales people should really be required to take Acting 101! Ideally, we would always be able to genuinely be interested in listening to our customers and helping them find the solutions that work best for them. But, we all know that that's pretty much impossible everyday, absent a fairly large prescription of Prozac! Salespeople are just that, people. We're not always going to be at the top of our game, but we must be able to "act" as if we are. Convincingly, act as if we are!

On the other hand, being that salespeople are people, we are constantly faced with these situations in which we are the customer. Undoubtedly, you have run into a few salespeople who have irritated you or who may not be quite as helpful as you'd like.

Now, obviously, we will never be able to be perfect in all of our customer interactions. However, if we were to try and keep the good old "Golden Rule" in our consciousness at all times when dealing with customers, I think we'd find our jobs more enjoyable, our customers happier and yes, even our profits growing!

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Dana Wallert is the owner of an online virtual assistance company. She has many years experience in sales and marketing, as well as office management. Find more about Dana and sign up to receive her free monthly newsletter at DW Office Solutions – Virtual Assistant Services

Who Benefits the Most from an Answering Service

Americans have busy schedules and busy lives. Many times those busy schedules make it impossible for a person to wait. That is why convenience stores and fast food restaurants are so popular in America. There are fast ways to do just about anything, but happens when someone needs to speak with someone who is busy? It the conversation was going to occur on the phone it is likely that the person would just hang up. For personal phone calls that might be okay, but what if you were a business owner?

Businesses who do not receive important phone calls put themselves at risk for losing profits. This most often occurs when a first time caller is looking to become a new customer. If an individual is calling a particular business to become a client it is likely that they may not call back if their call was not answered. For this reason there are many business owners who use an answering service.

An answering service typically operates at another location that is separate from the business it is working for. There are many well-known companies who run an answering service, but an answering service can also be started by a person working from home. You may be wondering how an answering service can pick up your phone calls if they are not at your business. This feature is what is known as call forwarding. When a business owner or employees will not be in the office they will set their calls up so they will be forwarded to the answering service. How the answering service will operate will all depend on the person or company offering the service. Many times an answering service will answer your calls as if they were one of your employees, take a message, and then forward that message on to you.

Just about any business can benefit from an answering service; however, there are some that will benefit more than others. Construction workers and other general contractors need an answering service because their job could depend on it. To stay in business a contractor always needs to have work. Should a potential client call up and not receive an answer is likely that would just move on to the next contractor in the phone book. This could be damaging to success of a contractor.

All medical professionals can benefit from using an answering service. These medical professionals may include a pharmacist, a physiologist, a doctor, or a dentist. An answering service is needed in these professions due to emergencies. A patient's health and wellbeing could literally be on the line if they were not to receive an answer when calling a medical professional.

Contractors and medical professionals are just a few of the many individuals who can benefit from an answering service. Other business professionals that can benefit from using an answering service may include, but are not limited to, attoeys, insurance agents, home health care providers, and govement workers. If you are currently employed as one of those individuals you are encouraged to increase your profits and customer satisfaction by using a professional answering service.

C.J. Preston is a writer for We Answer where you can find an answering service that delivers superior service for an affordable price. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Preston

Why Do Your Customers Complain and What Can You Do About It

As the Inteet becomes an increasing part of our lives there are a growing number of web sites which are run for dissatisfied customers to publicly air their complaints about bad service. See your name posted on these sites or get contacted by them and you know you have a problem!

How can you prevent your business from becoming 'feature of the week'? Of all the skills small business owners need these days, the one least practiced is the ability to step back and look at your business from the customer's perspective.

Having an effective complaint handling process is important but that is the equivalent of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted – it's too late, your customer has already suffered.

It's more effective to know what your customers could potentially complaint about and put it right before it happens.

So what are the common reasons for customer complaints? Mark Bradley of Customer Service Network (www.customeet.com), which facilitates in benchmarking, improving processes and implementing improvements to help reduce customer complaints, says, "Financial loss is the obvious reason but the rest can be split into operational and emotional reasons."

In this article we will look at some of the operational and emotional or human issues within your business which could give your customers cause to complain. Take a look at these and examine each part of your business. How do you stand up?

"You didn't do what you promised."

When did you last review your advertising material or web site? Do they contain service promises which sounded great at the time but have since been forgotten? For example, do you promise to deliver within 24 hours but changes in processes have meant that is no longer possible? No one may have complained yet but sooner or later someone will.

"Your product didn't do what it's supposed to do."

When did you last undertake a quality check of your product? Random checks can help weed out poor quality workmanship before a customer spots it. When buying your stock or finished item do you test it?

"You're never open when I need you."

9 to 5, 5 days a week may have been acceptable when you first started out, but is this still what the customer wants? Check with your customers – they may want you to open later and close later.

"It's a long time before someone answers the phone."

Hanging on the phone while it rings and rings is very irritating. It conjures up images of staff sitting drinking coffee and chatting; not the impression you want to portray and not the way to put customers in a buying mood! Do your staff understand the importance of the phone being answered promptly?

"Whenever I ring in and get transferred to another person I often get cut off."

Have your staff been trained in getting the best out of your phone system? Do all staff have a handy list of extension numbers to avoid annoying 'sorry wrong department' answers? Ask a friend or business colleague to ring in and take note of what happens – good and bad.

Mark Bradley says, "We usually encounter a number of interesting correlations that fundamentally prove that operational accuracy leads to customer satisfaction."

Take some time to look at your business from the customer's perspective and you should be able to stop customer complaints before they hit your desk.

It's not only the operational side of the business which can let you down; the human side of business can also generate complaints – your staff! No matter how good your product is one loose cannon in your team can upset everything. What actions can your staff take that can lead to a customer picking up the phone or putting pen to paper?

Bad Attitude

There's no getting away from it – some people have a bad hair day every day! The way they speak to people is enough to tu the most mild mannered of customers against your company. They act as if the customer is an interference to their daily routine. A person with poor job skills can be taught the relevant knowledge or skills but a person with a generally bad attitude, the proverbial chip on the shoulder, is harder to bring into line.

These type of people are the ones who never acknowledge your presence when you are standing in front of them, or still chat away on the phone The solution? Get them away from your customers.

Not Willing To Seek a Solution

These people are the ones who may acknowledge a customer's problem but just can't be bothered to find a solution; it's too much hassle. The stock answer is, "I can't help. It's company policy." Their favourite words are "I can't", "Yes, but", "won't", "shouldn't". They can find nothing positive to help the customer. If this happens, your customers walk away thinking you are a 'can't do' instead of a 'can do' business.

Not Giving Full Product Explanations

Your product may be the best in the world, but if it doesn't do what the customer wants then you have one unhappy purchaser. Lack of understanding of how the product or service meets the customer's requirements could be down to your sales staff being too anxious for a sale – persuading the buyer that the product is just right when it clearly doesn't fit what the client needs. This is partly down to sales training but also attitude. Do you want staff that are happy to sell to your customers on this basis?

Not Willing To Admit a Mistake

Isn't it refreshing to hear someone say, "Do you know, you're right. We really messed this up." If you get this as an opening line when making a complaint, you immediately know you're in business. However, sometimes getting a business to admit it has made a mistake is like pulling teeth. If you're in the wrong, get your staff to own up and say, "Yes, we were wrong", it can take away the emotion which sometimes blocks successful resolution of complaints.

Not Keeping You Up To Date

In any effective complaint handling process, everything can be done according to the book, but it can all be thrown away if the client is not kept up to date. A complaint, followed by days of silence, allows doubt and anger to bubble up again. It may be that the person handling the complaint had a bad time when taking the initial query; he's not motivated to pick up the phone and engage in another torrent of abuse! However, not speaking to the client can only make matters worse, and so guaranteeing that the next call will be even more interesting! Get 'strong' characters to front your complaints, people who are not intimidated and are happy to solve problems.

Broken Promises

This is probably the most frequent reason for human cause of complaint; 'Yes, I'll do that for you. Leave it to me." What happens? Nothing! The impression given is that your staff just don't care, or that the customer is not important. Impress upon your staff the importance of following through on their promises. Any broken promise will compound a complaint.

So, in what areas are your staff letting you down? Are you doing everything to ensure your staff are treating everyone as loyal customers? Listen to what your staff are saying, and listen to what your customers are telling you. Get the human side of your complaint process right and you have more chance of keeping your customers for life.

The art of complaint handling is not only resolving it to the customer's satisfaction; it's also about taking action on what you find out and being proactive in finding potential problems before they become problems.

© Robert Warlow Small Business Success

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to Small Business Success a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles. Visit http://smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Seven Guaranteed Ways To Get Your Employees to Care About Your Customers and Company

1) The Ability to Associate - The term empowered is intangible, so simply telling employees that they are empowered to make their own decisions on how to best deal with your customers is not enough. Intangible meanings provide your employees with no means of associating that term. Let's put great customer service that everyone can relate to and get away from this word empowered! Let us use real life situations to help them better understand. When you teach your employees to think like doctors, whom I have used for many years with great success, the concept comes to life. After all, everyone has had experiences with doctors, and has seen first hand what it means to have someone completely focused on solving personal issues. That is what great customer service is all about! You may use whatever analogy or hypothetical situation you would like, but explain the concept in a way that makes it a relatable situation to the employees.

2) We Are All in The Customer Service Business - It's important to remember, first and foremost, that every business or position in this world, no matter what field it might be, is ultimately in the business of customer service. It doesn't matter whether you're working for McDonald's or John Hopkins Hospital, or whether you are a mail handler, secretary, or CEO of a company that is among the Fortune 500. The key to your company's success, and your own, can be summed up in just three simple words: great customer service.

3) The 90% Rule - You might not be able to satisfy every customer, but you need to be able to solve ninety percent of your client's issues if you are to continue to expand your company's horizon, even if it only means giving expert advice. Your customers come to you seeking answers to things they want or can't comprehend. Teach your employees that when customers walk through your door, they're seeking solutions, just like patients to a doctor. If you are able to satisfactorily solve problems for your customers ninety percent of the time, your company will be well above average, accordingly, you will be well on your way to success. It's an achievable goal.

4) There's always a Resolution - If a customer asks a question about a product that you or your employees can not answer, it's not the time to panic or tell the customer you don't know, or even worse, send them to a competitor. Rather, when confronted with this often uncomfortable situation, it's the time to shine, get resourceful and prove to your customers that you are truly committed to providing superior customer service! Get your employees to start thinking like a doctor and understanding the needs of the customers. Once you exhaust all your resources then search outside your organization for answers. Remember, the customer doesn't care what resources you tap into to solve their issues--they just want them solved.

5) Catch It Before It Happens - To be an effective employer, you must be an excellent listener and completely honest with yourself and workers. Talk with your employees about their job and feelings toward their fellow employees, customers and personal goals. This can be done one-on-one or during weekly or biweekly meetings, which I strongly encourage. If there are any red flags, and you are truly listening and allowing the employees to speak freely what is on their mind, these red flags will appear which allows you the opportunity to take preventative measures. These proactive steps will help build trust within your company and help avoid many confrontations, embarrassing situations, or lost of customers.

6) Finding Accomplishment With-in Your Day - Teach your employees how to find success in each day, even when their days are off to a bad start. Though it might sound counterintuitive, helping your customers can actually be cathartic, offering you a chance to forget, at least for awhile, about negative issues at hand. In fact, concentrating solely on your customers can be a great way to cruise through a day, no matter which rung of the corporate ladder you occupy. You'll be so caught up in giving your clients excellent customer service that before you know it, your work day will be over and you'll find that it was actually a pretty good one at that! With all of your customers satisfied, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment that will improve your confidence in your ability to deal with your own difficulties. However, don't get too caught up in your feelings, because feelings are just that--feelings! Feelings are not facts. So whatever feelings you are having on any given day, always remember that they will eventually pass, good or bad, so find a customer and make their day!

7) Mining Your Gold - Your employees are just like a rough piece of gold. You have to go through the process of transforming that piece of gold into a beautiful work of art. You have to bu it, melt it down, shape it and then finally bring out the shine. The same principle applies to your employees. So look out for that rough employee with great potential or even that shining employee and bring out the best in them and it will pay off ten times over. Let them know that you notice all of their good work and remind them to never look down on themselves or the job they currently hold. Every position in every company is important to the ultimate success of a business--and that includes your job! So let them know that they owe it to their self, their family, and the company to perform their best. Encourage your employees to gain more knowledge about the products and services the business has to offer, interact with customers, and focus on the needs of the customer. This approach will pay off for both the employee and company.

These are seven basic rules and guidelines in which all companies should follow if they are to achieve any type of success with their company and its customer service program. As with anything that requires more than one person to operate, it will take a team effort, so start building your team today.

About The Author

Curtis Cowan is CEO of the Cowan C. Kean Group and Author of the best selling book "You're the Doctor…So Fix the Problem" (ISBN 0-9769995-2-8)! Curtis has been in the customer service industry for more than two decades. His expertise covers a wide range, from business consulting and training to working for and planning the day-to-day operations for a number of businesses, such as Nordstrom's, Marriott Hotel, Northwest Airline and Washington Convention Center. CONTACT CURTIS http://www.curtisacowan.com (703)489-6659

What Every Employee Should Know About How to See Customer s Problems from Their Creative Side

Customer Service is a blessing and a curse; a blessing to the customer and a curse to you, the employee. At least so it seems. Although as the Customer Service representative for your employer, you are faced with a never-ending barrage of complaints, problems, and questions on a daily basis, the pressure of the job could easily become a source of anger, frustration, and other forms of counter-productive behaviors. You seem to live in a pressure-cooker of stress.

Rather than let the pressure get to you, why not develop attitudes that will help you become more cheerful, positive, and productive?

Did you know that a winning attitude, especially while exposed to stress, actually puts less wear and tear on the body than anger and frustration? And did you know that you chronic anger and frustration could cause you to end up in a hospital bed? And, depending on the severity of the symptoms, could lead to options beyond hospitalization? It could very well lead to imprisonment or interment?

The human mind seems to be like a calculator. Before you can solve a problem with it, it must be cleared of all previous problems. Anger and frustration jam up the mechanism; it short-circuits the whole operation.

It has been proven many times that by a simple change in attitude, in mental outlook, the same amount of time and energy most of us for anger and frustration could be used to solving them.

Creative people look at problems as challenges. They realize that without problems, everything would come to a stop. Problems do to our emotions and psyche what pain does to our body: They keep us moving forward searching for a solution. They are responsible for every forward step we take, collectively and individually.

So, if you want to have a lot more fun and a lot less worry, try the following:

* Put your customers' problems in their true perspective.

* See yourself as a vital part of their problem-solving world, and the world as a part of the universe, and the universe as a part of a great and mysterious living picture.

* See problems in their true light: a temporary inconvenience for the customer and an immense steppingstone to success for you. (You never know where solving someone's problem may take you.)

Every problem has a solution. The customer may not see the immediate solution, but solutions are always available. They may not like the available solution, but in taking time to show you care and are willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy, other options may be explored and utilized.

Think about these the next time you are faced with a problem:

* No problem is permanent.

* Every problem has a solution.

* You have the God-given powers to solve any problem.

* There are probably a number of ways to solve a problem.

* The same kind of problem has been solved a million times before some where around the world.

Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in ezines, newsletters, and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Although advance permission is not required, please notify us at execandgroup-consulting@yahoo.com when you use this article.

Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Management Consultant and Trainer, conducts seminars, lectures, and writes articles on his theme: ... helping you maximize your potential. He offers management, marketing, and parenting resources at his Maximizing Your Potential blog.

Should I Have My Company Mystery Shopped

I wish I had a nickel for every time someone said to me, "Oh, you do Mystery Shopping; I always wanted to do that!" I think most people do find the thought of posing as a customer and reporting back on how they were treated, rather intriguing. But there is a lot more to it that skulking around in a trench coat and spy glass!

I believe most companies have taken the plunge and decided that it really is important to conduct frequent "mystery or secret shops" of their businesses. The question remains, do they do anything constructive with the information or is it used as a disciplinary tool?

Before you start having people snoop around your company, consider the following clues that will help guarantee a successful program.

1. What's the Value in a Mystery Shopper Program?

a. The most important reason for conducting a mystery shop, is to see your business through the eyes of your customer. Not only should you consider mystery shops, but using focus groups on a quarterly basis that are made up of some of your actual customers. Both sources will provide you with excellent feedback that you can start to focus on.

b. Second, a well-thought out mystery shopper program will allow you to evaluate the accuracy of your training program. If your employees are taught in their training program that they must greet the customer in a certain way, the "shop" will show the results. It is also a way to hold employees accountable for what they leaed in training. If you train them you can test them!

c. Third, it helps a company to truly focus on the areas that need improving, based on the customer's reactions. Too often management believes that there needs to be changes in one area and the customer feedback shows that the focus needs to be elsewhere in order to keep them as a loyal customer. Management may think that tightly merchandising their floor space is giving the customer the selection they want, and it tus out that the customer says it is too cramped to shop comfortably.

2. Should I do a Mystery Shop Without the Employees Knowing?

a. Pop Quiz! How many of us read those words and remember a grumpy teacher walking in the classroom to a group of rowdy kids, slamming her book on the desk and bellowing, "Ok, take out a sheet of paper we're going to have a pop quiz.," Panic just struck your soul! The same thing happens with employees. In addition you have just thrown any trust you have built with your employee's right out the window. If you want to build a team, let the players know the game plan!

b. Explain to your employees why you are planning a mystery shop. Explain in a positive way that it is part of the "on going" training program of the company and that the best way to improve business is to find out what the customer really wants. Explain also, that it is a way to hold the employees responsible for the information they were provided in any and all of their training programs. Employees are far less likely to be upset with the results of what they were tested on if they had sufficient time to "study"!

c. Your employees are part of your team. Give them the tools to be successful everyday and they will jump through every hoop you provide. It reminds me of a time my son was on a soccer team. He was five years old and this was a perfect sport to expend that energy that all five year olds seem to have pent up inside. I remember one Saturday game the coach was trying to remind the boys about the drills they had leaed at practice. Game time for this age group is what I call, "like herding cats"! The boys were so excited they couldn't wait to get on that field and show the coach what they had leaed. All of a sudden one of the little boys got the soccer ball and was moving the ball down field as fast as he could. The parents were screaming, the coach was jumping up and down and his teammates were following in hot pursuit! As the little boy kicked the goal everyone went crazy! The little boys face just beamed as he came to the sidelines! But the coach didn't have that same delight on his face! The coach said, "You kicked the ball into the other team's goal!!!!" Agggh!!! But the little boy snapped back as any five year old would, "You never told me which way the goal was"!

How many times have we forgotten to tell our team which way the goal is!

3. Where Do I Start?

a. Slow down and think, is my answer. First, think about the information you really want to obtain from these reports and what are you going to do with it. The questions you want to ask are one of the most important parts of the program. The best place to obtain the questions is to go back to the training material. Remember what I said earlier, if you train them you can test them.

You probably have, what I call, non-negotiable questions that you can begin with. Those are the things you teach employees that must be done, no matter what. If you want to attach points to the questions, then you can give more points to the questions that you want your employees to be the best at. Let's say answering the phone in a certain way is mandatory. If they know that, and they are held responsible for doing that, then you should have it on the questionnaire and you can feel confident about attaching a higher number of points to it.

In most companies, there are three or four areas that they like to have the shoppers give feedback on. The first area is usually the facility. Was the location easy to find? Was the entrance neat and clean? Did I feel safe parking after dark? Was the interior of the location attractive? Was it easy for me to find what I was looking for? The next area usually covered is the inventory or merchandising of the store. Was the signing helpful? Was the business in stock on what I needed? Was it easy for me to shop? The last one is usually the area of service. How was I greeted? Was the employee easy to find? Was the employee knowledgeable? Did the employee make me feel special? Again, these questions can be as many or as few as you think is important to get the feedback that you need.

b. The next step is to hire the shoppers. This can make or break your program. Too often companies think they are saving money by hiring friends and family. I suggest that you hire people you don't know. You are looking for unbiased feedback and the best way is to hire the right people for it. I recommend going to the Mystery Shopper Provider Association website for the listing of good companies to use http://www.mysteryshop.org.

You can hire a company to coordinate your entire shopper program, or you may try doing it yourself if you have a small company and want to try it first on your own. If you are choosing to find shoppers on your own to use your own materials, then I suggest http://www.shadowshopper.com. They have a massive database and it can be accessed by zip code. I will suggest, however, that you use the same techniques you use when hiring any employee. Call the potential shopper and interview them extensively just as if you were hiring a person to work for your company on a full or part time basis. You will get a good feel over the phone about their communication and grammar skills that I feel is so important in providing a company the proper feedback.

c. Lastly, I am always asked, "How often should I do a "shop" and how much should I expect to pay?" I believe consistency is key. If you are looking at saving money you can always choose to do your shops, randomly. Pay is usually based on the length of time it takes the shopper to do the "shop" from the time they leave their house until they get back. Pay can range from $25 per shop on up.

So depending on budget and whether you choose to do them weekly, monthly or randomly, make them a pivotal part of an on-going training program and do not do it for less than one year. That may translate into 12 shops to 365 shops, but either way you must ask yourself how much information would you like to have and how important could this be to your day to day business. We all know what happens when we say we are going to lose weight or exercise more or get organized, it is failure in the making if we are not dedicated to being consistent.

4. How Do I Give The Bad News?

a. The problem with mystery shopper programs is that they get a very bad rap from those employees who have been shopped because the results have been used as punishment. I tell clients that this program is not a "stick"! It is not meant to create fear in the minds of your employees. If that is your goal, you better re-think your management style.

a. Praise first! Go through the report before you bring your employee in. Make sure you are well-versed in at least 3-5 things they are doing well. Praise them for those things and remind them to continue the good work.

b. Corrections second. Make note of no more than 3 areas they can improve in. Negative comments do not motivate as well as comments such as, "Well the mystery shopper found what I always have known, you sit behind the desk the whole time I'm gone". Use the word "we" in your conversation with your employee, such as "We have seen through our reports that we all need to be working at making better eye contact with our customers. We need to make that a top priority this week. I know I can count on you and everyone else to focus on that."

c. Don't use the mystery shopper to do your human resources work! It is not the job of the mystery shopper to deliver the information that is necessary for you to let the employee go. In fact, it is probably not legal! Besides, it is a sign of a weak manager that can not deliver constructive criticism!

A mystery shopper program takes time to create a well run program that provides the feedback that can be used to further the performance of the company. It is not just about the actual "shopping" it is about the entire program and how the information is used.

By using this tool you will see that providing what your customers say is important to retaining their business shouldn't be a "mystery"!

Anne M. Obarski is "The Customer Service Spy!" As a professional speaker and trainer, Anne will work with your company to provide you with the clues to keep your customers coming back. Anne presents keynotes, break-out sessions and customized training, nationwide, in the area of customer service. You'll want her two new books, "Surprising Secrets of Mystery Shoppers" and "Real World Customer Service Strategies That Work". For more info go to: http://www.merchandiseconcepts.com or email Anne at anne@merchandiseconcepts.com

For high resolution photo of Anne, please visit http://www.merchandiseconcepts.com/annephoto.html

Train Your Customers To Be Your Restaurant s Best Friend With A Frequent Diner Program

The History Of Frequent Diner And Customer Loyalty

Since the creation of restaurants, owners have always wanted and needed to know who their customers are and what they like to eat and drink. This information is vital to the ongoing success of a restaurant.

In addition to knowing their customers they sometimes gave away food or drinks in an attempt to buy favor with those customers. While this worked in most cases there were no controls in place to prevent abuse by employees nor were there any requirements other than the good mood of the owner.

Abuse of this method of rewarding customers was rampant. Employees would take advantage of this and give the same favors to their friends. This drove food and bar costs skyward, while making the employees rich through additional tips from their happy friends.

In an attempt to control this madness someone came up with punch cards and stamps. The abuse of the system slowed but was not stopped. How many of us have gotten an extra punch in our cards or extra stamps from a waiter in an attempt to get a better tip? This happens daily in restaurants with this system.

Then came the counterfeiters of these cards and stamps. Recently the Subway chain had to end their 20-year old Sub Club stamp program for this very reason.

The Need To Manage Frequent Diner And Customer Loyalty

The need is great.

As the business owner you need your point of sale system to provide accurate customer information on buying habits, number of visits, frequency of visits, entice repeat visits and purchases through reward programs. Do all this while managing the programs and preventing "sweet hearting" by employees.

No small task. Especially with the creative employees that so many restaurants employ.

The Solution For Managing Frequent Diner And Customer Loyalty

Some point of sale software comes standard with a frequent diner or customer loyalty package that does all these things and more.

Some Frequent Diner Module utilizes secure methods of tracking your guests and their buying habits. You establish a database of guest's information with an account number. This number can be their phone number or any number system you desire. However, the most popular and most secure method is through magnetic cards with your logo on them. These cards act as a constant reminder of your restaurant by having your logo in their wallet or purse.

These Frequent Diner Module will secure the reward programs you put in place and preventing the employees from giving away food. Rewards are giving only when eaed through purchases, frequent visits or for items on your menu that you wish to highlight. The establishment of reward programs takes your employees out of the game and puts you in charge.

You may establish multiple reward programs and assign them to customers on an individual basis. Not every frequent diner has to belong to every program. You have the choice of which customers are involved in which programs.

Reward programs can be established to highlight a new item, feature a portion of your menu or encourage your customers to come back during a specific meal period. Programs can be created to reward customers after a specified number of visits or for how much they spend.

Rewards can be a % off, $ off, a specified item free, or other creative rewards. You have the option to have instant rewards or make the reward good on their next visit.

The Benefit Of Managing Frequent Diner And Customer Loyalty To You

Imagine being able to market directly to your customer base. Imagine having detail knowledge of their buying habits how often they came, when was their last visit, their anniversary and birthdays. With this information you could create marketing materials targeted at your customers and bring them back more often.

Imagine having the ability to establish reward programs to build meal periods that have been traditionally slow. If you need to build your lunch business, establish reward programs based around this meal period and then distribute your frequent diner magnetic cards to businesses and their employees in your area. Don't just sit back and wait on someone to walk in your door. Go out and get them!

Imagine having the ability to highlight low cost menu items and use them to reward customers.

In real dollars and profits the frequent diner module can generate huge results. Let's say you have a $10 ticket average per person with a 35% food cost. If you created a program that rewards a customer with a free appetizer every 5 visits. Appetizers have an average price of $4 and have the same 35% food cost.

If the person ate alone for those 5 visits you would have enjoyed $50 in sales and $32.50 in profits. Your customer has now eaed a reward of a free appetizer on their next visit at a cost to you of only $2.60. This means that you have a net profit of $29.90 on sales that were increased through rewarding the customer for repeat visits. If this guest brought a date then your profits would have been $62.40 with a cost of the program of only $2.60! Imagine the rewards YOU will get for increased sales of your repeat customers.

About the Author

Jerry D. Wilson is Director of Inteet Sales for DirecTouch Restaurant Point of Sale. With over 25 years of hospitality point of sale experience, he has written several articles explaining the benefits of touch screen and retail point of sale software. Please visit DirecTouch Do It Yourself Restaurant Point of Sale or DirectRetail Retail Do It Yourself Retail Point of Sale for more information.

Write a Business Thank You Note

Have you seen that thing on TV where the gal tells the nerd she wonders why he never asked her to marry him and he stumbles and says "Thank You" and she tus to butter?

The point of the message is that "Thank You" goes a long way to making people feel better.

Personally and in business, develop the "Thank You" habit.

While it is generally expected to send a written thank-you for gifts and special favors, it is also appropriate to send one for employment interviews and new business contacts. However, the most powerful thank-you note is the one that's unexpected.

Here are some "Thank You" points to consider

You should hand write it. With the exception below, don't use your computer to print it, or to print the address label and please don't use email for this most personal communication.

If you have that nifty computer font that was made from your own handwriting, your could slip the card in your printer. Be sure the font really looks like the way you write. Didn't know about this? There are several companies that do it, here is a link to one as an example only: http://www.theory.org/~strthrwr/fonts/custom

You can use plain paper, or you can use a thank you card. Some folks have personalized cards created, some buy them at the Hallmark. You can use a fold over card, or a single hard card in an envelope or a post card. It's not the messenger, its the message.

Be brief. All you are saying is Thank You. And say it only once.

No need to gush, be personal, say thank you and why.

Be sincere.

When you send a thank you note, it will have a great impact, "Because no one else does it"

For more about advertising, get my article "Sales Lessons Leaed from Bob Vila" Send a blank eMail to MailTo:BobVila@BigIdeasGroup.com

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved

Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com

BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small Business Consultant with over 30 years experience, http://BIGIdeasGroup.com MailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net

The Customer s Always Right The Grand Illusion

I have to tell you I was dumb founded by what I was hearing from the Cingular "Customer Service?" Rep. Wasn't this the same company that spent millions of dollars with their ad campaigns, telephone solicitations, and those cozy family plan commercials offering free phones and wonderful plans with their smiley employees, so friendly, with their "we'll take care of you" promises? How comforting it was to know that there is still a company out there with the lost philosophy of "the customers always right". What a relief.

Let me fill you in on my latest conversations with the good people at Cingular's customer dis-service department. I have 5 phones from cingular and in all we have about 12 in my family. We liked the idea that we can have unlimited calls to others with the same service, and indeed we do. That's about the last positive thing I can say about our mobile phone service.

My final fiasco began when I lost my main phone some weeks back. This number was on all my business cards, car magnet, inteet sites, and in countless advertisements in print and online. So needless to say, I needed to keep this number.

My first call to Cingular was to report the phone lost. which I did that same night. My first question to customer service was "How can I keep this number, yet block any out-going calls at the same time should the phone end up in the wrong hands?

Here are the options that my phone company gave me:

1) We can tu that phone off and you can purchase a new one. (Okay, that sounds fair, after all they practically give these phones away, so how much could another phone possibly cost.)

"Well sir, to replace the phone you lost will cost you $249.00". "I don't understand", I replied quite puzzled. "I only paid $50 for that phone when I bought it, plus I received a $50 rebate, so I paid nothing for it"

"Well sir, that price is only available when you sign a 2 year contract, unfortunately you don't qualify for an upgrade for another 5 weeks when your existing contracts expires on that particular phone" Okay, do you see where this is going?

So I'm forced to bring out the heavy ammo. I have no alteative at this point but to threaten to cancel all my accounts and I let them know I'm taking my entire Network of friends and family members with me. I hate to do it , but these people have to realize how serious I am in order for them to fully understand the ramifications they are facing by jeopardizing their chances of losing this large account that they spent so much time and money on to make sure we didn't fall into the hands of any of their many competitors. Basically they said, "See yuh!"

Now I'm stuck like chuck and end up buying the cheapest phone they have and now the old number is forwarded from the lost phone I can no longer use, (yet I'm still paying for) to the new phone I was forced to purchase because I still have 6 weeks left on my contract. Are you following me so far? Now pay close attention, because this is the proverbial "icing on the cake".

My phone bill arrives and I'm being billed over $500. Surely there must be a mistake and I know with just one quick phone call to my friends at customer service this will all be corrected and the charges will naturally be removed due to some understandable mistake on their part. It was then explained to me why my bill was so unusually high. You see, it seems I had made several calls out of the country from the phone I reported lost and no longer had in my possession. Yes, after having this account for 3 years it seems I was now making calls to Haiti and points beyond. Good thing for me I had reported the phone lost and Cingular put a calling restriction on the phone in case it tued up one day. Could you imagine if I was the one they were going to hold responsible for all those calls? I knew their fraud department would pursue this and maybe even recover my phone. "Excuse me, what did you just say?" I asked the fine folks at the phone company. "You want "ME" to pay for the calls to Haiti, are you serious?" Oh yes, they were very serious. They are demanding, yes demanding, as in threatening to cut off my service if I don't pay the bill from the phone that I reported had been lost over a month ago.

Are you kidding me? Try talking to a supervisor; see how far that gets you. First they try to keep you on hold long enough to get you to hang up. Tactic 2 (unofficially there are rumored to be 113 stall and distraction techniques, but this is only a myth and the exact figures are top secret and perhaps we'll never know. This is Cingulars version of the "Grassy Knoll" and to speak of it may be endangering my next phone bill at this very moment.)

Do you get the big picture? This is big business's version of "You can't fight city hall". The sad truth is the customer is not always right any more; in fact we're almost never right, because they have an excuse for everything. They have it right there in front of them in the form of cheat sheets. You say this, they say that. They don't care about giving the individual "Customer Service". They target millions of people all in the same fish bowl. If you or I have a problem they really aren't conceed about losing our $50 or $150 dollars a month, they have trained people to deal with dis-satisfied customers and they call those specialists "Customer Service Reps", which translated means "see you, wouldn't wanna be you". Face it folks, you can't win, the best you can do is think you won, and go away happy. And that is where Customer Service Reps excel.

If you enjoyed this article, please visit Jay's Family sites at Jays Plan - Secrets of a Single Dad and Family Health With Mister Mom

Jay Bartels is the author of many human interest stories. Jay's own story of hope and inspiration can be found on his highly resourcefull family sites. Jay is a single father raising two young girls and shares his experiences in several jouals that can be found on his web sites.

The Pretty Woman Theory

We've all seen it. Julia Roberts is shopping on Rodeo Drive. She's dressed in her "professional" gear and gets that infamous attitude from the saleswomen. And of course, we're all cheering when she stops back by the store in her newly purchased couture, arms laden with shopping bags and delivers my favorite line of all time. "You work on commission right? Big mistake, huge!"

We all love to watch that scene and feel like we identify with Julia. However, I am going to admit something here. I think that, whether we're willing to admit it or not, all of us in sales have been guilty of this crime. I know this is extremely politically incorrect, but come on now. The minute we encounter a customer, we form some sort of split second judgment as to what kind of client they are.

The problem does not lie in that initial judgment (even though it's most likely completely wrong!). The problem is bo the minute we allow ourselves to act based on that initial opinion.

The single most powerful sales and marketing tool we have is word of mouth from past and current clients. By the same token, the fastest way to lose business is for one person to have a negative experience with anyone associated with your company. If that happens, you've not only lost that person's business, but most likely anyone that person happens to talk to while they're still upset, and by proxy, anyone that second person talks to, and so on and so on.

So what lesson can we lea from everyone's favorite working girl's shopping experience? I know you've heard it over and over again, but seeing this happen over and over again in stores across the country, I think it definitely bears repeating. Ever person you come in contact with is a potential sale. Every potential sale is a potential commission for you and a potential increase in your company's profits.

It's really that simple, but from my personal experience as a customer, most salespeople don't seem to get it! All customers want is to feel that you appreciate the fact that they're spending money on your product. They don't want to feel as if you're looking down on them, and they certainly don't want to feel as if they're interrupting your day of leaning against the wall looking bored.

If you ask me, projecting an air of self-importance is the single easiest way to fail at retail or any other type of sales. So, the next time you encounter a potential customer try to remember that silver screen moment of Julia and try to decide if you want to be those women that everyone in the theater is booing or the wonderful people who make her feel like a princess!

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Dana Wallert is the owner of an online virtual assistance company. She has many years experience in sales and marketing, as well as office management. Find more about Dana and sign up to receive her free monthly newsletter at DW Office Solutions – Virtual Assistant Services

The Right Answer is Yes

We were staying with friends while on a short vacation and naturally went on a buying excursion to give a "thank you" gift to our hosts. The item we picked, while somewhat expensive, was a perfect accessory for their home but fragile and easily scratched, so we asked the clerk to open the box to make sure it was not damaged. The look we got from her in response to our reasonable request was withering. She did it, but her body language spoke paragraphs of "attitude" and, as she finished the transaction, said, "it is so difficult getting it back in the box correctly."

After we left with our package, we looked at each other and said, "well it might be difficult getting it back in the box correctly but it sure is much easier having her check and repackage it than going through the hassle of retuing it if it was scratched. The right answer certainly would have been "yes!"

"Yes" is such an amazing word. It is so satisfying to the customer and, unless it adds appreciably to the cost of operating the business, enhances the buying experience and makes the task of customer retention not only possible but actually easy. "Attitude" is just the opposite. It is negative, erodes the experience, and kills the probability of retention.

The difference between the clerk saying "yes" and giving "attitude" is the responsibility of management. Management must know the difference between the two, hire people that can lea the "yes" ethos, communicate it and train those hired to deliver it, then continually enforce and reinforce the "yes" ethos. Another great advantage of the "yes" ethos is that it costs less than free gift wrapping, less then free delivery, less than even enclosing a gift card. A "yes" costs nothing but sure is filled with value. It is the same with a "thank-you" or "good job" or "I appreciate your effort."

There is an investment the "yes" ethos, mostly in the effort to create and maintain it, but the ROI is huge. It comes back in happy, retuing customers who appreciate what you do for them while they grow your business.

Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, "Front Lines with Larry Galler" For a free coaching session, email Larry for an appointment - Larry@larrygaller.com. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Galler

The CRM Will Give You the Customer Knowledge You Need

In today's competitive business environment, a successful Customer Relationship Management CRM strategy cannot be implemented by only installing and integrating a software package designed to support CRM processes.

Customer Relationship Management is designed to give you the knowledge you need to develop and implement smarter customer strategies and mainly maximize customer profitability.

Customer Relationship Management CRM initiatives are designed with the goal of meeting customer expectations and needs in order to achieve maximum customer lifetime value and retu to the enterprise. The use of customer relationship management products, CRM software and CRM solutions will enhance the effective implementation of CRM in an organization.

The Retu on investment ROI is the very elusive topic when it eats to CRM. It adds success can be found in changing how we look attn the questions and answers.

The benefits of Customer Relationship Management CRM are clear: by streamlining processes and providing sales, marketing, and service personnel with better, more complete customer information, CRM allows organizations to build more profitable customer relationships and decrease operating costs.

With a CRM customer service organizations can increase service-agent productivity and customer retention while decreasing service costs, response times, and request-resolution times.

Finallu, the major, often-overlooked aspect of successful CRM is the need to integrate various islands of information.

Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your website or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.

S. Maurer is a 53-years old college graduated IT professional, with 30 years of experience in the computer & technology business. Now is the Correspondence Courses Director of http://mba-open-university.net and http://cio-certification-ccio.net.

The Nine Principles of Customer Service for the Travel Industry

If you want to lea how to get your clients to do your selling for you through excpetional customer service, read on. Lea customer service secrets from tourism professionals, apply them to your business and prosper.

1. Be a Good Listener – Most important, listen to your customers' conces and complaints, as well as their praise. Discover what it is they want. Your guests are your best source of information in assessing your services and performance. Well-written guest surveys are invaluable for getting feedback, testimonials, and referrals. Help prospects qualify themselves before signing up. Make sure they understand the rigors, responsibilities, and dangers, as well as the level of exertion, entailed in the experiences you offer.

2. Exceed Expectations – Under-promise and over-deliver on a consistent basis with exceptional service. This is what they'll remember and tell their friends about. It is amazing how small details can make a big impression. You work hard and spend big money to get qualified prospects to call your office or e-mail you. How professional, informative, and timely is your response? That first contact can set the tone and significantly impact a purchasing decision.

3. Practice Safety - Clients want to know the destination and activities are safe. They will feel more at ease during real or perceived risks if they have been educated about their new activities or environments in advance. Unfortunately, if most human beings' fears or worries are not addressed, their minds will grow weeds, not flowers. Advise on plant, animal, and natural resource cautions. Let them know that there is generally nothing to worry about if they respect the environment and heed your advice. Brief guests on your safety procedures for any excursions without staff away from home base.

4. Provide Great Food - Guests must eat well, never be hungry, and have adequate water and drinks. Fresh food with ample portions served at a scheduled time can make any adventure more memorable and satisfying. If meal service is going to be delayed, provide a little snack to tide guests over.

5. Cater to Sleep Needs - Guests need and want comfortable and peaceful sleep. Make sure everyone is comfortable with his or her bedding. Cater to individual needs by offering single accommodations. Charging an extra cost is okay. Provide easy access to bathrooms with safety procedures for nighttime use. Separate late evening social areas from sleep areas by distance and/or trees or a hill. Hand out earplugs if necessary.

6. Think Comfort - Provide first world standards when possible. Bathroom breaks and bathing is important on a regular basis. Give people every opportunity for comfort: hammocks, beach chairs, portable toilets, whatever you can provide. Never go too long between bathroom breaks. Some guests may have weak bladders and need more frequent breaks to feel comfortable and relaxed. Make sure everyone has adequate water, as well as appropriate clothing and footwear.

7. Be Sensitive to Capabilities - Never exceed physical or mental capacities of guests. Always ask groups and individuals if they are comfortable with the activity and exertion level before and during the activity. Be sensitive to the slowest as well as strongest in the group. Splitting the group into two smaller groups is a good option. Rest as needed. I believe in a trip rating or difficulty system that allows guests and outfitters to jointly participate in selecting the most appropriate trip.

8. Be Fun - Be friendly, helpful, courteous, and fun! Make sure your staff is there for the guests and not for themselves. Good storytellers, jokesters, and musicians can distinguish your staff and company from other companies. Be sensitive with humor and with families with kids. If you cater to kids, employ staff that loves kids. Guests sometimes need encouragement or guidance to try an activity. You are the guide and activity director combined. Discuss activities or mini- classes in advance so guests will know what is happening and when.< br>

9. Provide Information - An informed guest is safer and more relaxed, and has more fun. Our guests are educated and want to lea about their new environment. Assume that guests know little or nothing about their surroundings. Look for opportunities to provide a minimum of three details about each type of surrounding element during any outing. Be prepared to talk about the plants, animals, birds, trees, rocks, geological formations, fish, marine mammals, and shells. Include information about local culture, economy, and history, too. The more we can share, the more value we are providing our guests.

Like other businesses I know and have worked with, you, too, will experience more repeat clients and referrals by applying these details of great customer service. Your business, in time, will prosper like never before!

Since 1994, Tim Warren and Adventure Business Consultants, has helped dozen's of travel business, destinations, tourism Assn. and boards with customer service training, consulting and creating exceptional marketing material. Click Here For Free Bimonthly E-zine – Tourism Business Success - http://www.AdventureBizSuccess.com News, tips, tools and specials that you can use to increase your travel business success.

What Is Real Customer Service

On Tuesday I walked into a store and was browsing around for a particular product. The store didn't have it. I approached a customer service representative and asked them where I could find the item. After receiving some blank stares, I was told that they didn't know where I could find the product.

I went home and spent a couple of hours trying to track down the product. I eventually did and placed my order. This incident led me to ask, what is real customer service? Is real customer service providing value and service to paying customers only? Do you have an obligation to help the customer even when you don't carry an item?

I would say that good customer service is always looking out for the interests of your customer, even when a sale will not occur. If your customer is looking for a particular item or service and you can help them get it, even from a different vendor, I believe you have a duty to the customer to inform them of that information.

This recently happened with one of my customers. I didn't carry the item but I knew where that person could find it and directed her to that vendor.

Why would I do that? The reason is goodwill. Putting your customer first will create goodwill for you and your business. Many customers will remember the dedication and quality customer service that you provided and may be inclined to visit you in the future. so future sales may be materialized.

The vendor that you referred the customer to may also be inclined to forward their customers to you. Many vendors will appreciate the business that you sent them and will send customers to you when their inventory of a certain product doesn't exist.

Finally, you should do it for your customer. Putting the customer first will foster an environment where you will be more likely to provide a special experience for your customers.

Anthony B. is the founder and owner of http://ItsTheRightWay.com a news, political and sports commentary website.

Anthony has over 7 years of experience as a business professional

Turn Your Customer Complaint into a Positive

The last thing we want to hear during our work day is complaints from customers. However, it does come with the territory. Here are a few tips on how to tu your customerÂ's complaint into a positive.

1. Listen

When a customer comes to you with a complaint about one of your products or services, listen to them. Listen to what they are telling you, and take notes if at all possible.

The number one thing a customer wants when they have a problem is for someone to listen to them.

Allow them to vent, let them get it all out. Once they have explained their problem in full, begin to ask any questions you may have to get a full handle on the situation.

While you are listening, body language is very important. Make sure you maintain eye contact. This sends your customer a message that you are taking them seriously.

2. Be Empathetic

When the customer is done explaining their problem, show sincerity by telling them that you understand how they feel. Apologize on behalf of the company that they feel the way they do, and tell them that you are committed to resolving their issue within the guidelines of your company.

By becoming defensive in this situation, you are taking a bad situation and making it worse.

By having an understanding of where your customer is coming from on the situation, and speaking in a calm tone of voice, you can clearly defuse the situation.

You donÂ't by any means want your customer to become angry and cause a scene.

3. Offer a Solution.

We have all heard the expression Â"the customer is always right.Â"

I donÂ't necessarily agree with this, but it is important to work toward finding a solution, even if the customer is in the wrong. For instance, you might try meeting them half way.

You will know wether or not your customer is a repeat offender, and you can handle the situation accordingly.

For customers who have a legitimate complaint, it is best to rectify the situation right then and there. Wether it is giving them their money back, or replacing their product.

Always leave your customer with your business card and tell them if they should ever have a problem again, they should not hesitate to contact you immediately. This will help them regain their confidence in you and your company.

The main goal when a customer has a complaint is to not allow the problem to snowball. Your objective should be to defuse the situation and retain your customer.

By handling tough situations such as these in a professional manner, you will find your once complaining customers satisfied that you resolved their issue, and a new found respect for you.

This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

Stupid Service Statements We ll Only Do This Once

I needed to get some money from one of my brokerage accounts, so being the "platinum" customer that I am, I expected prompt, courteous, and if necessary, flexible service when I asked for a check.

At first, the person with whom I spoke, informed me that I'd have to wait 24 hours to see my money. Pressed on that point, she left the line for several minutes, and upon retuing, she stated in a very punitive, persnickety tone:

"We can do that today, this time only; just once, as an exception. But if you call again and ask for the same thing, we won't be able to do it!"

Let me get this right:

In other words, if I twist their arms they'll give me prompt service, but they'll hate every second of doing it, and they promise to punish me if I request speedy help in the future.

How inviting! How enticing! How rewarding!

Don't those words just make you tingle all over?

Being a platinum customer makes me exceptional, so make exceptions, and make them, with a smile, that's what I say.

Even if I'm just a regular, good-old rank and file client, don't sound like your made-up, artificial rules, that have nothing to do with securities laws or real strictures, are more important than I am, or more pressing than eaing and keeping my business.

Because if you insist on acting so punitively, my money and I will leave you all alone, with only your rules to keep you company.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, Califoia, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Tools for Professionalism in Customer Service

Interview with Steve Coscia discussing professionalism in the HVAC and other service industries:

Today we have Steve Coscia, author of "HVAC Customer Service Handbook", speaking with us. Steve's book gives service professional the strategies and techniques required to deliver world-class customer service. Hello Steve.

Irene: What inspired you to write "HVAC Customer Service Handbook"?

Steve: After performing a few HVAC customer service speeches and writing several customer service articles for HVAC trade magazines I observed how little information there was for the front-line HVAC Rep so I wrote the book. Thus far the book has been very well received by the HVAC trade press.

Irene: Tell us about your personal experiences you have had that led you to share your knowledge with others.

Steve: I simply taught my HVAC clients to implement the same customer service strategies that I used successfully for twenty years. My background was in customer service management. Regardless of the industry, when the service infrastructure is stable then world-class service delivery is attainable. I selected HVAC because I kept attracting more HVAC contractors and distributors as clients.

Irene: Although this book is written primarily for the HVAC industry, I would assume it could apply to all industries. What other industries do you believe would benefit from using this book as a teaching tool?

Steve: Due to the trade anecdotes in the book, I believe that electricians, plumbers, general contractors, roofers, landscapers, etc. would benefit from the book. The anecdotes depict scenarios in which most customers are homeowners and the service provider is usually a tradesperson.

Irene: Why do you believe that customer service representatives, in this case in the HVAC industry, are stressed out?

Steve: Customer service reps in almost every industry are stressed out – it's the nature of the work. HVAC reps handle volatile situations such as when a customer's heating system breaks down on a zero degree day at 1:00 in the moing. That situation is stressful for the HVAC rep and these events arise every day. Due to the volatile nature of these events, a stable problem solving infrastructure must prevail - if not the event will exacerbate.

Irene: Do you believe that problem solving must start at top management before it filters down to the service reps? If so, how is this possible?

Steve: Yes because management must lead by example. Management's role is also to invest enough time and resources in building a stable information sharing infrastructure which is the best way to avert problems.

Irene: There are stereotype images of customer service representatives in many of the service industries, for example, plumbing and electrical. Why do you believe this occurs?

Steve: Some of this may be due to bias. I suppose that blue-collar workers may not always convey a very polished image - but when HVAC reps are needed to fix a broken pipe or to warm up a home then blue collar skills become vital and appreciated.

Irene: How do you believe the bias of the customer could change before they are needed?

Steve: New experiences change the way a person thinks. If a customer encounters numerous HVAC reps who behave with courtesy and professionalism then that customer's beliefs will eventually change. It takes time – but it's never too late to start.

Irene: Your book details tools for HVAC customer service representatives. Would you share with the readers several of the key changes that the representatives need to make as a whole.

Steve: The key change that I advise readers to make includes using a stable, problem solving system I entitle CONTAIN, QUALIFY and CORRECT. The book includes a sequential flowchart of how this process works. This approach includes the assumption that customers usually call because something is wrong, therefore containment is necessary so things do not get worse. The problem must then be qualified using active listening skills and then corrected using a stable in-house system.

Irene: You mentioned earlier that the blue-collar workers may not have a polished image. With that could come a bias on their part of not accepting your problem solving system because they don't believe there is a problem. How do you propose they take your book seriously?

Steve: There's always room for improvement. Any open minded person will easily perceive the value in my book after reading the first anecdote. I wrote the book, based on actual case studies so that readers will easily see themselves in the anecdotes.

Irene: Do you believe the masses are ready to accept the changes you propose in your book?

Steve: Yes. I have been sharing my methodology for years. It's proven and it works.

Irene: Is there anything else you would like the readers to know about you or your book?

Steve: Based on the testimonials I have received thus far, HVAC contractors who have read my book are making more money, retaining more customers and experiencing less stress. Interested HVAC professionals should go to www.telestress.com and buy the book today. My book urges HVAC reps to be courageous and go beyond the status quo and differentiate themselves for the competition.

Irene Watson is the managing editor of Reader Views, a book review service. http://www.readerviews.com

Who Comes First The Customer or the Customer

I was waiting for my fast-food breakfast while my cohort of four little girls scurried over the indoor Big Toy.

"They're sure taking their time today," grumbled the man next to me. He wasn't talking about my granddaughters.

He was wearing a purple tee-shirt over his middle-aged paunch. A baseball cap and jeans completed the outfit. He could have been there with his grandchildren, but he was alone.

I nodded my head. I hate standing in line and really hate waiting, but I hadn't reached my annoyance threshold, yet. Obviously, my fellow breakfaster had passed that bar.

"They wait on the drive-through customers first and make the people inside wait," he said to me while maintaining a watchful eye behind the counter and into the kitchen area.

I nodded again and followed his gaze. The young woman, who seemed about four-foot-five, behind the counter was taking orders and was doing a good job with a friendly smile. The prep people were cooking and delivering, and yet . . . on the counter were five food trays. Each had a cash register receipt. In addition, between the trays were another two or three receipts. The young woman would take orders, fill them as best she could, and then wait for food from the kitchen, while she continued to take even more order.

A tray of goodies was handed out to someone who had been behind us. "I was here before him. This has happened to me before," my hungry friend commented. "I was waiting for about fifteen minutes once and I complained to the waitress. She said she didn't realize there was a problem and offered me a free meal. I told her that wasn't the problem and pointed to all the people waiting behind me." He shook his head in disgust, "I think I need to call corporate, again."

I like to hear people complaining. It shows that I'm not the only one observing problems and potential problems in business.

The keel of this fast-food breakfast story pops up repeatedly in retail and small businesses around the world. It's a good illustration of priorities. Who comes first: the customer in front of you, or the customer who calls on the phone (or ordering on the intercom)?

It's a juggling act that requires people handling skills. You don't want to offend or lose either customer, but by faltering in your juggling you run the risk of losing one or the other, or both. It's like fishing with two poles and a fish on each line. While this is enviable, the fisherman sometimes goes home hungry.

Here are some suggestions for working with multiple customers:

Be observant. Is everyone happy? Can anything be done for the unhappy ones?

Be polite. Use words and phrases like "excuse me," "I'm sorry for the delay," and "it'll be just a moment."

Know when to apologize and when to offer relief, "Can I get you a free coffee?"

Be respectful, "Excuse me, while I put you hold. I am currently helping another customer. I'll retu as soon as possible."

Get help when possible.

I got my order before my friend, but then I was in line before he was. My grandkids ate, played, and then with money in hand went back for snacks as a group. One retued with an unsolicited comment, "It's terrible over there. People are placing orders and not getting them!" Ah, yes, that's what I like, a ten year-old complainer. She's being raised right, I guess.

As my unhappy friend left a little while later, there were 12 people in line with the same clerk and finally another clerk joined her. Within minutes the line was gone and so where the people waiting for their orders. I wish the friendly little clerk had just asked for help a little sooner. She might have saved a customer . . . the one who had been directly in front of her.

Author Don Doman: Don is a published author of books for small business, corporate video producer, and owner of Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com), which provides business training products. Don also owns and Human Resources Radio (http://www.humanresourcesradio.com), which provides business training programs and previews 24-hours a day.

Writing The Book On Great Customer Service

Q: One of the big chain bookstores recently opened up near my small book store. Already I can see my business starting to decline. Is there anything I can do to compete with the bigger store or should I just accept the inevitable? -- Peter Q.

A: A wise man once said, "The inevitable is never a sure thing."

Don't be so quick to close the book on your business, Peter. You probably can't compete with the superstore on volume of inventory or on price, but there are other things you can do to help keep the customers coming in your door. One of the best ways to ensure customer loyalty is to offer superior customer service.

It's funny that you're a bookseller. Let me tell you about my last visit to one of the big chain bookstores just a few weeks ago.

I took my teenage daughter in to find the classic book, The Once and Future King, for a school project that has to be done over the summer. It was a Sunday afteoon and the store was crawling with customers. We spent fifteen minutes scouring this great warehouse of a bookstore, but couldn't find the book anywhere. We also couldn't find anyone who worked there to ask for help.

Finally, I went up to the front counter and asked the apathetic looking teenager who was manning the register if they had the book in stock. She looked at me as if I'd asked her to do advanced calculus in her head and said, "I dunno."

I asked if she might check her computer for me. She looked at me again, this time as if I'd just asked her to rotate the tires on my car without a jack. After a minute of tapping the keys with her long fingeails (which were painted black, by the way) she said, "Yeah, we have it."

"Great," I said. "Where can I find it?"

She glanced at the screen again and said, "It says that it's in the classics section."

"Great," I said again. I use the word "great" a lot when I'm trying to restrain myself from strangling incompetent sales people. "Where might the classics section be?"

She didn't bother to look at me or the computer this time. She just shrugged and said, "Beats me, man. I've only worked her a week. "

I wanted to ask if there was anyone who had worked there long enough to know where the ^%$# classics section was, but by that time there were a dozen or so people lining up behind me to pay for books they had somehow managed to find on their own.

I went home and ordered the book online. So much for supporting my local bookseller.

It's a shame your store isn't located near me, Peter. I'll bet if I walked in and asked for a copy of The Once and Future King you would be able to tell me almost to the square inch where the book is on the shelf in your store. I'll also bet that if you didn't have a copy in stock you would go out of your way to order it for me.

That is what superior customer service is all about: going the extra mile to satisfy your customer. That is what will keep customers coming back to your store time and time again.

Superior customer service leads to greater customer satisfaction, which leads to repeat business, which leads to the holy grail of the retail business: customer loyalty.

Here are a few tips on how to deliver superior customer service and build customer loyalty:

1. Anyone on your staff who deals directly with the customers should be well groomed and dressed appropriately for the job. Customers over 25 years old will not get a warm and fuzzy feeling if the guy processing their credit card is wearing an Ozzy Osboe tee-shirt and matching nose ring.

2. Sales people should be knowledgeable about the product they are selling. I can't tell you how many times I have asked a sales person a simple question and only got a blank stare in retu. A lack of product knowledge does nothing to instill confidence in the customer.

3. Your staff should know where every product is without having to ask a manager or consult a computer. At the very least they should be able to point out the ^%$# classics section without blinking an eye.

4. Make it a point to know your customer's name. Nothing makes a customer feel special like the sound of his or her own name. You can't remember everyone's name, of course, but you should strive to remember the names of those customers who come in regularly. I f requent one particular restaurant and the owner not only knows my name, but the names of my wife and kids. And every time I set foot in his restaurant he calls me by name and shakes my hand and personally leads me to a table. I don't feel like a customer. I feel like a friend.

5. Offer personal services that the big boys do not. Anything you can do to make your customer's life easier will be appreciated and remembered. If a customer comes in and asks for a book you do not have, offer to order the book and deliver it to their home so they don't have to make another trip to pick it up. All this is going to cost you is a few minutes of your time and you will not only save a sale, but also make a lasting impression on that customer. The next time they need a book they will head your way.

There are other things you can do to combat the bookstore Goliath, Peter, but offering superior customer service is a great place to start.

Here's to your success!

Tim Knox

Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox. Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneur.

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