Serve Your Customers Well

Hi,

Here's a tip I thought you'd enjoy. I interested in any thoughts you may have.

Quality doesn't only apply to merchandise. It also means good service and caring about your customers wants and needs. Here are five specific steps for taking better care of your customers.

1. Conduct your own survey. Profit from the ideas, suggestions and complaints of your present and former customers. Solicit their ideas for new products and better service.

2. Meet your customers in person. If your business has grown to the point where you spend most of your time in the office or traveling, take the time to talk to the customers who buy and browse. Observe and ask questions. Think like a customer.

3. Check telephone handling. Bad handling can undermine efforts to build a profitable enterprise. Rules of good handling, such as prompt answering and a cheerful attitude of helpfulness, are of critical importance. Check on telephone manners periodically by having someone whose voice is unfamiliar play the role of a customer, perhaps a difficult one.

4. Make it a team. Continually drive home the crucial message that everyone is part of the success machine. Build customer consciousness throughout your organization. When you hold group meetings, invite ideas from everyone and discuss those ideas.

5. Take advantage of after-hours influence. This is the time when you build, in an informal way; the friendly feeling that draws people to you and your business. Turn friends into customers and reinforce customer loyalty. Take advantage of the relaxed atmosphere of a golf game or cocktail party or just a neighborly chat.

Regards

Bill




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