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Other Added - Best Marketing Strategies, A Bread Baking Recipe For Business Owner Success
Yes, you can sell your business yourself, but you have to do it the right way! As a professional business intermediary, I have many clients with quality businesses who come to me after failing to sell their businesses on their own. The flaw in their effort to sell always comes down to the same four basic things: no professional presentation of the business; poorly presented financial information; pricing the business wrong; and not understanding how to find buyers, work with those buyers and get a deal to closing. If you want to sell a business yourself, you can, but you have to put the right pieces in place, including:-An effective presentation for selling a business-A business valuation to help you understand your company's value-Customized strategies and resources for finding the best buyers-Resources to help you work with those buyers and get a deal to closingA Professional Business Sales Presentation This is the centerpiece of your marketing effort. When a potential buyer contacts you, you don’t want to simply fax over some scattered scraps of paper. First impressions count. You need a genuine, professional marketing presentation of your business. At the very least, it should include an Executive Summary, a Business Overview, a Facilities Profile and a Financial Summary. The financial information must be in an intelligent format that emphasizes the cash flow value to a new owner.What’s Your Business Worth? This is the most important question you will ask yourself in the selling process—and you will probably have the wrong answer. Many of us have an idea of what we think our companies are worth but, unfortunately, we are usually wrong. Pricing your business is one of the most important steps in the process. Price it too low, and you’re stealing from yourself. Price it to high and you’re kidding yourself—but no one else—and you won’t achieve the goal of selling your business. Any business valuation, regardless of the method used or who completes it, will have an element of subjectivity to it, but it can give you some reasonable guidelines and expectations for value and suggest a proper pricing strategy.Finding the Best Business Buyers This is where the rubber meets the road. It doesn’t matter if you have a great presentation and the right price on your business if you don’t know how to find qualified buyers.
Ingredient #6: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Some customers don’t just live to find the best quality product or service. Some live to make sure that they find the worst. They want you to know what is wrong with what you are doing. This doesn’t mean that you have to shrug them off and tell them to go away. Instead, make sure that you are responding correctly.
A customer is more likely going to get mad if you don’t respond to them than if you do. Look at a restaurant scenario for a good example. If a customer tells you that they don’t like the fries because they are too cold, you have a few choice of how to respond.
The first way is to tell them that they are wrong. You know that they are fine. You can then take a fry off of their plate and see how it tastes. The second way is to completely ignore them, and ask if they would like more water. With both of these responses, expect your restaurant to shut down.
The best thing to do, no matter what type of business you have, is to fix the problem as soon as you can. Most customers understand. They have been in similar situations, have worked on the other side, and know that not everything is perfect all the time.
What do they want? For you to simply say, “Okay. I understand and I will fix the problem. Thank you for caring enough to tell me.”
What happens if you don’t respond by balancing things out and providing better service? It’s like putting vinegar in sugar cookies. Your business will simply be gone as quickly as it started.
Along with this particular ingredient for good customer service in response to complaints are ways that you can make sure that the scenario doesn’t accumulate into something worse. If a customer complains, remember this formula response:
1. Acknowledge the mistake.
2. Remember the famous slogan that “the customer is always right.”
3. Apologize for the mistake.
4. Balance out the situation. There is nothing like a little extra something in order to put everything right again. For instance, a free product for the one that wasn’t quite right always makes everything good again.
5. Be fair with the remedy.
The major idea with these complicated situations of customers not being satisfied is to reverse their complaints to them being happy about what your business has to offer. This makes it so that they will turn around and tell their friends that even though you made a mistake, you stuck by your business and made sure that the customer was happy.
Even with the bad and the ugly, make sure the customer knows that you believe in your product.
Ingredient #6: Let the Oven Do the Work
Keeping your customers happy doesn’t mean that you have to work over time. It would be like building a fire out of twigs to cook your bread when there is an oven sitting in the kitchen. You can use strategies, technology and tools to help you implement good customer service.
Technology is one of the great tools that you can use in order to make sure that your customers stay satisfied. Things such as au
Postcards printing can be the fastest and cost-effective way of waving a good buzz for your business. If you are trying to promote your business, announce events or anything else postcards are ideal for you. Custom printing your postcards can be easily ordered if you know where to look.To start with the printing processes there are creative steps for postcards printing that you must follow.1.Choose the appropriate printer for youWith the many printing services that clutters at present you may be taunted or be confused where to render your printing jobs. However always be reminded that your printer must possess all the quality and must provide you all your printing needs in terms of – materials, creativity, uniqueness and efficient printing process. Remember that your materials are the frontline of your business so see to it that they contain all the necessary features that a card must have.2.Provide your printer a layout plan of your print jobThe layout is simply the idea you want for your cards. You visualize a design that will be effective for your material. This is also very helpful to your printer because they are assured that what they will print will be based on the idea you had provided. Although there maybe some changes in the processes, still you will be able to achieve the kind of design you want for your cards.3.Go for the postcards printing process appropriate for youPostcards printing ca be done either using digital printing or offset printing. When talking about digital printing it works with a method where the prints are made directly from a computer file without film or plates. This is ideal for lower-quantity and customized needs but can only print CMYK images and files. On the other hand, offset printing allows to print large number of copies in a single print run. The press used in the process is wide big enough to print copies you want to ask.Moreover whatever printing process used it still male sense to figure out which method will be best for your needs.Additionally with the innovative changes made in the printing technology there are lots of options on how you can creatively create your postcards. You can create them by yourselves or go for online printers.Generally the essential steps in working with postcards printing jobs still underlies on the capable hands of the printing staff. This is because the success of the printing jobs lies on them. So therefore choosing for the ri
If you want to look around at the businesses that succeed, you will find one thing in common with all of them. They understand that the most important thing to success is customer satisfaction. If the customer isn’t happy; no one is.
Getting customer satisfaction doesn’t mean that you will need to be nice to everyone who comes by and is interested in your business. Unlike past businesses, you can’t sell with only a smile. Like everything else in the business world, there is a direct formula that you can use and implement for ensuring that you have customer satisfaction every time!
How do you guarantee customer satisfaction? This involves putting together a mixture of ingredients that ensure success. The steps include preparation, working well during a sale, and the after math of doing business with a customer.
Making sure that your customer walks away and you know that they will walk back in, possibly with more customers for you is all it takes to accomplish your goals as a business. The idea is to create a well-rounded meal for customers with their experience with you.
Following some simple guidelines and looking at the other examples available to you will give you everything that you need for customer service, allowing your business to soar above the rest. The result is that you will be able to become a business owner who understands the necessity of good customer service. Individuals and past customers will help to support your business, and everyone will walk away at the end of the day, happy with the levels of satisfaction that you have been able to provide.
Ingredient #1: Why Do I Need to Worry About 1 Customer?
It doesn’t matter if your product or services are good. It doesn’t even matter if you are at the point where you have found that your customer is interested in buying something from you. Most likely, they aren’t going to walk away thinking about your product or service. They are going to walk away thinking about YOU and what your company is like, especially in comparison to others. Their big question is: “will I ever go back there again?”
If you walk into a business, you will most likely do the same thing. You pick up a product, you ask for a service, and if someone responds to you in a negative way, you remember. Not only do you remember, but you are going to make sure that everyone around you knows that they don’t want to do business with you. They are positive it will put a negative edge to their day.
On average, an unhappy customer will tell up to 10 people that they are not satisfied with your service. A happy customer will most likely tell one or two people.
How does this relate to your business? If you know business, you know that one of the ingredients is to market correctly. One of the most well known ways is through word of mouth. Worrying about the customers is also worrying about one of the major marketing strategies you use in your every day business.
What kind of business will you be loosing if you don’t have the correct customer service? Let’s begin with the neighbors and the family that ask where they bought a particular item or service. Beyond this, look at the possibilities for complaints. Things like technology and the Internet allows individuals to have the ability to go out of their way to make sure everyone knows how bad or good something is.
An easy market is your customer. Making sure that your customer has received the best possible customer service, without any complaints, is the first and major ingredient to mix in for ensuring your business success. Without it, nothing else will have the ability to mix together.
Ingredient #2: Make a Strong Guarantee
You most likely have heard this slogan before: Satisfaction; guaranteed. This is an important part of your complete mix to making sure your customer is happy.
There may be a time where the product is a little off from what it should be. Maybe something went wrong with the services you provided. Maybe nothing went wrong, but the customer just isn’t happy. Maybe your business ideal and goal is to make sure that you provide all of your customers with the best quality in the products and services you offer.
Your most essential way of communicating all of these things with a customer is through a guarantee. Nothing is a problem, as long as you stamp your guaranteed sign on your business.
A guaranteed stamp means two things to a customer. One is that you believe in your product or your service as being the best. Two, you know that sometimes things go wrong, and you understand your customers when they say that they want high quality.
A strong guarantee means that your company is focused on what it means to offer a quality product. It also means that you want the best for the customer, and you won’t settle for less.
How do you work guarantees? If you have a product or a service, you give your customer the room to return what they don’t like. Any larger corporation, or even smaller, understands that not only will this help with happier customers, but it can also mix in with the first ingredient, meaning that a guarantee will help you market by word of mouth.
One of the specific tools to use with your guarantees is by taking advantage of time. For instance, if you offer a six month or one year guarantee, you will be less likely to have returns than if you offer a thirty day guarantee. This is a psychological way of telling the customer that you know your product is good and will last for at least as long as the guarantee says it will.
Say that a customer turns to your company with an item that they bought then decided they didn’t like. At some point, you may recognize that the item may not even be from your store! But, you take it back anyway. Why?
The customer will then turn around and use word of mouth to say that they can ensure your business offers 100% satisfaction, guaranteed.
You may have heard stories like this, where a customer feels like they have outsmarted the company. They returned a product, got a refund, and got something that they really wanted. They then turned around and told all of their friends. Not only is it a key ingredient to the formula of customer service, but also ties into the strategy of word of mouth marketing.
The one condition on making sure that the guarantee works is to stick by it unconditionally. This means that no matter what the situation is, or the circumstances, you give your customer the benefit of the doubt, knowing that in return, you will be promoting your business.
What are the specific results of a guarantee? First, you take away the risk of loosing up to ten customers from one unsatisfied one. Second, customers that haven’t used you yet will find that you are credible and that you stick by your products for the best quality. Third, you are making a strong statement about your products and services. You believe that you can offer the best.
When you aren’t sure about how to reach your customers, just let them know you stick by your products with the slogan, “Satisfaction ;guaranteed!”
Ingredient #3: Put In the Extra Sugar
Every customer knows what to expect when they get to a company. They know that they will be offered certain items or services in return for their cash.
Why should you stop there?
One great way to keep customers happy and coming back is to give them extra from what they would expect to get. This is the same as putting money into marketing. The more you give a customer, even though it may mean some extra cost for you, the more likely you will be to get referrals.
By giving your customers something for free, you can make up to ten times as much back because of the word of mouth marketing. However, there are more advantages to this than just getting referrals.
The more you offer, the higher you can put your prices. The great debate is whether you are going to get a lot of customers, or customers that you know you can offer good quality to.
For example, you have a business that offers a particular service, such as lawn mowing. Instead of just mowing the lawn, you tell your customer that you are going to do some extra yard work with cleaning, trimming bushes, or watering flowers. What is the result? Not only do you have the ability to provide extra services, allowing the friendly neighbor to tell all of their neighbors, but you can also ask for a higher price for the extra work.
A business owner who does this understands two things as part of the ingredients. The first is that extra services make customers happy. The second is that customers are willing to pay more so that their lives can be easier, without them having to think about the extra work that has to be done.
Providing a great service or product doesn’t just mean selling something. It means tapping into what the customer needs. You want to think about things such as what it means to provide a service, what the customers need, and how to help customers with making their lives a little easier.
All successful business owners will let you know that by giving the customer a few extra dollars or a little extra service for free, it will amount to them wanting to give you the extra few dollars back. By putting a small investment in them, you can expect that you will be able to receive a large return in a variety of ways.
Ingredient #4: After Sales Support
A careless business owner will sell you an item then forget that you existed. The result is that a customer will feel like the company didn’t really care about the hard earned money that was given to them. You can then expect the customer to feel completely detached from your company and to go somewhere else next time.
How do you really care about your customer?
Paying attention to the after sales and providing support for what customers have already bought will ensure that your customer will return. This is another way of communicating with your customer to tell them that you believe in your product and you want to make sure that they are happy with what they have received.
It is as simple as checking in with your customer. An e-mail to make sure that everything was satisfactory or a phone call to ask how they liked the service is a great way to keep on the same page with your customer.
Another great after sales support is to simply say thank you. This is one of the easiest ways to check in, letting all of your customers know you appreciate their service. The result is that a customer will begin to see that you care that they are your customer. There is no better way to keep customers coming back and bringing other customers with them.
The result of this particular part of the formula is that you will be opening a door to communicating with your customer on several levels. First, it will remind them that you are a good company and that you believe in what you do. The result? It ties in to the first ingredient again, where they will let others know that you are a company that stands by your product and really cares.
The second thing that it will do is relieve any problems with the product. If they are not satisfied with the product, you will be a step ahead of them. You can change your product or marketing in order to make it better. You can also stop complaints from happening because the customer doesn’t have time to build them up in their head.
Adding in the extra ingredients of communicating with your customer, even if they don’t have their pocket book pulled out, will guarantee that they will remember you and will be willing to keep coming back for more of what you have to offer.
Ingredient #5: Add In the Personal
One of the greatest parts of being a business owner is the ability to network with all types of people and personalities. The difference between a business owner and a friend is that every person you meet is a potential sale. This means that your customers are your friends.
The spice of your mixture for a successful business through customer service is by making it personal. You don’t have to be a ‘mom and pop’ store in order to remember who your customers are and make sure that they feel welcome and at home when they walk in.
All you have to do is remember a name and one association with that name. If you have employees, tell them that they want to learn the customer’s name. This will make all of the difference in them coming back.
All you have to do is simply say, “Hi Joe! What will you have today?” Doing this instead of “How may I help you?” sounds much more inviting and friendly, as well as personalized.
Why not go the extra mile? Most of you have heard the phrase “You will have your usual, Jim?” Remembering the little things, such as what your customer likes, will help your customer feel welcome and at home, even though they are responding to your business.
You don’t have to have an extremely personal relationship. But, remember that it is your job to make sure your customers are happy when they walk in for service in your area of town. This means building and establishing a personalized relationship that always welcomes them in the front door.
Ingredient #6: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Some customers don’t just live to find the best quality product or service. Some live to make sure that they find the worst. They want you to know what is wrong with what you are doing. This doesn’t mean that you have to shrug them off and tell them to go away. Instead, make sure that you are responding correctly.
A customer is more likely going to get mad if you don’t respond to them than if you do. Look at a restaurant scenario for a good example. If a customer tells you that they don’t like the fries because they are too cold, you have a few choice of how to respond.
The first way is to tell them that they are wrong. You know that they are fine. You can then take a fry off of their plate and see how it tastes. The second way is to completely ignore them, and ask if they would like more water. With both of these responses, expect your restaurant to shut down.
The best thing to do, no matter what type of business you have, is to fix the problem as soon as you can. Most customers understand. They have been in similar situations, have worked on the other side, and know that not everything is perfect all the time.
What do they want? For you to simply say, “Okay. I understand and I will fix the problem. Thank you for caring enough to tell me.”
What happens if you don’t respond by balancing things out and providing better service? It’s like putting vinegar in sugar cookies. Your business will simply be gone as quickly as it started.
Along with this particular ingredient for good customer service in response to complaints are ways that you can make sure that the scenario doesn’t accumulate into something worse. If a customer complains, remember this formula response:
1. Acknowledge the mistake.
2. Remember the famous slogan that “the customer is always right.”
3. Apologize for the mistake.
4. Balance out the situation. There is nothing like a little extra something in order to put everything right again. For instance, a free product for the one that wasn’t quite right always makes everything good again.
5. Be fair with the remedy.
The major idea with these complicated situations of customers not being satisfied is to reverse their complaints to them being happy about what your business has to offer. This makes it so that they will turn around and tell their friends that even though you made a mistake, you stuck by your business and made sure that the customer was happy.
Even with the bad and the ugly, make sure the customer knows that you believe in your product.
Ingredient #6: Let the Oven Do the Work
Keeping your customers happy doesn’t mean that you have to work over time. It would be like building a fire out of twigs to cook your bread when there is an oven sitting in the kitchen. You can use strategies, technology and tools to help you implement good customer service.
Technology is one of the great tools that you can use in order to make sure that your customers stay satisfied. Things such as aut
The American economy is a sophisticated market. While it is true that the Government, with its war on terrorism, is blowing billions every month, it is also true that superior business strategies (such as outsourcing, interest rate manipulations) have directly or indirectly aided the economy and contributed to the spending power of an average American.America today (2007) is a highly mobile, fast-paced consumer-centric society. Billions of dollars exchange hands across the table and through the Internet and businesses exist and thrive in a fiercely competitive environment. The U.S. economy is now dominated by retail and service businesses – and both these businesses need proper commercial signage. If a retailing or service business is to succeed, it must be able to communicate with customers about its products or the services it offers. For most non-Internet businesses, the most cost-effective form of advertising is an outdoor sign.In fact, in America, the outdoor sign has gained so much importance that the courts (both Federal and State) have recognized commercial signage as a form of protected speech under the First Amendment! That’s how important a place the commercial sign occupies in the American economy.Okay, back to our talk on the American Economy and how outdoor signs should connect with it: As the economy grows, so does affluence and growing affluence translates to an increased reliance on automobiles. Also, when the economy grows, people get shifted out of their neighborhood or even their state and they land up in unfamiliar surroundings. Both these factors (automobiles and shifting) induce changes in customer behavior and patterns. So every business needs to cotton on to the changing customer behaviors if they want to remain in business. And one of the best methods of identifying your business to the passing motorist or to the person who has just shifted in your neighborhood and is now taking a stroll just outside your shop – is the “forever” outdoor sign.Your outdoor sign will create a brand identity for your business and hook the customer for you, provided you are in step with the changing times. Remember, if you plan correctly and choose your outdoor sign brilliantly, your cash register won’t stop jingling.In the American economy, the outdoor sign is, therefore, the most universal advertising option that supersedes television, direct mail, print, Internet and radio advertising. This is not to say that outdoor signage i
What kind of business will you be loosing if you don’t have the correct customer service? Let’s begin with the neighbors and the family that ask where they bought a particular item or service. Beyond this, look at the possibilities for complaints. Things like technology and the Internet allows individuals to have the ability to go out of their way to make sure everyone knows how bad or good something is.
An easy market is your customer. Making sure that your customer has received the best possible customer service, without any complaints, is the first and major ingredient to mix in for ensuring your business success. Without it, nothing else will have the ability to mix together.
Ingredient #2: Make a Strong Guarantee
You most likely have heard this slogan before: Satisfaction; guaranteed. This is an important part of your complete mix to making sure your customer is happy.
There may be a time where the product is a little off from what it should be. Maybe something went wrong with the services you provided. Maybe nothing went wrong, but the customer just isn’t happy. Maybe your business ideal and goal is to make sure that you provide all of your customers with the best quality in the products and services you offer.
Your most essential way of communicating all of these things with a customer is through a guarantee. Nothing is a problem, as long as you stamp your guaranteed sign on your business.
A guaranteed stamp means two things to a customer. One is that you believe in your product or your service as being the best. Two, you know that sometimes things go wrong, and you understand your customers when they say that they want high quality.
A strong guarantee means that your company is focused on what it means to offer a quality product. It also means that you want the best for the customer, and you won’t settle for less.
How do you work guarantees? If you have a product or a service, you give your customer the room to return what they don’t like. Any larger corporation, or even smaller, understands that not only will this help with happier customers, but it can also mix in with the first ingredient, meaning that a guarantee will help you market by word of mouth.
One of the specific tools to use with your guarantees is by taking advantage of time. For instance, if you offer a six month or one year guarantee, you will be less likely to have returns than if you offer a thirty day guarantee. This is a psychological way of telling the customer that you know your product is good and will last for at least as long as the guarantee says it will.
Say that a customer turns to your company with an item that they bought then decided they didn’t like. At some point, you may recognize that the item may not even be from your store! But, you take it back anyway. Why?
The customer will then turn around and use word of mouth to say that they can ensure your business offers 100% satisfaction, guaranteed.
You may have heard stories like this, where a customer feels like they have outsmarted the company. They returned a product, got a refund, and got something that they really wanted. They then turned around and told all of their friends. Not only is it a key ingredient to the formula of customer service, but also ties into the strategy of word of mouth marketing.
The one condition on making sure that the guarantee works is to stick by it unconditionally. This means that no matter what the situation is, or the circumstances, you give your customer the benefit of the doubt, knowing that in return, you will be promoting your business.
What are the specific results of a guarantee? First, you take away the risk of loosing up to ten customers from one unsatisfied one. Second, customers that haven’t used you yet will find that you are credible and that you stick by your products for the best quality. Third, you are making a strong statement about your products and services. You believe that you can offer the best.
When you aren’t sure about how to reach your customers, just let them know you stick by your products with the slogan, “Satisfaction ;guaranteed!”
Ingredient #3: Put In the Extra Sugar
Every customer knows what to expect when they get to a company. They know that they will be offered certain items or services in return for their cash.
Why should you stop there?
One great way to keep customers happy and coming back is to give them extra from what they would expect to get. This is the same as putting money into marketing. The more you give a customer, even though it may mean some extra cost for you, the more likely you will be to get referrals.
By giving your customers something for free, you can make up to ten times as much back because of the word of mouth marketing. However, there are more advantages to this than just getting referrals.
The more you offer, the higher you can put your prices. The great debate is whether you are going to get a lot of customers, or customers that you know you can offer good quality to.
For example, you have a business that offers a particular service, such as lawn mowing. Instead of just mowing the lawn, you tell your customer that you are going to do some extra yard work with cleaning, trimming bushes, or watering flowers. What is the result? Not only do you have the ability to provide extra services, allowing the friendly neighbor to tell all of their neighbors, but you can also ask for a higher price for the extra work.
A business owner who does this understands two things as part of the ingredients. The first is that extra services make customers happy. The second is that customers are willing to pay more so that their lives can be easier, without them having to think about the extra work that has to be done.
Providing a great service or product doesn’t just mean selling something. It means tapping into what the customer needs. You want to think about things such as what it means to provide a service, what the customers need, and how to help customers with making their lives a little easier.
All successful business owners will let you know that by giving the customer a few extra dollars or a little extra service for free, it will amount to them wanting to give you the extra few dollars back. By putting a small investment in them, you can expect that you will be able to receive a large return in a variety of ways.
Ingredient #4: After Sales Support
A careless business owner will sell you an item then forget that you existed. The result is that a customer will feel like the company didn’t really care about the hard earned money that was given to them. You can then expect the customer to feel completely detached from your company and to go somewhere else next time.
How do you really care about your customer?
Paying attention to the after sales and providing support for what customers have already bought will ensure that your customer will return. This is another way of communicating with your customer to tell them that you believe in your product and you want to make sure that they are happy with what they have received.
It is as simple as checking in with your customer. An e-mail to make sure that everything was satisfactory or a phone call to ask how they liked the service is a great way to keep on the same page with your customer.
Another great after sales support is to simply say thank you. This is one of the easiest ways to check in, letting all of your customers know you appreciate their service. The result is that a customer will begin to see that you care that they are your customer. There is no better way to keep customers coming back and bringing other customers with them.
The result of this particular part of the formula is that you will be opening a door to communicating with your customer on several levels. First, it will remind them that you are a good company and that you believe in what you do. The result? It ties in to the first ingredient again, where they will let others know that you are a company that stands by your product and really cares.
The second thing that it will do is relieve any problems with the product. If they are not satisfied with the product, you will be a step ahead of them. You can change your product or marketing in order to make it better. You can also stop complaints from happening because the customer doesn’t have time to build them up in their head.
Adding in the extra ingredients of communicating with your customer, even if they don’t have their pocket book pulled out, will guarantee that they will remember you and will be willing to keep coming back for more of what you have to offer.
Ingredient #5: Add In the Personal
One of the greatest parts of being a business owner is the ability to network with all types of people and personalities. The difference between a business owner and a friend is that every person you meet is a potential sale. This means that your customers are your friends.
The spice of your mixture for a successful business through customer service is by making it personal. You don’t have to be a ‘mom and pop’ store in order to remember who your customers are and make sure that they feel welcome and at home when they walk in.
All you have to do is remember a name and one association with that name. If you have employees, tell them that they want to learn the customer’s name. This will make all of the difference in them coming back.
All you have to do is simply say, “Hi Joe! What will you have today?” Doing this instead of “How may I help you?” sounds much more inviting and friendly, as well as personalized.
Why not go the extra mile? Most of you have heard the phrase “You will have your usual, Jim?” Remembering the little things, such as what your customer likes, will help your customer feel welcome and at home, even though they are responding to your business.
You don’t have to have an extremely personal relationship. But, remember that it is your job to make sure your customers are happy when they walk in for service in your area of town. This means building and establishing a personalized relationship that always welcomes them in the front door.
Ingredient #6: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Some customers don’t just live to find the best quality product or service. Some live to make sure that they find the worst. They want you to know what is wrong with what you are doing. This doesn’t mean that you have to shrug them off and tell them to go away. Instead, make sure that you are responding correctly.
A customer is more likely going to get mad if you don’t respond to them than if you do. Look at a restaurant scenario for a good example. If a customer tells you that they don’t like the fries because they are too cold, you have a few choice of how to respond.
The first way is to tell them that they are wrong. You know that they are fine. You can then take a fry off of their plate and see how it tastes. The second way is to completely ignore them, and ask if they would like more water. With both of these responses, expect your restaurant to shut down.
The best thing to do, no matter what type of business you have, is to fix the problem as soon as you can. Most customers understand. They have been in similar situations, have worked on the other side, and know that not everything is perfect all the time.
What do they want? For you to simply say, “Okay. I understand and I will fix the problem. Thank you for caring enough to tell me.”
What happens if you don’t respond by balancing things out and providing better service? It’s like putting vinegar in sugar cookies. Your business will simply be gone as quickly as it started.
Along with this particular ingredient for good customer service in response to complaints are ways that you can make sure that the scenario doesn’t accumulate into something worse. If a customer complains, remember this formula response:
1. Acknowledge the mistake.
2. Remember the famous slogan that “the customer is always right.”
3. Apologize for the mistake.
4. Balance out the situation. There is nothing like a little extra something in order to put everything right again. For instance, a free product for the one that wasn’t quite right always makes everything good again.
5. Be fair with the remedy.
The major idea with these complicated situations of customers not being satisfied is to reverse their complaints to them being happy about what your business has to offer. This makes it so that they will turn around and tell their friends that even though you made a mistake, you stuck by your business and made sure that the customer was happy.
Even with the bad and the ugly, make sure the customer knows that you believe in your product.
Ingredient #6: Let the Oven Do the Work
Keeping your customers happy doesn’t mean that you have to work over time. It would be like building a fire out of twigs to cook your bread when there is an oven sitting in the kitchen. You can use strategies, technology and tools to help you implement good customer service.
Technology is one of the great tools that you can use in order to make sure that your customers stay satisfied. Things such as au
In 2004 it was estimated that the UK Air Freight market was worth ?726.1m and most of this was attributed to international services and the domestic service is very limited as it is dominated by road transport operators.British Airways which offers an air freight service as a by product of its passenger operations are the biggest provider of air freight capacity, but non-scheduled operations are beginning to grow quickly as well.There are a number of positive influences in relation to the UK air freight companies and these are as follows:-1. Growth in world trade and the chance of new markets opening up to businesses in the UK. 2. A reduction in the price of air freight rates as a result of competition between the various air freight companies. 3. The need for people to move goods around the world faster and more reliably. 4. The change in manufacturing processes which require the widespread adoption of just-in-time working practices.Also the services provided by UK air freight companies have become an integral part of the efficient operation of the UK's economy today which is less vulnerable than some other markets due to recession.Many of the UK Air Freight Company services can offer such things as door to door services as well as the more typical arrival airport only variations to many parts of the world. These companies are also likely to have specialist systems set up in order to handle hazardous commodities for some customers and will usually have an extensive network of agents around the world to ensure the smooth clearance of goods through Customs, as well as being able to deliver the goods almost anywhere that a customer wants.Also many UK air freight companies have benefited from the growth in passenger travel as this now increases the amount of cargo capacity available. Because of this a worldwide network of cargo services has been created that offer the customer more ways to get their goods to the destination more quickly and efficiently.Although the UK air freight company service market took a down turn after the attacks on the US in September 2001 but growth has resumed again and more people are looking at this as a viable way of transporting their goods efficiently and quickly.
The one condition on making sure that the guarantee works is to stick by it unconditionally. This means that no matter what the situation is, or the circumstances, you give your customer the benefit of the doubt, knowing that in return, you will be promoting your business.
What are the specific results of a guarantee? First, you take away the risk of loosing up to ten customers from one unsatisfied one. Second, customers that haven’t used you yet will find that you are credible and that you stick by your products for the best quality. Third, you are making a strong statement about your products and services. You believe that you can offer the best.
When you aren’t sure about how to reach your customers, just let them know you stick by your products with the slogan, “Satisfaction ;guaranteed!”
Ingredient #3: Put In the Extra Sugar
Every customer knows what to expect when they get to a company. They know that they will be offered certain items or services in return for their cash.
Why should you stop there?
One great way to keep customers happy and coming back is to give them extra from what they would expect to get. This is the same as putting money into marketing. The more you give a customer, even though it may mean some extra cost for you, the more likely you will be to get referrals.
By giving your customers something for free, you can make up to ten times as much back because of the word of mouth marketing. However, there are more advantages to this than just getting referrals.
The more you offer, the higher you can put your prices. The great debate is whether you are going to get a lot of customers, or customers that you know you can offer good quality to.
For example, you have a business that offers a particular service, such as lawn mowing. Instead of just mowing the lawn, you tell your customer that you are going to do some extra yard work with cleaning, trimming bushes, or watering flowers. What is the result? Not only do you have the ability to provide extra services, allowing the friendly neighbor to tell all of their neighbors, but you can also ask for a higher price for the extra work.
A business owner who does this understands two things as part of the ingredients. The first is that extra services make customers happy. The second is that customers are willing to pay more so that their lives can be easier, without them having to think about the extra work that has to be done.
Providing a great service or product doesn’t just mean selling something. It means tapping into what the customer needs. You want to think about things such as what it means to provide a service, what the customers need, and how to help customers with making their lives a little easier.
All successful business owners will let you know that by giving the customer a few extra dollars or a little extra service for free, it will amount to them wanting to give you the extra few dollars back. By putting a small investment in them, you can expect that you will be able to receive a large return in a variety of ways.
Ingredient #4: After Sales Support
A careless business owner will sell you an item then forget that you existed. The result is that a customer will feel like the company didn’t really care about the hard earned money that was given to them. You can then expect the customer to feel completely detached from your company and to go somewhere else next time.
How do you really care about your customer?
Paying attention to the after sales and providing support for what customers have already bought will ensure that your customer will return. This is another way of communicating with your customer to tell them that you believe in your product and you want to make sure that they are happy with what they have received.
It is as simple as checking in with your customer. An e-mail to make sure that everything was satisfactory or a phone call to ask how they liked the service is a great way to keep on the same page with your customer.
Another great after sales support is to simply say thank you. This is one of the easiest ways to check in, letting all of your customers know you appreciate their service. The result is that a customer will begin to see that you care that they are your customer. There is no better way to keep customers coming back and bringing other customers with them.
The result of this particular part of the formula is that you will be opening a door to communicating with your customer on several levels. First, it will remind them that you are a good company and that you believe in what you do. The result? It ties in to the first ingredient again, where they will let others know that you are a company that stands by your product and really cares.
The second thing that it will do is relieve any problems with the product. If they are not satisfied with the product, you will be a step ahead of them. You can change your product or marketing in order to make it better. You can also stop complaints from happening because the customer doesn’t have time to build them up in their head.
Adding in the extra ingredients of communicating with your customer, even if they don’t have their pocket book pulled out, will guarantee that they will remember you and will be willing to keep coming back for more of what you have to offer.
Ingredient #5: Add In the Personal
One of the greatest parts of being a business owner is the ability to network with all types of people and personalities. The difference between a business owner and a friend is that every person you meet is a potential sale. This means that your customers are your friends.
The spice of your mixture for a successful business through customer service is by making it personal. You don’t have to be a ‘mom and pop’ store in order to remember who your customers are and make sure that they feel welcome and at home when they walk in.
All you have to do is remember a name and one association with that name. If you have employees, tell them that they want to learn the customer’s name. This will make all of the difference in them coming back.
All you have to do is simply say, “Hi Joe! What will you have today?” Doing this instead of “How may I help you?” sounds much more inviting and friendly, as well as personalized.
Why not go the extra mile? Most of you have heard the phrase “You will have your usual, Jim?” Remembering the little things, such as what your customer likes, will help your customer feel welcome and at home, even though they are responding to your business.
You don’t have to have an extremely personal relationship. But, remember that it is your job to make sure your customers are happy when they walk in for service in your area of town. This means building and establishing a personalized relationship that always welcomes them in the front door.
Ingredient #6: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Some customers don’t just live to find the best quality product or service. Some live to make sure that they find the worst. They want you to know what is wrong with what you are doing. This doesn’t mean that you have to shrug them off and tell them to go away. Instead, make sure that you are responding correctly.
A customer is more likely going to get mad if you don’t respond to them than if you do. Look at a restaurant scenario for a good example. If a customer tells you that they don’t like the fries because they are too cold, you have a few choice of how to respond.
The first way is to tell them that they are wrong. You know that they are fine. You can then take a fry off of their plate and see how it tastes. The second way is to completely ignore them, and ask if they would like more water. With both of these responses, expect your restaurant to shut down.
The best thing to do, no matter what type of business you have, is to fix the problem as soon as you can. Most customers understand. They have been in similar situations, have worked on the other side, and know that not everything is perfect all the time.
What do they want? For you to simply say, “Okay. I understand and I will fix the problem. Thank you for caring enough to tell me.”
What happens if you don’t respond by balancing things out and providing better service? It’s like putting vinegar in sugar cookies. Your business will simply be gone as quickly as it started.
Along with this particular ingredient for good customer service in response to complaints are ways that you can make sure that the scenario doesn’t accumulate into something worse. If a customer complains, remember this formula response:
1. Acknowledge the mistake.
2. Remember the famous slogan that “the customer is always right.”
3. Apologize for the mistake.
4. Balance out the situation. There is nothing like a little extra something in order to put everything right again. For instance, a free product for the one that wasn’t quite right always makes everything good again.
5. Be fair with the remedy.
The major idea with these complicated situations of customers not being satisfied is to reverse their complaints to them being happy about what your business has to offer. This makes it so that they will turn around and tell their friends that even though you made a mistake, you stuck by your business and made sure that the customer was happy.
Even with the bad and the ugly, make sure the customer knows that you believe in your product.
Ingredient #6: Let the Oven Do the Work
Keeping your customers happy doesn’t mean that you have to work over time. It would be like building a fire out of twigs to cook your bread when there is an oven sitting in the kitchen. You can use strategies, technology and tools to help you implement good customer service.
Technology is one of the great tools that you can use in order to make sure that your customers stay satisfied. Things such as au
We hear the word love throughout modern society. We are told to love our customers and that as customers we are loved. We are told to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are told that there is no greater gift than love. We even have a special holiday, Valentine’s Day, dedicated to the notion of love.Love has been described a basic building block of resilience, the foundation of the family, and in the goal of marriage. But does love have a place in business?Father Dan Schulte, a Catholic Priest and Philosopher, has defined love as “Love is the unifying thoughts between two people who have cared for and have said ‘yes’ to each other total being. It implies mutual respect, freedom and trust, and seeks the happiness of fulfillment of each other as a common goal.”Father Robert Mitchell has stated that love is an act of choice while “life” is an uncontrollable emotional response to our experience of another individual. Father Mitchell states that while respect is a pre-requisite of love, life is not. Father Mitchell does posit that respect is the ideal foundation for a love relationship and that from this respect “life” would ideally spring forth to form the framework of the love choice however, life is not the pre-requisite to the act of choice to love.In the business world the admonishment to “love our customers” has been criticized as minimizing the meaning and importance of love. As this admonishment is a pride in most businesses that criticism is quite true. Father Schulte in his definition points out that love is a unifying response, it binds those in the relationship together trading a new individual, the love relationship itself. In his definition those in the love relationship choose to “care for and face ‘yes’ to each other’s total being.” Here Father Schulte and Father Mitchell agree completely, love does not require that you “like” the other individual only that you choose to love. How many of our customers do we have the immediate emotional response of dislike? Father Mitchell and Father Schulte prove here that we can embrace that “dislike” and still choose to love that customer.But how can I love somebody whom I dislike? Father Schulte’s definition answers this question as well by including that love implies mutual respect. Just as Father Mitchell stated that respect is the foundation for love, Father Schule states it is an absolute pre-requisite. Even if we dislike our customers we can still find in ourselves
How do you really care about your customer?
Paying attention to the after sales and providing support for what customers have already bought will ensure that your customer will return. This is another way of communicating with your customer to tell them that you believe in your product and you want to make sure that they are happy with what they have received.
It is as simple as checking in with your customer. An e-mail to make sure that everything was satisfactory or a phone call to ask how they liked the service is a great way to keep on the same page with your customer.
Another great after sales support is to simply say thank you. This is one of the easiest ways to check in, letting all of your customers know you appreciate their service. The result is that a customer will begin to see that you care that they are your customer. There is no better way to keep customers coming back and bringing other customers with them.
The result of this particular part of the formula is that you will be opening a door to communicating with your customer on several levels. First, it will remind them that you are a good company and that you believe in what you do. The result? It ties in to the first ingredient again, where they will let others know that you are a company that stands by your product and really cares.
The second thing that it will do is relieve any problems with the product. If they are not satisfied with the product, you will be a step ahead of them. You can change your product or marketing in order to make it better. You can also stop complaints from happening because the customer doesn’t have time to build them up in their head.
Adding in the extra ingredients of communicating with your customer, even if they don’t have their pocket book pulled out, will guarantee that they will remember you and will be willing to keep coming back for more of what you have to offer.
Ingredient #5: Add In the Personal
One of the greatest parts of being a business owner is the ability to network with all types of people and personalities. The difference between a business owner and a friend is that every person you meet is a potential sale. This means that your customers are your friends.
The spice of your mixture for a successful business through customer service is by making it personal. You don’t have to be a ‘mom and pop’ store in order to remember who your customers are and make sure that they feel welcome and at home when they walk in.
All you have to do is remember a name and one association with that name. If you have employees, tell them that they want to learn the customer’s name. This will make all of the difference in them coming back.
All you have to do is simply say, “Hi Joe! What will you have today?” Doing this instead of “How may I help you?” sounds much more inviting and friendly, as well as personalized.
Why not go the extra mile? Most of you have heard the phrase “You will have your usual, Jim?” Remembering the little things, such as what your customer likes, will help your customer feel welcome and at home, even though they are responding to your business.
You don’t have to have an extremely personal relationship. But, remember that it is your job to make sure your customers are happy when they walk in for service in your area of town. This means building and establishing a personalized relationship that always welcomes them in the front door.
Ingredient #6: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Some customers don’t just live to find the best quality product or service. Some live to make sure that they find the worst. They want you to know what is wrong with what you are doing. This doesn’t mean that you have to shrug them off and tell them to go away. Instead, make sure that you are responding correctly.
A customer is more likely going to get mad if you don’t respond to them than if you do. Look at a restaurant scenario for a good example. If a customer tells you that they don’t like the fries because they are too cold, you have a few choice of how to respond.
The first way is to tell them that they are wrong. You know that they are fine. You can then take a fry off of their plate and see how it tastes. The second way is to completely ignore them, and ask if they would like more water. With both of these responses, expect your restaurant to shut down.
The best thing to do, no matter what type of business you have, is to fix the problem as soon as you can. Most customers understand. They have been in similar situations, have worked on the other side, and know that not everything is perfect all the time.
What do they want? For you to simply say, “Okay. I understand and I will fix the problem. Thank you for caring enough to tell me.”
What happens if you don’t respond by balancing things out and providing better service? It’s like putting vinegar in sugar cookies. Your business will simply be gone as quickly as it started.
Along with this particular ingredient for good customer service in response to complaints are ways that you can make sure that the scenario doesn’t accumulate into something worse. If a customer complains, remember this formula response:
1. Acknowledge the mistake.
2. Remember the famous slogan that “the customer is always right.”
3. Apologize for the mistake.
4. Balance out the situation. There is nothing like a little extra something in order to put everything right again. For instance, a free product for the one that wasn’t quite right always makes everything good again.
5. Be fair with the remedy.
The major idea with these complicated situations of customers not being satisfied is to reverse their complaints to them being happy about what your business has to offer. This makes it so that they will turn around and tell their friends that even though you made a mistake, you stuck by your business and made sure that the customer was happy.
Even with the bad and the ugly, make sure the customer knows that you believe in your product.
Ingredient #6: Let the Oven Do the Work
Keeping your customers happy doesn’t mean that you have to work over time. It would be like building a fire out of twigs to cook your bread when there is an oven sitting in the kitchen. You can use strategies, technology and tools to help you implement good customer service.
Technology is one of the great tools that you can use in order to make sure that your customers stay satisfied. Things such as au
RFID labels, I hear the term but what does it mean and should I be thinking of using it for my business? RFID is a radio frequency identification . Every product is identified somehow. A sign, a label, a barcode label and an RFID label are all different ways to identify product. Which one should I chose? If I own a lemonade stand chances are I'll make a sign to describe what's in the pitcher. If I manufacture gum, chances are that my label will have words to tell the consumer what it is, and a bar code for the cash register scanner to identify the product and price. RFID uses radio frequencies to transmit data to a reader which captures the data. The reader takes the digital information and downloads it to it's computer so the data may be used and interpreted.RFID tags or labels contain a micro chip which can store about 2KB of data. This allows you to store more than just it's SKU and price. You can store other important information like which manufacturing plant it comes from, the date it was manufactured and expiration date to name a few. why do we want to capture this information in this way. Business today is about profit, streamlining and being the most productive you can be. If we can capture this data instantly then we can analyze it and make the right decisions quicker and more accurately. If we can reduce manual operations, we increase efficiency and reduce the chance for human errors, either by careless mistakes or wrong assumptions.This sounds like a great system so why isn't everybody using it? It's not because it's a new technolgy because it isn't. Why the change now? It has been around since atleast the 70's and was primarily used in the army. The reason it hasn't become the accepted norm is the cost. The readers alone can cost $1000.00 each and the labels themselves are considerably more expensive than bar code labels. Without mass acceptance and technological advancements this technology was not thought of as a viable alternative.Why the change now? Basically it comes down to one word, Walmart. Walmart has grown into such a huge company that to manage it's logistics and supply chain it has become essential to be the most efficient and streamlined as possible. Walmart feels that this technology will help it control it's inventory and procurement costs, thereby increasing it's profitability. It has thus dictated that it's top 50 suppliers start using this technology. This one decision has changed the evolution of RFID labels. Money i
Ingredient #6: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Some customers don’t just live to find the best quality product or service. Some live to make sure that they find the worst. They want you to know what is wrong with what you are doing. This doesn’t mean that you have to shrug them off and tell them to go away. Instead, make sure that you are responding correctly.
A customer is more likely going to get mad if you don’t respond to them than if you do. Look at a restaurant scenario for a good example. If a customer tells you that they don’t like the fries because they are too cold, you have a few choice of how to respond.
The first way is to tell them that they are wrong. You know that they are fine. You can then take a fry off of their plate and see how it tastes. The second way is to completely ignore them, and ask if they would like more water. With both of these responses, expect your restaurant to shut down.
The best thing to do, no matter what type of business you have, is to fix the problem as soon as you can. Most customers understand. They have been in similar situations, have worked on the other side, and know that not everything is perfect all the time.
What do they want? For you to simply say, “Okay. I understand and I will fix the problem. Thank you for caring enough to tell me.”
What happens if you don’t respond by balancing things out and providing better service? It’s like putting vinegar in sugar cookies. Your business will simply be gone as quickly as it started.
Along with this particular ingredient for good customer service in response to complaints are ways that you can make sure that the scenario doesn’t accumulate into something worse. If a customer complains, remember this formula response:
1. Acknowledge the mistake.
2. Remember the famous slogan that “the customer is always right.”
3. Apologize for the mistake.
4. Balance out the situation. There is nothing like a little extra something in order to put everything right again. For instance, a free product for the one that wasn’t quite right always makes everything good again.
5. Be fair with the remedy.
The major idea with these complicated situations of customers not being satisfied is to reverse their complaints to them being happy about what your business has to offer. This makes it so that they will turn around and tell their friends that even though you made a mistake, you stuck by your business and made sure that the customer was happy.
Even with the bad and the ugly, make sure the customer knows that you believe in your product.
Ingredient #6: Let the Oven Do the Work
Keeping your customers happy doesn’t mean that you have to work over time. It would be like building a fire out of twigs to cook your bread when there is an oven sitting in the kitchen. You can use strategies, technology and tools to help you implement good customer service.
Technology is one of the great tools that you can use in order to make sure that your customers stay satisfied. Things such as auto-responses and confirmations will take away a large amount of time while allowing customers to know that you remembered them and you are grateful for them, even after you are not dealing with their money transactions.
Having tools of information available when someone is working with your company is also important. Providing the basics of what your company is about, what their history is about and things such as what you know customers will want to know will help you to communicate with your customers and personalize the atmosphere of your company. This is important because it lets your customer know that you are thinking about their needs first. Everything from information desks to FAQs that are given can be used to implement better relations.
Another important thing to do is to be available. This tool is an easy one to follow, and will help you to create a personalized place for every customer. This is as simple as creating contact information. This can be on a receipt, on a website or any other convenient place that a customer can easily find. Keeping things personalized, as one of the key ingredients, can easily be done by simply providing your information.
Another thing to keep in mind is that all of the ingredients in your customer service plan can not be mixed together enough. Everything from being responsive to customer satisfaction levels, to making sure that your customer pool is increasing, is important with your business.
What are the tools for this? Simple things such as putting together surveys, double checking on what is important to the customers and continuously working on creating new tools for customers to correspond with you will all guarantee that you keep the business coming in for a well-done tool kit for customers.
After the Bread Has Baked
The mixture is all in simple steps towards creating an overall masterpiece of good relationships as a company and to customers. By putting together simple acts and gestures that benefit the customer, you will have a strong return of benefiting from customers that feel welcome in your business.
You can expect that if you don’t pay attention to your customers, your business will burn. All it takes to prevent this is to watch the bread bake with some simple tools and the idea that you want to make sure your customers are treated with respect and service. The results will speak for themselves.
If your business grows, you know that you have a good response to the service that you offer to each individual customer. If your business starts to die, you might want to examine the way that you are putting things together. There may be one missing thing with what you offer for customer service, but it will cause the entire business to run into problems.
Your work as a business owner is to put together the ingredients for happy customers. This will allow you, and everyone who uses your service to keep a good mixture of relations, resulting in a feast for your business.
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