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Casual Articles - Customer Service -- Do Warm Cookies, USA Today and Lobby Coffee Really Make a Difference
One of the most important principles in business is branding. This is because it plays a big role in creating product awareness and creating more business for companies. Given this, companies make it a point to come up with logos and produce collateral material such as letterheads, envelopes and business cards that project a professional brand or image. Recent developments such as the dawn of e-commerce has also made it possible for companies to project and promote their brand using tools such as the Internet. Companies come up with web sites and use e-mail for various business purposes. This has spawned more uses for electronic media, which, in turn, have aided companies in their advertising and brand awareness efforts. One of these efforts is the use of CDs as business cards.Business Card CDsIn recent times, the preferred mode of information exchange is through re-writable compact discs (CD-Rs), because they are more convenient and effic
Why invest in training when turnover is high and it becomes a waste of money?”
Remember, your employees are
We have all heard this lament, but how much do we practice it. With all the relaxed rules today, do we really present ourselves in the best light. It seems all the articles I see today are about how old fashioned today's workers find their supervisors or bosses to be in the way they dress, the policies they implement and the old fashioned ways in which they conduct their business. I am of the belief, and will continue to believe, that the first impression I make is the lasting one. Whether it is by phone or in person, I want to present myself in the best possible light. But then again, I am from the old school, the one today's workers are complaining about. Let's look at the companies that are still standing. After all the hoopla has passed, the companies that have used the fundamental principles of Business 101 are the ones still among us. The Intels, IBMs, Burger Kings, AT&Ts, Sears, Microsofts, Dells, Gateways, etc. I am not
This is a term used frequently in industrial sales. It means exactly the same thing that we refer to when we discuss customer loyalty in the hospitality industry. Believe it or not there are many other common best practices that are all intended to help reach the common objective of growth and profitability.
In the hospitality industry, customer service is the platform upon which everything is built. It’s the mantra. It must become a core competency. So, if it’s all about customer service which is designed to build relationship equity with your firm; your brand which in turn creates customer loyalty, are cookies, coffee and the USA enough? I think not.
Building that personal relationship and customer loyalty goes far beyond little perks like cookies and coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I like those warm cookies and I absolutely enjoy having free coffee available “In the Lobby” but that has simply become the ante to play. Creating customer loyalty and relationship equity goes beyond that and it starts by making it absolutely seamless and easy to do business with you. Industrial sales organizations call it “World Class Service”. That is certainly a term and objective important to the hospitality industry.
The Next Hurdle
Once you’ve conquered that first hurdle and created a culture of world class service you can begin to focus on building customer loyalty by building relationship equity. You see, without the service you have no value proposition to support your platform. Relationship equity which creates customer loyalty requires all your employee to be customer focused. This means getting to really know who your customers are. Call them by name, know their purpose and intent. Are they on vacation or is this business travel. Who do they work for? This is not especially difficult if you have some type of repeat customer reward system. When you can show sincere concern about what really matters to your customer, who they are and what they are about, that builds relationship equity which creates customer loyalty.
Face the Employment Challenge
World class service is not guaranteed regardless of company mottos, promotions or any other marketing strategy. World class service is created by the employees. Make the investment in continuous training of your employees and provide real incentives for them to build relationship equity which in turn will result in customer loyalty. Don’t just hire warm bodies even though there is a shortage of candidates. Consider a recruitment incentive for current employees to recommend candidates. This could be paid partially when and if the candidate is hired and the balance paid nine months later after the new employee shows his/her value and retention. Look for potential, pay a little above market and make sure your managers are trained in leadership and continuously work on their people skills. There are many good books written on customer service. Provide some of the more popular ones to your employees and make them required reading.
Why invest in training when turnover is high and it becomes a waste of money?”
Remember, your employees are
When there is an opening to fill, a company has four basic approaches at their disposal:• Advertise the position on Internet job sites• Network• Probe the Internet for viable candidates• Use recruitersWhen a company advertises an opening on an Internet job site, they receive hundreds of resumes. It simply is too long of a process and financially prohibitive to review every resume and move through each step of the interviewing and selection process to fill the opening.Since decision-makers know other decision-makers, a hiring manager’s network can be quite extensive. In time, good candidates can be located. The problem with this approach is that the hiring manager may simply be too busy to engage in the time and human interaction required to make this happen.Employers and recruiters utilizing keyword searches scour the job sites in search of candidates to fill job openings. A major segment of these ope
Building that personal relationship and customer loyalty goes far beyond little perks like cookies and coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I like those warm cookies and I absolutely enjoy having free coffee available “In the Lobby” but that has simply become the ante to play. Creating customer loyalty and relationship equity goes beyond that and it starts by making it absolutely seamless and easy to do business with you. Industrial sales organizations call it “World Class Service”. That is certainly a term and objective important to the hospitality industry.
The Next Hurdle
Once you’ve conquered that first hurdle and created a culture of world class service you can begin to focus on building customer loyalty by building relationship equity. You see, without the service you have no value proposition to support your platform. Relationship equity which creates customer loyalty requires all your employee to be customer focused. This means getting to really know who your customers are. Call them by name, know their purpose and intent. Are they on vacation or is this business travel. Who do they work for? This is not especially difficult if you have some type of repeat customer reward system. When you can show sincere concern about what really matters to your customer, who they are and what they are about, that builds relationship equity which creates customer loyalty.
Face the Employment Challenge
World class service is not guaranteed regardless of company mottos, promotions or any other marketing strategy. World class service is created by the employees. Make the investment in continuous training of your employees and provide real incentives for them to build relationship equity which in turn will result in customer loyalty. Don’t just hire warm bodies even though there is a shortage of candidates. Consider a recruitment incentive for current employees to recommend candidates. This could be paid partially when and if the candidate is hired and the balance paid nine months later after the new employee shows his/her value and retention. Look for potential, pay a little above market and make sure your managers are trained in leadership and continuously work on their people skills. There are many good books written on customer service. Provide some of the more popular ones to your employees and make them required reading.
Why invest in training when turnover is high and it becomes a waste of money?”
Remember, your employees are
You've been faithfully toiling at your job for the past number of years and you are actually good at it. The pay isn't that bad but you feel that it's high time to move up that corporate ladder. Getting promoted isn't as simple as sitting back and letting your achievements speak for you. The corporate world unfortunately doesn't work that way. If you have been passed over countless times here are some tips to finally get your well-deserved promotion.#1 From the fat into the fire. Do you even know what you are getting yourself into? Do you just want that promotion just for the heck of it? Before you even think about going for that promotion, research on the position and the skills needed for it. You may want that VP position but you could be woefully inadequate for it. Getting a promotion means more responsibility and it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get any added perks. If you feel that you are indeed qualified for the position and you are
Once you’ve conquered that first hurdle and created a culture of world class service you can begin to focus on building customer loyalty by building relationship equity. You see, without the service you have no value proposition to support your platform. Relationship equity which creates customer loyalty requires all your employee to be customer focused. This means getting to really know who your customers are. Call them by name, know their purpose and intent. Are they on vacation or is this business travel. Who do they work for? This is not especially difficult if you have some type of repeat customer reward system. When you can show sincere concern about what really matters to your customer, who they are and what they are about, that builds relationship equity which creates customer loyalty.
Face the Employment Challenge
World class service is not guaranteed regardless of company mottos, promotions or any other marketing strategy. World class service is created by the employees. Make the investment in continuous training of your employees and provide real incentives for them to build relationship equity which in turn will result in customer loyalty. Don’t just hire warm bodies even though there is a shortage of candidates. Consider a recruitment incentive for current employees to recommend candidates. This could be paid partially when and if the candidate is hired and the balance paid nine months later after the new employee shows his/her value and retention. Look for potential, pay a little above market and make sure your managers are trained in leadership and continuously work on their people skills. There are many good books written on customer service. Provide some of the more popular ones to your employees and make them required reading.
Why invest in training when turnover is high and it becomes a waste of money?”
Remember, your employees are
Michael, 39, is a section leader for a large US plant that manufactures jet engine components. In many aspects, the career is rewarding. After 17 years, Michael is in line for a major promotion. Not only does the work offer potential for advancement, but it also affords security in terms of salary, benefits and the promise of an attractive retirement plan.Security and potential are important to Michael and his family. But they're not the only terms that motivate. Michael knows his high standards influence his team's oversight. Their work means safer jets and safer air travel. Year after year, the section earns company awards and bonuses for workflow management, workplace safety and production. There's a real value in his work as a mechanical engineer, and most measure Michael a success.He likes to think so, too. Still, in quiet moments, he wonders…is this really the work for me? Is this what I envisioned? He sketches his thoughts to paper.
Face the Employment Challenge
World class service is not guaranteed regardless of company mottos, promotions or any other marketing strategy. World class service is created by the employees. Make the investment in continuous training of your employees and provide real incentives for them to build relationship equity which in turn will result in customer loyalty. Don’t just hire warm bodies even though there is a shortage of candidates. Consider a recruitment incentive for current employees to recommend candidates. This could be paid partially when and if the candidate is hired and the balance paid nine months later after the new employee shows his/her value and retention. Look for potential, pay a little above market and make sure your managers are trained in leadership and continuously work on their people skills. There are many good books written on customer service. Provide some of the more popular ones to your employees and make them required reading.
Why invest in training when turnover is high and it becomes a waste of money?”
Remember, your employees are
Restaurant people will tell you that the worst thing a customer can do is have a bad meal and not SAY anything about it. It prevents the establishment from making it right for the customer. The damage gets worse, because the customer doesn’t usually return AND they tell their friends what they thought about the food.Automotive sales people are taught that every customer knows at least another 100 friends and relatives, and that one customer can be a valuable source of leads and referrals for future automotive sales. If the salesperson does a good jobPeople talk about service, both good and bad. Businesses large and small should think over these examples, and build customer service policies to support them.Here are some possibilities:Monitor satisfaction with each transaction. A technology manufacturer recently shipped back an item to a customer that had been returned for warranty repl
Why invest in training when turnover is high and it becomes a waste of money?”
Remember, your employees are going to treat your customers based on their personal perception of how they are treated. That perception is developed by the culture and work environment you create as a company. Communicate company values, integrity, goals, objectives, initiatives and listen to your employees. They become the voice of the customer. Ask your self this question;
“Can you afford not to invest in the training and development of your employees and expect to create real customer loyalty?”
Let me assure you, marketing strategies, advertising and warm cookies alone will not do it.
Build the Customer Loyalty Culture
Don’t wait until you have a customer complaint to address specific issues that relate to customer loyalty. Listen to your employees. Encourage suggestions, ideas and comments regarding work environment improvements. Make sure communication is crystal clear. Employees need to understand what your expectations are. Believe it or not the vast majority of employees regardless of diversity, religion, background or personal upbringing really want to do a good job. They do want to be held accountable. Create a skills matrix and do a skills inventory to determine exactly what training is needed and what types of skills exist within your workforce. Leverage the pluses and train on the weaknesses. Every one of these actions will help build an environment that allows the promotion of customer loyalty.
If your employees hear their managers complaining about each other and whining about demanding guests, what message does it send to them? How do they see you dealing with other employees and managers? How do they see you handle a guest complaint? Do you reward good service or simply admonish poor customer service? This is all related to building a customer loyalty culture. It takes more than free coffee in the lobby and the USA Today. Make the following initiatives part of your strategic plan:
1. Develop and provide adequate training that starts with the basics and escalates to leadership development. Make sure employees have the right tools to do the job which means providing world class service. This even includes maintenance. There are numerous programs available and willing consultants that can help you.
2. Develop a buddy system for new employees that rewards the selected buddy based on new employee performance and orientation.
3. If your current employee culture and environment “Sucks”, don’t hide it. Own up to it and commit to change. Involve your employees and your managers in
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