| |
| |
|
WebsiteAlways |
|
Clients?Do You Really Need Them?
Running a successful business takes a lot of energy and there are so many areas that as a business owner you need to pay attention too. It's not enough to spend heaps of time, money and resources into getting buyers for your goods and services and then leaving those clients/customers to their own devices. If you want to work less, have more time and make more money one very important aspect you have to take care of on an ongoing basis is nurturing those people who are prepared to spend their money with you. You cannot afford to take their money, sell the goods or perform the services and then hope they will call you when they need too. The Hairdresser A couple of weeks ago I visited my hairdresser for my regular appointment. Now I have been loyally going to this hairdresser for at least 2 years, approximately every six weeks. On this particular occasion there were a couple of clients having their hair coloured and the owner and another assistant were fawning over three kittens which had kindly been supplied by the local vet. Apparently the vet was looking for a good home for the kittens and John,the owner and another staff member were going to take them home. The kittens were staying the afternoon at the salon for the benefit of their new owners (my hairdresser and his assistant). So here we were in an upmarket salon, with three kittens running around and the staff paying more attention to them than the clients. The second incident that occurred happened after I had my hair washed. I was left sitting in a chair waiting whilst John who is my hairdresser casually took his time looking at another client's holiday photos. That wasted at least 5 minutes. (Some people may not be bothered about having their time wasted, but unfortunately for John, I wasn't one of them). When he finally comes over, instead of asking me how am I going, or commenting about the condition of my hair, he proceeds to tell me all the details about his life (as he usually does) and is so focussed on himself he was oblivious to the fact that without people like me (a paying client), he wouldn't be in business. It doesn't end there. The final straw came when his mobile phone rang in the middle of my haircut. With no apology or saying to me "excuse me, I must take this call ", he answers the phone and wanders off for another 5 minutes. By this time I was ready to explode. Instead, being the cool, calm and collected person that I am (sometimes), I took some deep breaths and vowed I would never go there again. How Much Money Do You Lose? As a regular client who had an average spend of $110 every six weeks (that's for a colour and cut), I would be worth around $900 a year plus any product I would buy. And that's another thing, John often complained about not having enough income, yet he never trained his staff how to sell additional products. People (particularly women) would readily purchase shampoos, conditioners, gels etc. if his staff would proactively recommend it. They only sold product by default, when a client mentioned they had run out or asked questions. I was one of those clients who asked questions about the various products and was ready to buy, except they were always out of stock! (See how being disorganised affects your income!) Focus on What Counts Being a great hairdresser, accountant, coach or anything else for that matter doesn't automatically mean your clients will continue to invest their money with you. You have to pay attention to them by being proactive in looking after them and not reactive when they complain. In fact most people will not tell you if they are unhappy with your goods or services, they will just take their business elsewhere. They'll also spread the word by telling other people about their experiences with you thereby damaging your reputation and potential for future clients. The Final Word Look at how your business is run. Survey your clients and find out how they really find your goods/services, customer care, follow up service etc. After all, wouldn't they know how good you really are? You and your team may think you're great but it's what your clients think (and pay for) that counts. It would also be worthwhile investing in a great book by Keith Abraham entitled "Creating Loyal Profitable Customers' - 47 ways to turn your customers into passionate purchasers (available from our office for only $24.95 plus $5 postage). So don't delay. Get yourself organised so that you have time to focus on what really counts. About The Author Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life. www.office-organiser.com.au, lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
MORE RESOURCES:
Customer-Service - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Treating the Customer Dissatisfaction Epidemic: How to Go Beyond Simply Masking the Symptoms Corporations in every sector are spending more than ever before in an attempt to improve their customer service levels. Every year they pour hundreds of millions of dollars into new systems and training programs that promise them the ability to win customer loyalty. 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. Dont Be Afraid To Give Problem Customers The Boot Q: In a recent column you made the point that the customer is always right, which I agree with. However, in the same column you also said that it is sometimes necessary give problem customers the boot. Your Career Plan--Think Like A CEO You've been going 6-to-late; exhausted by running the supersonic treadmill of life and wish you had a different job. But you can't because you have no time and you're left spent at the end of every day. Customer Conversion Mistakes That Will Cost You The following are common mistakes that Sales Managers and Owners make in the sales process which could be costing you thousands or even hundreds of thousands in lost revenue.- No system to capture and log prospect information/contact data on incoming ad calls. From Scowl to Smile: 5 Practical Steps to Instill Exceptional Customer Service Whether in a restaurant, a retail establishment, or the local post office, we have all experienced a decline in customer service. Rarely do smiling, happy employees interact with us anymore. Become a Customer Enthusiasm-Guru! One thing all successful small business owners have in common is the knowledge that their business is based on enthusiastic customers. Despite their multi-tasking titles of bookkeeper, service provider and sales-manager, their most important title is Customer-Enthusiasm Guru. Customer Service Tips - Is Your Business A Leaky Bucket? Customer service and customer service training are vital for any business.But, is your business a leaky bucket?This is a question I always ask small business owners who attend my marketing seminars. Your Actions Tell Your Clients How You Expect To Be Treated There is a widely accepted principle of human behavior that goes something like this. "Your actions tell the world how you expect to be treated. Moments That Matter Many years ago, I was a first year apprentice assigned the task of pressure washing a set of condensing coils on the roof of a grocery store on Capital Hill in Seattle, an upscale part of town.It was a 90-degree day, in late August. What's in a Name? Different people call their Customers by different names. If they don't have Customers, they have Clients, purchasers, licensees, users, patients, members, franchisees, or buyers. E-Business's Best Friend: eCRM From Ebay to the smallest home-operated start-up, e-businesses of all sizes struggle to accurately answer a common question: who are my customers? If you can't answer that question, chances are you're also in the dark about the following questions. What customer demand trends can I expect in the future? How can I improve customer retention? What can I do to build long-term relationships of trust with customers? Knowing the answer to these questions can mean the difference between long-term growth and profitability and crashing and burning. Making The Most Of Newsletters Newsletters can be wonderful tools for communicating with your customers or prospects. Because of their format, they're often infused with more credibility than traditional brochures. To Complain and Win! - My Personal Recipe Prime directive: Make sure your claim is reasonable! Otherwise, forget it.First thing: If you have a legitimate claim denied or a beef with a company (my method can be applied to insurance companies, dealerships, bad fish, or whatever), prepare yourself for the likelihood of frustrating conversations with people who either can't think for themselves or have been told by their boss not to. Caring for Your Customers You probably think I am going to say something like, "The customer is always right." Right?? Wrong. Clients?Do You Really Need Them? Running a successful business takes a lot of energy and there are so many areas that as a business owner you need to pay attention too.It's not enough to spend heaps of time, money and resources into getting buyers for your goods and services and then leaving those clients/customers to their own devices. Clients - What They Want from You A growing number of individuals are finding themselves called to help others and go on to fulfil this call by training to become a practitioner in one of the healing arts.The range of conventional, traditional, holistic, complementary and alternative therapies is extensive with new thoughts on old themes being introduced almost daily. What To Do When Youve Blown It It's bound to happen sooner or later - yes, even to you and your business. Sometime or other, you will make a blunder that upsets a customer. 5 Ways Customer Service Managers are Implementing to Increase Customer Focus According to a Forum Corporation survey of commercial customers lost by 14 major service and manufacturing companies:15% found a better service/product15% found a cheaper service/product20% cited "lack of contact and individual attention from the company"50% said; "contact from old suppliers" personnel was poor in quality"These days, it seems that everyone from dog walkers to dotcoms is making "customer service" their mission. Department, discount and convenience stores have all transformed the workers who used to be known as "sales clerks" into "customer service associates"- in theory at least. Creating the Right 'Viral Reputation' Unless you are brand new to business, or have been under a rock for quite some time - one key marketing technique (which isn't new) - is called 'Viral'.Based on the word 'virus' - viral marketing or viral business simply means it 'spreads' like a virus.
|
| Interesting articles | Home | site map | Link |
| © 2006 |
