Top Three Ways to Stay in Touch with Clients

Relationships are developed through time and activity. Here are three of the top ways to develop relationships that stand the test of time!

A New Spin on Mystery Shopping

Have you been using mystery shoppers or web or phone surveys looking for something new? Do you need more data points? Look no further than your email database of customers. Here is an inexpensive and fun way to not only help move service forward, but continue to cement the loyalty of your customers.

Is Anybody Listening?

Part of the glamour of traveling to conferences is staying in hotels - all brands, varieties and levels. One thing I've recently noticed is many hotels are teaching their employees to listen to the guest. Not in the traditional sense, but at a new level, and it's something restaurants can borrow a page from.

The Power of Highly Satisfied

I was recently reading a Harvard Business School case study on Starbucks. Being one of the few people who do not drink coffee, I am not the most frequent Starbucks customer. But, the wireless internet access and Chantico drinking chocolate have gotten me in there regularly. But I digress ...

Give a S.H.I.R.T!

Who doesn't enjoy the accessibility of eating lunch or dinner in their car while rushing back to the office, or to their child's next activity? After all, quick service is what we expect from quick-serve restaurants. To make sure your quick-serve gets it right - at the dine-in, drive-thru, or to-go - the key to success is to get your employees to Give a S.H.I.R.T! - yes, there is an 'R' in there.

It's Our Policy

While visiting the very cool Which Wich? sandwich store in downtown Dallas, founder Jeff Sinelli was relaying a story to me about trying to return something to a vendor. It was the vendor's policy not to allow returns. This forced Jeff to call someone and arrange reimbursement. This situation made me wonder: How many policies do other QSRs have in place that inconveniences the guests?

Follow Up Tips for Computer Services Part 1

Follow up is an incredibly important aspect of your marketing and contact management systems. In order to not be perceived as a pest, you need to create interesting and varied forms of follow up.

Top Customer Service Speaker Says: Beware of Aversive Conditioning in Customer Service!

One of the subliminal techniques sellers use to hoodwink customers into buying more expensive products and accepting second-class treatment is the use of subtle aversive conditioning, says Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, top speaker, best-selling author, and Fortune 1000 consultant. If you've ever left a transaction feeling compromised, slighted, or even moderately insulted or unappreciated, you may have been a victim of this tactic, says this popular radio and TV commentator and author of MONITORING, MEASURING & MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE, published by Jossey-Bass/John Wiley.

The Holidays Are Here

I use a credit card for many business purchases. Since I travel a lot, this means quite a bit of money is charged throughout the year. Therefore, I was pleased when my bank had a local hotel deliver a 'basket of goodies' to our home during the holidays. The card attached thanked us for our support, and looked forward to another year of providing beneficial service.

Where on the Floor is 264?

Your customers may require more than technical data to fulfill their wants and needs. Data only becomes useful information when it connects with human concerns.

When Service Goes Wrong, Bounce Back!

We all try to do things right. No business sets out to do wrong when servicing customers. But life is full of unexpected moments and, inevitably, mistakes do happen.

An Upgrade is Usually Worse, At First

If you are upgrading or changing your service in ways that affect your customers, send them advance warning and acknowledge openly what everyone already knows: things go wrong, upgrades take time, it takes effort to locate and iron out the wrinkles.

Take the Extra Step, Enjoy the Extra Business

Coffee company ‘********’ and Singapore bank ‘***’ are both very big in their markets. They are major players with many customers, huge budgets and profits (for now). But big bureaucracies can quickly become impersonal and remote. Staff can become more interested in doing things easily for themselves and pleasing their bosses, than serving their customers with a smile. Meanwhile, smaller players who want more market share, greater customer loyalty and positive word of mouth can teach their staff to be pleasant, helpful, motivated and appreciative toward those who really count – the customers.