Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 31, 2009 under Training | 
I’m excited to announce that I’ve launched a site dedicated to my passion for speaking about the importance of building relationships with our customers.
Customer Relationship Speaker is a site that provides detailed information about each of the programs I offer; keynote addresses and workshops.
I’ve been on “stage” entertaining and informing audiences since the summer plays in my backyard; my younger brother, our friends and our collie Oriole’s Prince Royalton as the captive audience. In the 70’s I was on stage in high school/college and in the 80’s the community stage called my name.
In the 90’s. with Pearle Vision, I had the pure pleasure of leading workshops in marketing and sales for our new franchise owners and have continued that passion of sharing knowledge and getting attendees to participate and learn from each other.
Looking for a speaker for your next associate event or corporate meeting? Visit Customer Relationship Speaker and view the different topics available.
Of course, I can always create something new just for your event – call me. Let’s talk. 330-414-8792.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on under Books, Customer Moments |
We talk about customer service and earning customer’s loyalty but when push comes to shove – which came first:
The quest for sales and profits?
Or
Customers?
My experience has shown that it is a rare company indeed that puts customers first at every level of the company – from the owner/founder to the board to each executive level on down to the people that actually talk to the customers.
As our business grows our focus shifts to all of the balls we juggle to keep our business afloat and at some point we decide (and I think it may even be a conscious decision) to leave the customer relationship building to the hourly wage employees that actually see the customers face to face – or phone to phone.
What’s wrong with that picture?
- If the only person putting the customer first is the front line employee – what happens when their boss needs them to do something that puts the customer second?
- When managers receive a bonus based on inventory turns and bottom line profit what happens to the “put customers first” mantra?
- When the communication and paperwork that hit the store and the tasks assigned are so cumbersome that employees view customers as an intrusion into their daily responsibilities, what happens to putting the customer first?
- When we’ve been forced, due to the economy, to work with fewer employees but don’t streamline tasks or eliminate those that aren’t customer-focused – is the customer still first?
Do you have a Put Customer First culture? How do you manage to keep the customer in the forefront of every discussion, every new direction, every new product or service or marketing campaign? Who polices the corporate behavior to protect the customer-first culture? What tips do you have for ensuring that if it doesn’t positively impact the customer – it doesn’t get done?
HELP our customers!
I’m collecting your stories, tips, nightmares – anything you’d like to share that helps the rest of us get back to the business of PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRST.
I’d like to compile your stories in an e-book that we’ll launch here.
HELP ME GET THE WORD OUT. Please share this request with your network – let’s make this a “must-have” resource for putting the customer first.
Include:
Your name
Your company name
The link or URL address to your website or blog or both – your choice.
Thanks so much! Let’s start a revolution so that the customer comes out on top.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 28, 2009 under Connecting Moments, thank you |
Reports that the economy may be turning have begun to give us hope; the light is almost visible at the end of the tunnel. Yet, businesses are still cautious with their purse strings, banks are careful and the employed are (for the most part) grateful.
Is this the time to start a business?
Dan Bish(a former colleague from Pearle Vision) and his partner Rick Shampaine think so. They just announced the opening of their franchise development business:
Shampaine/Bish Franchise Development; connecting franchisees with the right franchise opportunity.
Both have a long history of helping franchisees and have amassed a substantial network with whom they sent this exciting announcement.
Here’s what I love about their message:
- They clearly know who they want to help
- They identified why they should be the ones to help
- In two short paragraphs they explain their message and specifically tell the readers how they can help: SPREAD THE WORD
The best part? They offer an incentive. A referral program.
We’ve talked about having referral programs – we’ve seen some work and some that don’t really do the trick.
Dan and Rick value their connections- their network that they’ve worked hard nurturing over the years. As such – they have created a referral program that has teeth. Refer a potential franchisee to Shampaine/Bish and if they purchase a franchise they’ll send you and a friend anywhere in the WORLD for a week.
A referral program valued at $2,000!
Don’t like to travel? Not a problem – they’ll hand you a check.
How’s that for a referral thank you? Are you motivated? Aren’t you all of a sudden going through your address book and LinkedIn contacts to see who might want to buy a franchise?
Dan and Rick understand that if they are going to ask for help – they need to make it worthwhile. They are clearly stating: your help is incredibly valuable to us.
But that’s not all. In Dan’s letter to his network he offered a personal promise:
We’re looking for someone who’s driven – someone who doesn’t take “NO” for an answer and who won’t stop until they’re successful. I’d like you to tell them about the service we offer, at no cost to them. And because the referral comes from you, I promise I’ll personally interview them and keep their best interests in mind.
People often hesitate to give up their contact information because it’s their name, their reputation. Dan understands and offers his promise that he’ll personally take care of them.
Have you reached into your network to uncover prospects? How do you thank them for their assistance? What have you found works?
Thinking about starting a referral program? Darrell Zahorsky has written an article offering 7 Sure Fire Tips to a Referral Program.
Know someone that is interested in buying a franchise? Call Dan Bish or visit Shampaigne/Bish Franchise Development.
Check out the details for the referral program.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 27, 2009 under Greeting |
I need to move two pieces of furniture from the basement to a room on the first floor. I can’t do it alone and my son has gone to college. The last time I moved I used Two Men and a Truck and wondered if they would come and help me out.
Conveniently they have a location within one mile of my home. I gave them a call and explained my need.
“Absolutely we can help,” said the cheery receptionist. “We charge $93 for an hour. The time starts when they leave our office and stops when they return. Plus there is a one time $35 fuel charge.”
Oh.
So it would cost around $130 to move two pieces of furniture.
AS A CUSTOMER my first thought was – is it worth $130 to move the furniture?
AS A BUSINESS OWNER my second thought was “wow – they sure don’t have any problem assigning a price to their value, do they?”
Current gas prices are $2.51 a gallon. Their round trip will be under two miles. Even with the worst gas mileage of a large truck – they are making quite a nice profit from their initial fuel charge of $35.
It will take them three minutes to get to my home. Maybe 10 minutes to bring up the furniture and three minutes to drive back. 16-20 minutes tops.
I’m not argueing their pricing structure or criticizing their rates – no, I’m in awe of their ability to understand the value they bring and attach a price tag.
Do you struggle with pricing your products and/or services. I do.
I think we have more of a struggle pricing services. With products there is a clear wholesale cost and a desired margin, but with services you are charging for your time and knowledge. Not so easy to assign a dollar amount.
Alan Weiss offers great advice in his book Value-Based Fees. He talks about the VALUE of what you provide.
I can’t move those two desks up the stairs by myself. Oh, maybe I can but I will most assuredly damage the furniture, the walls and my back.
Of course I could leave the desks where they are.
Alan suggests you ask the customer:
1. What will happen if they DO hire you – additional profits, bigger market share, sales growth?
2. What is that result worth to them?
Conversely -
What will happen to their business if they DON’T have the services you provide.
I haven’t get decided if I’ll hire Two Men and a Truck, but exercise of calling them has been a value lesson requiring that I hold a mirror up to my own pricing structure.
What tips do you have for pricing services?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 24, 2009 under Customer Moments, making a difference |
I have a widgit on my iGoogle page that shares a daily leadership quote. Today’s quote is:
The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. ~ Max DePree
That quote says it all. Hopefully part of the defined reality is putting the customer first. Whether the role of leader is as the leader of the organization, a club or a department – the reality must include the customer:
- Their expectations
- Their needs
- Their problem
- Their goal
- What they value
A leader who begins by defining reality with the customer in mind sets the tone for putting the customer first in every aspect of the business. Imagine if every department thought of the customer BEFORE they thought of profits, market share, critical mass or their paycheck.
A leader says thank you. Of course. Thank you to:
- the customer
- their employees
- their vendors
- their peers
- their board
- their investors
Begin with a reality of putting the customer first and end with a heartfelt thank you.
It just doesn’t get any better than that.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 20, 2009 under making a difference |
Do you ever get so bogged down with the day-to-day business of …well, of business, that you lose track of the fact that you are making a difference in the lives of your customers? Sometimes a less than satisfied customer can set us off and color what we do and we look in the mirror and say “why do I do this? What ever made me think this was a good career path?”
That’s why I advocate keeping a file of “feel good” emails, notes and letters. You know what I’m talking about; those little messages that customers send that let you know they are pleased with the experience. It might be a short “thanks for your help” message or a long, heartfelt card, but whatever the message – it is an indication that you provide value.
How do I use that file?
- If I’m feeling blue – I’ll open a few messages and read them – I’m transported back to the experience and feel good all over again
- With permission – I have used some of the messages as testimonials for my website, marketing materials and speaker sheet
- I send a few to my family – it’s easier to have someone else brag about you – especially if you have a sibling that always seems to do better – you can show concrete evidence that you are great too!
- It reminds me of why I do what I do – just a simple confirmation that I’m on the right path
Do you have a file of “feel good” messages? It’s never too late to start. Create a new folder on your desktop or in your file drawer and just drop those little messages in as they come along.
I’d be interested in hearing how you use the messages that you’ve received from customers. Add your idea to the comments section. Thanks!
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 17, 2009 under Customer Moments, Training |
I had the pleasure of taking a class “The Anatomy of a TV Script” from Emmy nominated television writer/co-executive producer, Ellen Sandler. Ellen worked on such popular shows as Taxi, Coach and Everybody Loves Raymond.
The two-day class covered a brief overview of the key components of a successful script, using the script entitled No Fat from “Raymond” for which Ellen was nominated for an Emmy. During the class, Ellen had many quotable comments, but the one that really hit me between the eyes is this:
“Simple isn’t easy…it’s just simple.”
Ellen was talking about writing scripts but it also relates to customer service. We point to examples of excellent service and we’ve even offered excellent service ourselves, but why aren’t we consist?
Great customer service is so simple. It’s about building relationships, effective listening skills and matching needs to solutions. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
Yet, why do so few businesses offer great service?
In the words of Ellen: simple isn’t easy.
So how do we make the simple ideas behind great customer service become easy?
- Clearly identify what great service looks like to your customer
- Practice makes perfect
- Reinforce great service when you see it happen – right when it happens
- Encourage and evaluate less than great service right after the customer leaves (what went well, what could you have done differently?)
- Keep the lines of communication open with your customer to stay on top of their changing needs
- Re-evaluate your service components – those things you will ALWAYS do for your customer
So simple isn’t easy but that doesn’t mean that simple is impossible.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 14, 2009 under Connecting Moments, Customer Moments, First Impressions, making a difference |
You’ve seen them, haven’t you? The signs that shout out all of the rules before you even say hello?
Once you enter, you might find more signs:
- No refunds
- No credit cards
- No personal checks
- No substitutions or exchanges
- No, No NO!
You wonder if they will say no to cash. Signs like that set a tone of negativity.
Well, I saw another sign the other day while taking a walk on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institute that I fell in love with:
That should be the mantra for excellent customer service – nothing is carved in stone. Except that we are here to MEET YOUR NEEDS.
Whatever that means. You’ve heard the story of a customer returning a car tire to Nordstroms and receiving a full refund without comment and Nordstroms doesn’t even sell tires. It may be a myth, but the point of the story is that we should be there to take care of our customer needs without setting a bunch of “no” rules in the way of building that relationship.
Have you ever dated? Are you dating now? Imagine going on a date and before you even sit down for dinner, your date says:
- No conversation about sports, politics or religion
- Don’t order meat, it offends me
- No wine with dinner – it’s a false stimulent andI intend to keep my faculties about me
- No hand holding or eye gazing across the table, it’s sappy
- Don’t dominate the conversation, you aren’t the only person here
- And under no circumstances will I come back to see your etchings
What is the tone of the “relationship”? Is it any different with our customer.
For exceptional customer service we should start with “how can I help” and not say another word until we’ve listened carefully and then customized our responses based on their needs.
Nothing carved in stone.
No negative caveats.
Just a desire to uncover and fulfill the needs of those who come to purchase our products or services.
What customer rules do you have carved in stone? Are they really necessary?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 13, 2009 under Missed Moments |
I live in a small town that is blessed to have a variety of swimming options. In Ohio we don’t get many sunny days but when we do – the opportunity to take a dip in the pool is welcome.
Most homes don’t have private pools but there are neighborhood and community pools to which you can purchase a membership.
Last year I belonged to just such a pool. I purchased a family membership and although my kids didn’t use it often – I enjoyed soaking, floating and reading in the pool while basking in the shade of the surrounding trees.
As a member, we provide our name, address, phone and email. I assumed that I would be contacted to retain my membership for this season.
The owner could have:
- Sent periodic emails that address summer fun or ways to stay healthy and active during the long winter months
- Provided a completed application in the mail prior to the season – making an assumption that I would continue as a member – just requiring my payment
- Offered a “prior customer” or “early bird” discount along with the membership reminder
- Called or emailed when he didn’t receive my payment for this season
- Surveyed me for ways to make the pool environment more user friendly
Coulda-woulda-shoulda
He didn’t do ANYTHING. So…he didn’t get my business.
Not because I didn’t love it there.
Not because I couldn’t afford it.
Not because I’d taken my business elsewhere.
Nope – I just got busy with life and forgot. I’ve been traveling and the weather has been icky. But today is beautiful and warm – the perfect pool day.
Sadly, I don’t have a pool to go to.
Had the manager/owner kept in contact with me, reminded me, strived to keep a relationship with me – he’d have my money and I’d have a pool to float in today.
Sadly – we have both missed a great opportunity.
How do you connect with your customers to keep the relationships alive? I know that my dentist has me fill out a postcard that he can send to remind me of my six month check up. I just bought jewelry at an art fair and the owner had me do the same thing – I’m sure it is so he can send me notice of his next sale or art show.
How do you connect so that you don’t have a missed opportunity?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 12, 2009 under Connecting Moments, Customer Moments |
I took a ride on the Chautauqua Bell steam boat today. We toured the north end of the lake and had an energetic, well-informed speaker providing continuous commentary as we tooled through the waterway.
We came to this house, owned by the Lenna family – a philanthropic family who have donated millions to the community over the years. In fact, one of my favorite places to hear musical recitals is the Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall - with specially crafted walls and ceiling for the best acoustical sound.
Notice the lovely walkway leading down to the water’s edge. See anything missing?
All along Lake Chautauqua you’ll find mansions, small one story cabins and every thing in between- each with a dock and a boat. Some have kayaks, some canoes, many with power boats and even more with “party” pontoon boats.
Do you see a dock here?
Allegedly, when the Lenna family purchase the home and renovated it to its current beautiful state they intended to donate the entire property as a home for the Institute’s president but first they petitioned the powers that be for permission to put in a dock.
They were denied.
The family who has donated millions and fully intended to donate once again – this magnificent home – were denied.
Their response?
Again – allegedly – they said “If you will deny our request then let the President buy his own home.”
You have to ask yourself: ARE THEY CRAZY?
And yet, haven’t we looked a gift horse in the mouth and said no?
Or modified the gift? Have you had someone offer help and you gratefully say yes and then change the circumstances. “I know you offered to help on Monday for two hours, but could you do it Tuesday instead and make it four hours?”
Have we even turned down a customer whose is offering money?
NO! You shout. You would never do that. And yet isn’t that exactly what we do when we fail to acknowledge their presence because we are too busy talking on the phone or finished a task on the computer.
Or if we don’t have something in stock – do we miss the opportunity to go the extra mile and see who might have what the customer needs?
Everytime we fail to meet a customer’s request or blatently say “no” it is like denying the request for a dock on the Lake for a house someone wants to give you.
Do you bite the hand that feeds you? Or do you welcome them and see how you can work together for mutual success?
I’m excited to announce that I’ve launched a site dedicated to my passion for speaking about the importance of building relationships with our customers. 
