Articles

Below are some articles written by Randi Busse that provide valuable customer service tips that you can use to help turn your customers into raving fans!

What Customers Want

Customers want you to listen to them. They want you to show them respect and listen to their needs. Don’t assume you know what they’re going to say. Let them tell you. And don’t interrupt them!

Customers want you to take responsibility. They want you to own them and their problem. Don’t pass the buck. Take care of them the way you would take care of your grandmother. See their issue through to completion. And then follow up with them and make sure they are happy with the outcome. Read More >>

Hiring the Right Person

Hire attitude first. Skills can be taught, attitude can’t.

Hire likeable people. Would you want to be served by them?

When interviewing, ask questions that uncover how this candidate thinks and acts in customer serving situations. Their attitude will be evident in the answers.

Tell it like it is! Tell the candidates the good, the bad and the ugly of working for your company. You can avoid a bad fit and high turnover if you are honest about your business, warts and all. Read More >>

7 Steps to Avoid Divorce...From Your Customer!

When you are dating someone, it takes effort, doesn’t it? When you first meet, you are on your best behavior, dressing your best, demonstrating great manners, doing all the right things. You fall in love, plan the wedding, and then get married. One day you wake up and realize the courtship is over! Now you walk around the house in your old sweatpants, you never cook anymore, you never open the car door, and before you know it, one or both of you have gained 20 pounds! What happened to the person you fell in love with and married???

There’s no longer a need to impress your spouse. They’re yours. Or are they?? Everyone knows that the divorce rate in this country is over 50%. When these couples got married, they were all starry-eyed thinking that they would love each other forever. Do you think they went into the marriage thinking if it didn’t work out, they could leave at any time? Read More >>

7 Steps to Keep a Customer for Life

How hard is it to get a customer? Last time I was shopping at Wal-Mart, they didn’t have an aisle filled with them (well, actually, they did, but they weren’t for sale, they were shopping too!). Customers typically aren’t lined up outside your place of business waiting to do business with you. And your phones probably aren’t ringing off the hook with them calling to buy your products. If they are, you can stop reading now. However, if customers are important to your business, as they are to most, once you get them, you want to make sure you hold on to them, preferably for life. Read More >>

Rude, Indifferent or Exceptional?

What kind of service is YOUR company providing? If I had to guess, I’d say it was indifferent. It’s not “that” bad, but it’s not “that” good either. If it were my business, I wouldn’t want my customers saying that about my company, would you??

If the answer is no, what are YOU doing about it?

Ignoring it probably isn’t going to help the situation. Neither is demanding better service from your employees. Educating them about how to do it, now that’s an idea! Read More >>

Ode To Customer Service

Remember the good old days?

When a live person answered your call?

Now we have to press 1 for English, press 7 for the repair department, get transferred to the installation department because they don’t handle it, get put on hold for ten minutes, and then ultimately get disconnected waiting for someone to answer the call. Read More >>

Two Ears And One Mouth

We often find that we do twice as much talking as we do listening. However, since we have two ears and one mouth, we should do twice as much listening as we do talking. Listening is an important soft skill which can greatly improve the relationships we have with our customers. Read More >>

Satisfied vs. Loyal

Satisfied customers will shop anywhere. Loyal customers will encourage others to buy from you, and FIGHT before they switch. Which would you prefer to have: Satisfied Customers or Loyal Customers?

What is a satisfied customer? One that felt OK about dealing with you. Their needs were met. The product or service was OK. The experience was OK. They were satisfied with their purchase or the service you provided. They may or may not refer someone to you. Their overall feeling about you is between neutral and positive, and their experiences with you have not been negative. Not bad, but not great. Read More >>

I Voted With My Feet

Have you ever done that?

When's the last time you went into a business with cold, hard cash in your hand but you couldn't get anyone to help you?

It happened to me last week. I was with a friend and we went to a local steakhouse for dinner (translated - not fast food, so not inexpensive). Read More >>

How's The View?

You only have one chance to make a good first impression. We’ve all heard that saying before. What is the first impression your customers and prospective customers have when they approach your place of business?

Is the glass on the front door clean, or are there fingerprints on it? Is there debris on the floor, or is it broom clean? Are there boxes everywhere, or are they hidden out of sight in the back room? Read More >>

Would YOU Do Business With Your Company?

When was the last time, if ever, that you experienced what your customer or prospective customer experiences when they attempt to do business with your company? If you don’t know what kind of experience they are having, now would be a great time to find out! Read More >>

It's All About The Customer

And if you think it’s not, go back and read the title of this article again!

When YOU are the customer, who is it all about? You, of course! That’s why it’s no different for YOUR customers. They want what they want, when they want it, how they want it, and at a price they want it for. If you aren’t ready, willing and able to give it to them, they’ll find another company that will.

So how do you make it all about the customer? Read More >>

Dear Customer Letter

Dear Customer,

I started my business because I thought I had something special to offer that could help others, and that would be profitable for me. I make a product that people want, or offer a service that people need. I am an expert in my field and have done a lot of work honing my skills or enhancing my products. Read More >>

Dear Business Owner

Dear Business Owner,

I am in need of the product or service that you offer. I already know that. I called you or came into your business because I know you have what I want. I don’t have to be “sold”. But I can change my mind and decide to buy the product or service from someone else. See, you’re not the only game in town. Actually, you probably have many competitors. And their product or service is in all probability very similar to yours. The price is likely comparable as well. So why should I buy it from you instead of “Joe down the street”? Read More >>

Are You Saying Thank You To Your Customers?

If you aren’t, you’re in good company. Although I’m not sure it’s the company you’d like to be in! Most other businesses aren’t either. However, don’t you want to stand out from those other businesses? Of course you do! I’m here to tell you how to do it for the ridiculously low price of 42 cents!! Read More >>

Control What You Can Control

As a business owner, you may not be able to control the stock market or unemployment rates or the cost of gas. However, if you want to stay in business and retain the customers that you have, and also get new ones, you need to pay attention to how you and your employees are treating your customers. Read more >>

7 Steps To Retaining Customers In A Down Economy

Aim to impress. Whether it’s order number one, or order number twenty-one, make sure the product or service you provide is top quality. Don’t skimp. Read More >>

Call us today to set up a free consultation:
631-598-5598

Our Services:

Testimonials