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
 Google News Updated : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:05:30 GMT Tropical Storm Hanna aiming for Massachusetts - Boston Globe
Boston Globe - By Andrew Ryan and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to churn up the Atlantic coast and lash Massachusetts this weekend with winds gusting up to 50 mph near the coast and up to four inches of rain. Video: Hanna Nears US, but Stronger Ike Looms Area departments gearing up for Hanna's arrival Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:23:14 GMT Stocks: A Terrible Thursday - BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek - Major US indexes each tumbled nearly 3% as worries intensified over the health of the economy. All eyes are on Friday's jobs report Market players were probably wondering Thursday why they bothered to come back from their summer vacations. Stocks Are Broadly Lower Tracking Falls on Wall Street Stocks slide on economic worries Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:53:27 GMT Kilpatrick's rise and fall - Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press - BY BILL McGRAW • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • September 5, 2008 Kwame Kilpatrick entered the mayor's office with extraordinary gifts -- charisma, savvy, flair, pedigree, connections, ambition and chutzpah -- everything a 31-year-old needed to make a ... Video: A Timeline of Detroit Mayor's Text Scandal Detroit’s Mayor Will Leave Office and Go to Jail Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:27:50 GMT UN warns of Haiti flooding crisis - BBC News
BBC News - Several hundred thousand people need help in Haiti, which is suffering severe flooding after being hit by a series of tropical storms, the UN says. Attempts to Aid Desperate Haitians Hindered by Floodwaters Storms line up to slam western Atlantic, southeastern US Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:05:26 GMT Arthritis Drugs Linked to Risks From Infection - New York Times
New York Times - By AP WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration ordered stronger warnings Thursday on four medications widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other serious illnesses, saying they can raise the risk of possibly fatal fungal infections. Deaths Heighten Arthritis Drugs Warning Nation Digest 4 arthritis drugs get tougher warnings Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:38:34 GMT House committee widens probe of Vytorin safety - International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune - AP TRENTON, NJ: A House committee investigating the safety and effectiveness of the popular cholesterol drug Vytorin and one of its components is turning up the heat on the drug's makers. Many Questions About Vytorin Drug Scare Shenanigans Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:32:18 GMT Jesse Jackson hospitalized for stomach pains - Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune - By Jeremy Gorner | Chicago Tribune reporter Rev. Jesse Jackson was being treated Thursday in Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after falling ill. Video: Rev. Jesse Jackson Hospitalized Jesse Jackson hospitalized after stomach pains Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:00:48 GMT Amazon RSS |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... There are two Post Offices that I routinely visit. One... Read More There are five techniques that have been proven to be... Read More What happened to the old saying, the customer is always... Read More Which is more important the technology or the customer?The one... Read More Walmart was the first business to require all its employees... Read More Good service is easy to spot and hard-to-find. Mediocre service... Read More Recognize metaphors from every angle and round up more insight... Read More Historically, customer service was delivered over the phone or in... Read More With customers being smarter, more cost conscious, more product knowledgeable... Read More I returned a rental car at an airport yesterday. As... Read More 1) Being placed on hold endlessly. Don't you just love... Read More With the growing number of people in every business sector,... Read More A few months ago, I wrote about ingenious styles of... Read More Go into many businesses today and try and get service,... Read More Another sad fact of life is that these days, very... Read More In any business our customers are one of our most... Read More Customer service is the pits, you say. You are not... Read More What kind of image do you present when marketing your... Read More Customer retention is vital to a business. If you cannot... Read More The following are common mistakes that Sales Managers and Owners... Read More The Call Center world is an intense pressure-driven environment continually... Read More If you were a customer on the telephone with a... Read More Traditional marketing strategies encourage business owners to continually grow their... Read More The most important aspect of a successful business is developing... Read More If you are up to your ears in a stressful... Read More
Adsense
websites
Post Office, Incredible Lady Postmaster
What Every Manager Should Know About How to Prevent Customer Service Conflicts
One Critical Question to Ask Yourself Every Day
Are You Putting Technology Before Your Customers?
Doesnt Anybody Work Here? Nametags Impact Employee Communication
Putting The Serve Back Into Customer Service
The Marvelous World of Metaphors
Customer Service and The Human Experience
First Contact: The Source of Customer Loyalty
And The Difference is... Attitude
4 Customer Service Mistakes Companies Should Avoid Making
Identify Your Silent Customer Service Message
Sorry, No Customer Service After 4:00 P.M.
Customer Service and Marketing that Works
How Do You Create Customer Loyalty?
Handling Difficult Customers - 8 Strategies
4 Tips Toward Overcoming Bad Customer Service
We Sell For Less and Our Stores Are a Mess!
How to Retain Your Customers the Dish Network Way
Customer Conversion Mistakes That Will Cost You
Accountability
What Every Employee Should Know About Putting Positive Phrases Into Customer Service
Develop Loyal Customers for a Lifetime ? part 2 (11 ? 20)
Establishing Yourself as an Expert in the Eyes of Your Customers
Listen to Suggestions
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
A New Way To Handle Complaints, Or Is It?
What a lot of money we have been wasting on... Read More
Are You A Coward? I Was
Over the last month, I have come to hate emails... Read More
Dealing with People - Words to Avoid
You probably realise how the wrong tone of voice and... Read More
Top 10 customer service tips
1. Hire people who have a service attitude. Some people... Read More
Turning Customer Mistakes Into Raving Fans
When you make a mistake with a customer, should you... Read More
Customer Service A Chickens Way
Anyone who knows me knows my favorite fast food restaurant... Read More
Customer Service: Why Bears Make Bad Customers
Every business owner should have a picture of his or... Read More
Hook Me Up With A Human
Oh, what has happened to the carbon-based organizational interface? Many... Read More
The Reality of Customer Service in America and Best Efforts in Franchising, We Can Do Better
Yesterday I went to buy a sandwich at a franchised... Read More
The Great American Customer Service Unawareness Campaign
Q: I'm so sick of you so-called business experts always... Read More
Complaints Are Actually A Good Thing!
Nobody likes to get complaints. They make you question your... Read More
Raising The Bar For Online Magazine Subscription Services And Customer Service
After years of flying below the radar in the magazine... Read More
Adjustment DENIED
It's just a simple thing ? I bought a new... Read More
Caring for Your Customers
You probably think I am going to say something like,... Read More
Customers Who Rave About You and Your Service
According to customer service studies by marketing gurus of the... Read More
Dealing with Difficult People
1. Don't get Hooked !!!When people behave towards you in... Read More
CRM For Beginners ? Customer Relationship Management Basics
In order to maintain a successful business, the business must... Read More
One of the Secrets of a Great Customer Experience
A few weeks ago we conducted our annual "Customer Experience... Read More
Minimize The Pain of Check Recovery
$350 million in bad checks are written each and every... Read More
And The Difference is... Attitude
I returned a rental car at an airport yesterday. As... Read More
Committed To Your Customer? Prove It When They Complain!
Businesses like to brag in their advertising about quality of... Read More
Automating Your Help Desk Workflow
Do you know you can open, answer, close and report... Read More
Communicating for Profit and Customer Satisfaction
The President of a 200+ store division of a major... Read More
Whatever Happened To Customer Service?
Do you remember the last time you went into a... Read More
Sending Mixed Signals Can Send Your Clients Away
I call it the "wave and roll."You walk up to... Read More
Customer Service |