Have You Hugged a Customer Today?

It all started a couple of weeks ago when a friend asked me if I could scan and print some of her slides. No problem, I said.

Boy, was I mistaken....

As it turns out, I seldom use my scanner for slides. And no matter how many different 'Kathy' techniques I tried to get it to work, nothing. I even resorted to reading the online manual (what was I thinking?). Still didn't work.

After several (okay, many!) bull-headed attempts to figure it out myself, I called the Epson tech help line.

The good news, they actually answered the phone near midnight. The bad news? My scanner was out of warranty, so I'd have to pay $9.95 for their tech service.

I was pretty desperate, so $9.95 seemed a bargain. And indeed, I got the help I needed. I was, once again, a happy pup.

Didn't think about it again until the telemarketer called today....

1 - Good For Me

Before the call, I had virtually no attention on Epson, my scanner, or the slides that are now beautifully printed.

And I must say, when I answered the phone and heard, "Is this Kathleen?" (my first clue that it's not a friend calling!), I was a little annoyed.

For whatever reason, I didn't hang up. And I answered all the rep's questions about my experience with the Epson tech guys.

I was reminded that I didn't call just once, but twice - when I had some follow-up questions a few days later.

The call reminded me how great it was to be able to access their tech support 24 hours a day. (Is it just me, or do you, too, find that everything breaks down in the middle of the night?)

And the quick survey made me think back to the beautifully printed artwork that I scanned from my friend's slides.

Gotta say, I felt really good when I hung up the phone!

2 - Good For Them

What's in it for Epson?

Well, if even half of their calls today end in another smiling customer like me, they're doing great!

They're also getting valuable feedback that can help them improve their tech support, and their products.

Who knows if the two tech guys I spoke with last week were one "5" on the survey away from getting fired, or getting a promotion? I'd like to think that my positive feedback helped them personally, in some small way.

It's a win-win situation. And I like that.

3 - Make a Habit of Hugging Your Customers

Yes, I could have emailed Epson and told them how helpful their tech guys were. But I didn't.

Which got me thinking....

How often do we actually take the time to "hug" our customers and supporters?

We might:

- call someone who's just bought one of our products, and thank them for their purchase

- call a participant the week after our teleclass to see if they have any questions

- write a quick thank-you note to someone who's been supporting us

- thank someone, in writing, for their help with a project

- write to thank someone for coming to live workshop

- surprise an especially good customer with a small gift (free RealAudio download of a teleclass, for example)

- ask our best customers for feedback about our product, or our service

- take the time to be grateful, and find ways to let people know about it!

Thanking our customers isn't just good for the soul. It's good business.

I'll be hugging lots more often - and more deliberately - in the future. I hope you'll join me.

Best-selling author Kathy Gulrich helps clients get from idea, to action, to results - more quickly, and more easily - whether they're looking to write a book, develop a new product, or market their product or business. Clients love her direct, no-nonsense approach - and her gentle insistence on great results. Find out for yourself: Check out one of Kathy's teleclasses, or pick up a free worksheet, at http://www.smARTbusinessCoaching.com

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Google News Updated : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:49:35 GMT Genomics project unites four Wisconsin research institutions - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Genomics project unites four Wisconsin research institutions Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - 19 minutes ago By KATHLEEN GALLAGHER Wisconsin’s four biggest academic research institutions will collaborate on an initiative aimed at giving the state national stature in the fast-emerging field of individualized medicine, Gov. Marshfield Clinic gets biggest donation yet Chicago Tribune Wis. governor unveils gene research triangle Forbes Bizjournals.com - GenomeWeb News (subscription) - WJFW-TV - WISN.com all 51 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:29:44 GMT Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' - Bloomberg Telegraph.co.uk Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' Bloomberg - 1 hour ago By John Brinsley and Rebecca Christie Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson indicated that pumping government funds into banks is a priority and said financial markets will remain volatile. US planning to buy equity in financial institutions Reuters Treasury Weighs Investing In Banks Washington Post International Herald Tribune - MarketWatch - CNNMoney.com - Bizjournals.com all 1,783 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:21:05 GMT McCain Lauds and Attacks Obama in Same Day - New York Times CBS News McCain Lauds and Attacks Obama in Same Day New York Times - 41 minutes ago Senator John McCain of Arizona and his supporters at a rally on Friday in La Crosse, Wis. By ELISABETH BUMILLER LAKEVILLE, Minn. - After a week of trying to portray Senator Barack Obama as a friend of terrorists who would drive the country into ... McCain Moves to Soften the Tone at Rallies Washington Post John McCain, speaking to supporters, tries to defuse an anti ... Los Angeles Times Reuters - DetNews.com - Austin American-Statesman - The Miami Herald all 304 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:08:14 GMT US Near Changing Stance on North Korea as Terrorist - Wall Street Journal BBC News US Near Changing Stance on North Korea as Terrorist Wall Street Journal - 1 hour ago By JAY SOLOMON WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is hoping to announce as soon as Saturday that it is tentatively removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, in a bid to kick-start a stalled nuclear disarmament agreement, ... AP: US to remove North Korea from terror blacklist The Associated Press US May Remove North Korea From Terrorism List, AP Reports Bloomberg Los Angeles Times - Voice of America - Financial Times - The Miami Herald all 1,714 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:02:40 GMT Democrats Are Gaining, Registration Data Shows - New York Times Los Angeles Times Democrats Are Gaining, Registration Data Shows New York Times - 2 hours ago By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and GRIFF PALMER Some longtime Republican strongholds in New York are becoming increasingly Democratic, a striking change driven by demographic shifts, intense voter registration drives by Democrats and allied groups and sagging ... Campus registration drives in full swing KARE Ott, Hook face off for open county office St. Joseph News-Press The News-Press - Winston-Salem Journal - Tampabay.com - Beaufort Gazette all 739 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:20:33 GMT G-7 Commit to `All Necessary Steps' to Stem Global Meltdown - Bloomberg Voice of America G-7 Commit to `All Necessary Steps' to Stem Global Meltdown Bloomberg - 1 hour ago By Simon Kennedy Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Group of Seven finance chiefs, meeting after stocks plunged and as a global recession looms, vowed to prevent the failure of vital banks while failing to unveil new initiatives for thawing credit markets. Group of 7 Nations Seek Coordination in Rescue New York Times In latest bold step, Treasury will buy bank stakes The Miami Herald CNNMoney.com - The Associated Press - Boston Globe - FN Arena News all 890 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:03:42 GMT Bush: US authority able to solve financial crisis - People's Daily Online Telegraph.co.uk Bush: US authority able to solve financial crisis People's Daily Online - 1 hour ago US President George W. Bush arrives in the Rose Garden at the White House to makes a statement on the economy in Washington, October 10, 2008. President Bush vows action on financial crisis Los Angeles Times Bush's Lullaby to the Markets Washington Post Birmingham Star - Wall Street Journal - CNN - Bloomberg all 1,302 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:12:49 GMT Clickbank RSS Feeds Easy Work At Home Opportunity

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