Ethics in business
Put your customer first or put out the closed sign-Its just that simple
by Cheryl Baumgartner Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Cheryl Baumgartner 
Medical...
Your customer is the backbone of your business. I really need to say this because some people need to hear it. What you say or do to one customer you might as
well say or do to every other customer that knows them or has access to them. Your attitude towards a single customer can
break your business.
Customers talk about you.
If you do something right they will tell 3 people. If you do something wrong then they will tell
ten times as many. Then those 30 people
will tell 30 more. It doesn?t take long
for them to spread the word.
I?m sure we have all heard the old saying that ?the customer
is always right.? The customer is the one paying your bills. You need your customer, your customer does
not need you. Your customer has
options. If you piss them off, then they
will take their business to your competitors and those other 30 people will be
looking for someone else to do business with too.
Yes sometimes you do have to swallow your pride especially
when your customer has a valid complaint.
That is the time you make the choice to either acknowledge your mistake
and attempt to fix it, or alienate your customer by making excuses or blaming
them. Neither of the last two options
will do anything except drive your customer through the door of your competitor?s
shop.
Now understand I am not talking about idiots who expect the
impossible here, I?m not talking about the picky eater in a restaurant who
complains about everything under the sun.
I?m talking about the customer that reasonably expects you to provide a certain
level of service you say you will provide.
Let?s stick with that restaurant analogy. If you go to a restaurant that offers
breakfast from 6am to 11am, then you can reasonably expect to order bacon and
eggs at 10am. If that restaurant can?t provide it, whose fault is that? The
restaurant?s or yours? Now if you walk
in at 4pm and try to order breakfast, that?s on you because the restaurant says
they offer breakfast at a certain time.
Or better yet how's this one, the customer walks into the restaurant because they got that open sign up and they have no food to serve them. Whose fault is that the restaurant's or the customers? Now if there's a closed sign in the window the customer has no cause for complaint because the restaurant is not open. However once the open sign is displayed somebody had better get to cooking some food.
If you are in any way
alienating your customers, soon you won?t have any. Something to think about.
Oct 30th 2010 11:35
Medical...Your customer is the backbone of your business. I really need to say this because some people need to hear it. What you say or do to one customer you might as
well say or do to every other customer that knows them or has access to them. Your attitude towards a single customer can
break your business.
Customers talk about you.
If you do something right they will tell 3 people. If you do something wrong then they will tell
ten times as many. Then those 30 people
will tell 30 more. It doesn?t take long
for them to spread the word.
I?m sure we have all heard the old saying that ?the customer
is always right.? The customer is the one paying your bills. You need your customer, your customer does
not need you. Your customer has
options. If you piss them off, then they
will take their business to your competitors and those other 30 people will be
looking for someone else to do business with too.
Yes sometimes you do have to swallow your pride especially
when your customer has a valid complaint.
That is the time you make the choice to either acknowledge your mistake
and attempt to fix it, or alienate your customer by making excuses or blaming
them. Neither of the last two options
will do anything except drive your customer through the door of your competitor?s
shop.
Now understand I am not talking about idiots who expect the
impossible here, I?m not talking about the picky eater in a restaurant who
complains about everything under the sun.
I?m talking about the customer that reasonably expects you to provide a certain
level of service you say you will provide.
Let?s stick with that restaurant analogy. If you go to a restaurant that offers
breakfast from 6am to 11am, then you can reasonably expect to order bacon and
eggs at 10am. If that restaurant can?t provide it, whose fault is that? The
restaurant?s or yours? Now if you walk
in at 4pm and try to order breakfast, that?s on you because the restaurant says
they offer breakfast at a certain time.
Or better yet how's this one, the customer walks into the restaurant because they got that open sign up and they have no food to serve them. Whose fault is that the restaurant's or the customers? Now if there's a closed sign in the window the customer has no cause for complaint because the restaurant is not open. However once the open sign is displayed somebody had better get to cooking some food.
If you are in any way
alienating your customers, soon you won?t have any. Something to think about.
Oct 30th 2010 11:35
Sponsor Ads
Comments
|
|
Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceI think too many 'online marketers' haven't got a clue. Oct 30th 2010 11:54 |
|
Katrina O.
Indiana Water FiltersAnd a big reason so many don't have a clue, is possibly because they were recruited by another who has no clue or even cares. Too many new internet marketers jump right in and become spammers without even realizing they are doing it all wrong... Oct 30th 2010 12:00 |
|
Bj aka Bill Brown
 Hosting and Backup Service providereven if it is the customers fault as described in Cheryl's analogy they will still bitch and whine and slag you off to all and sundry and you can guarantee they will not tell the real reason. Oct 30th 2010 12:08 |
|
Chuck Bartok
Veteran Entrepreneur now SharingWe have dramatically changed Sales and Profits for many of our Clients simply educating the owners and employees on the basics of Customer Service, Engagement, Follow Through and Sincerity. Have several Powerpoints on the subject. On-line marketers who rely on Support Tickets, Phone answering Trees and NO personal communication with customers find themselves in need of Drumming up NEW Business daily. One successful On-line marketer took our suggestions and made it a point to PERSONALLY contact his Customers, experienced a huge surge in REPEAT Business.... The most profitable Kind Oct 30th 2010 12:22 |
|
|
Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceThat is also true Bill I have seen that happen too. And if it the way you do business no one is even going to question the truth of what they say. but if you have a reputation of good customer service that can go a long way toward canceling the negativity. Oct 30th 2010 12:23 |
|
Andy Anderson
Owner Yuma BloggersLike the Rotary International motto, our company has adopted : Service Above Self Interest or SASI (pronounced Sassy). We have 6 of us in 3 Countries working together to be sure all our members are acknowledged fast and get answers in real time and solutions as fast as we can provide them. As Chuck and others can attest we add new free tools multiple times a month and always give more than we take out. Why operate in this manner? Because success comes from it and it's the right thing to do. Over deliver every chance you get and nobody will ever question the value of your products and company. Put people first in the same way you demand to be treated when you go out on the town, and be genuine in it. Andy Oct 30th 2010 16:25 |
|
|
Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceExactly Andy. I have been in some businesses and think to myself out of business within the year. Walmart or McDonald's may be able to get away with a little shoddy business a small business owner cannot. Oct 30th 2010 16:31 |
|
|
Andy Anderson
Owner Yuma BloggersWhat is sad is Both Wal-Mart and McDonlad's get a reputation based solely on the actions of individuals performing their jobs with no ownership in their responsibilities. Both have great training systems that are 110% based on customer first service but then you get managers who push so hard for bonuses making their crew miserable, and new hire employees who just don't care and the policy of the corporation means nothing because of a lack of follow through. I have worked as lower level management in both companies and see staunch difference between the policies and the actual practice and it's sad to see. Even if we don't own it we need to take ownership in it to be sure that job is there tomorrow. The entire world is seeing a blight of service and and quality standards that continually diminish. The companies haven't changed their policies, the average work though has changed their attitude and just doesn't take that job on with the same mindset. Instead of looking at McDonald's as a career it is looked on as a stepping stone. I am just doing this until I am out of school then I am so outta here has replaced I want to spend the next 30 years with this company because they treat me great. And these companies do treat you great if you are career minded. A Mc Donal's manager can earn over $100K per year and a Wal-Mart manager can retire a millionaire. Heck 2 of the last 3 CEO's of the company started as low end hourly employees and worked their way up to multimillion dollar salaries so don't tell me it's not in the attitude you approach your job with. From corporations to mom and pop shops we need to all do our part to be the best we can at whatever we do and that starts with how the customer sees the business. Oct 30th 2010 16:51 |
|
|
Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceThat is true but the big chains can afford to have a location close, mom and pop cannot. If the Walmart on the corner closes well they are all over the country and in bigger towns and cities there's more than one location so if you don't like the service on the south side you can opt to drive to the north side location. If that store on the south side closes well it will sting but no big deal. Mom and pop even a 'chain' has a limited number of locations so when that one store closes the impact is felt, and felt hard by everyone involved from mom and pop right down to the now unemployed cashier. Oct 30th 2010 18:54 |
|
Muriel & Graham Legg
Make your website mobile friendlyWe used to have a corner shop that sold just about everything. We were open all hours and gave customers personal service. We used to sell our first easter eggs (Cadburys Creme egg) on Xmas Eve, just to get a laugh. New years eve, there was always a sherry or port for them all day. We built up our business. We try to follow the same service type on line - without the goodies of course, although they sometimes get a surprise in their delivery. We keep in touch with our team and are always open for support. We have built a reasonable core but of course there are always those that know best, dont want the advice, or plain want something for nothing. Through this we get a reaonable amount of return customers that we are happy with. It is not quite look after your customers and the business will look after itself. But - Quality products, affordable prices mixed with a good handful of customer service will alsways win out. Oct 31st 2010 13:24 |
|
|
Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceI would hope that we all know you have to look after your business, that goes without saying. But when you are rude, inattentive and neglectful of your customer; you can have the best business in the world but every customer that you mistreat is a nail in the coffin of your business. Oct 31st 2010 13:28 |
Great post! Customer service is so important. Customers and downline, all need to feel important, and believe in your business as much as you do. If you do not understand how your opportunity works, and your customer or downline asks a question, they expect an answer from you. It is vital to understand how what you are promoting works, before advertising and getting customers or a downline.
Oct 30th 2010 11:50