Customers

The customer is always.....the customer! One wag once told me 'business would be fabulous if it wasn't for customers, they take up so much time!' Is he right or wrong?

They can be difficult and demanding...and course...we are customers too from time to time..and we can be all those things and more, right?

So how about some interesting ways to handle customers and complaints. This information came from some business managers I recently addressed in Sydney.

Serving Customers and Handling Complaints
Train Staff around complaints and how to deal with them in the first instance so you as a manager can get on with growing your business.

Set guidelines for staff and all them to take ownership of the issue.

Empower staff to make decisions within their discretion and support them.

Shape and mould new staff to suit your management style.

Really be clear about your expectations of customer service standards. If it's excellence you're after. Lead by example.

I once attended a sales training conference and remember getting some great information. A manager from a Ritz Carlton Hotel was talking about their style of leadership. How they used to manage using the standard pyramid, with the big boss at the top and the underlings trickling down to the lower levels. The boss made the rules, and everyone followed. Sure, it has to be that way. But what if you allowed another paradigm to operate at the same time. Empower staff on that bottom level to operate within the organisations guidelines?
So here's what happened. It was late one Friday afternoon. A guest was waiting for a taxi to take him to the airport. The taxi was late, it was Christmas, and there were no vacant taxis driving past either. The doorman had an idea. He ran to the managers office, grabbed his car keys, left a note for him saying 'Guest must get to airport, taking him in your car'. Imagine the guests surprise when the doorman said 'here you go Sir, I'll drive you'. The guest made his flight, and now always uses Ritz Carlton hotels.

Ok, so you've heard it before, going that extra mile. The manager was shocked, then surprised, then thrilled. The story has gone around the globe and is one of the reasons the Ritz Carlton is known for going the extra mile. Other staff heard the story and immediately thought of ways they could 'go the extra mile' too.

What ways can we go the extra mile for our customers to improve our productivity? Love to hear your thoughts.

Visit again soon, for more information on how to make the most of your uniqueness in your career.

Warm Regards,
Ella