Good or Bad?

Unhappy customers can be bad news for any company, yet properly dealt with can be a huge benefit. It only takes one poorly handled one to ruin your day, and perhaps even your reputation. One handled well can do just the opposite.

The first rule is, “Don’t take it personal”. The customer may not be right, BUT, the customer is ALWAYS right. It could be a “mood thing” on the part of the customer. Never let your mood become a factor. Some customers have unrealistic expectations, while others may have a legitimate gripe. The important thing is for YOU to make things better.

Here are some things that YOU can do to make unhappy customers your ally rather than your enemy.

1. Listen, and do not interrupt customers while they are venting. They need to tell their story and feel that they have been heard.

2. Say, “Thank you”. You do not have to agree to be thankful. You can say, “Thank you for calling this to my attention.”

3. Apologize: Again, you do not have to agree. You can say, “I’m sorry that you feel this way”. Do not attempt to lecture the customer, make excuses, or attempt justify what has happened. Doing so will just make it worse.

4. Seek a Solution: Ask your customer, “What do you think we should do about this?” Oftentimes the customer’s solution is easier than what you might have in mind. Sometimes the venting and apology is enough.

5. Agree: Look for a solution that will satisfy the customer. The cost of the solution is most likely less costly than a tarnished reputation would be.

6. Do It Now: Show a sense of urgency. Your willingness to fix the problem quickly will do more FOR YOU than the problem DID TO the customer.

7. Follow-up: Make sure that what you agreed to do was done, and done right. A lack of follow through can undo all of the good you just did.

Remember; STUFF HAPPENS. It’s how you handle the STUFF that is more important than the STUFF itself.

People Love It
Of course there are exceptions, and some e-mail is better received than others, but generally speaking, “You have mail” are welcome words when opening your e-mail program.

Yesterday’s Inbox
The same was true in times past when all mail came to your physical mail box. The more there was, the better you liked it.

“Thank You.”
When was the last time that you went shopping, came home and opened up your e-mail to find a simple “Thank you” e-mail from one of the stores where you shopped? Such e-mail would likely be well received, especially if it came from someone you did NOT buy from, and does NOT have a “sales pitch” as a part of it. A link to your web site is enough. Everyone likes being appreciated.

CRM’s
I talk with many companies that have Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM) in place to gather e-mail addresses and other customer information, but in too many cases it stops there. Or, they go into a data base somewhere with good intent to send e-mail about upcoming sales, promotions or new merchandise. In some cases even that doesn’t happen.

Pick One!
A good way to get e-mail addresses is to have a weekly or monthly drawing of some sort with winners posted on your web site. Be sure that you do not ask for too much information on the drawing ticket; name and e-mail address is all you need. I dropped my business card in a fishbowl at a cafe recently and got a return e-mail telling me who the winner was (not me), but offering me a consolation prize of a free bowl of soup with my next purchase.

Get it Together!
The names in your data base are pure gold. Get creative; e-mail is free, and properly used can be the most effective and inexpensive marketing tool of all.

I’m Mad as Hell and…

I am often reminded of my father’s two rules of business:

1. The customer is always right.
2. When that is not the case, refer to rule number 1.

I was reminded of these rules recently when reading an article in Advertising Age. The publication reported findings from a recent report by the research firm Yankelovich titled “Consumers in Control”.

Some of the interesting stats were:

82% of those interviewed said it was important to speak with a live person, with more than one in four (27%) indicating they’d even be willing to pay extra to have one.

75% believe businesses care more about selling existing products than coming up with what they want, up from 58% in 2004.

62% feel that service people don’t care much about their needs, up from 52% since 2004.

71% said they would walk out of a store even if it offered exactly what they were seeking if treated badly.

People are not only taking their business elsewhere, but also lashing out online. Blogs and YouTube have enabled more consumers to voice their distaste.

The article ended with this sobering comment; “If you get stained by bad customer service, it’s really hard to turn that around.” 

Keep that stain off of your business!

But Don’t Count On It!
I arrived at a Waikiki restaurant yesterday that I go to frequently, as in a few times a week. The other two people that were to join me were close behind. I got there right at opening time (5 PM) and said, “There will be three us.” The host commented, “We cannot seat you until the majority of your party is present.” I said, “Then make it only two people and I will text one of them to go elsewhere.” Are you ready for this? He said, “Okay” and sent me to a table for two.
I’m all for rules, but sometimes a rule should be “overruled” with common sense. I wonder what they thought I was going to do with this photo I took. What would you call his behavior?

It’s Easy!
This is the time of year that smart business people reach out to their customers and thank them for their business. There are many ways to do this, and if money is an issue, just a sincere letter or e-mail will suffice.
I just received an e-mail from one of my customers today, Carsten Pedersen of BoConcept in Denmark, asking me to to acknowledge another customer of mine for the outstanding service he provides. Carsten received the e-mail below and sent it on to me asking me to share it on this blog. I am happy to do so.
——————-
Greetings to you and your family this holiday season!
At this time of year, we like to reach out to our extended ‘Ohana and reflect on all that we are thankful for.
We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Please visit our e-newsletter to see what is going on at Lahaina Grill.
We have shared some fun holiday recipes for you to try this month!

CLICK HERE TO READ E-NEWS:

Aloha and Happy Holidays!
Jurg Munch and the Lahaina Grill ‘Ohana

Lahaina Grill is located at:
127 Lahainaluna Road
Lahaina, HI 96761
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Jurg Munch
Lahaina Grill owner Jurg Munch always goes out of his way to give special service to anyone I recommend his restaurant to. He always remembers to send me a thank you note, a gift card or a Lahaina Grill baseball cap.

Kevin in the Kitchen
When I took my son and his family to Lahaina Grill recently, my grandson, Kevin got a royal tour of the kitchen from Jurg, where he met the head chef and saw the magic that goes on in there. The next time you are on Maui, be sure to visit Lahaina Grill. Ask for Jurg and tell him that Ron sent you.

Retail Merchants - Outrigger Hotels
We had a great turnout this morning for the monthly Outrigger Hotels Success Rally.

31 Days to Go!
My main message today was that there are only 31 shopping days left until Christmas, and that gifts from Hawaii are unique. I shared a list of things that can be done to get our visitors to do some Christmas shopping while on vacation.

“It Worked”
Right after the rally Kate Turtura from Seattle’s Best Coffee rushed over to tell me that right after the rally she had a customer who was undecided if to get anything and when she mentioned that there are only 31 days left until Christmas, she immediately decided to buy.
Things work when you work them.

Hang Them Up
After several thousand miles I decided it was time to hang up the Nike shoes and get a new pair. I endured 5 stores and two poor salespeople in the process.

-1st Attempt:
I went to the Foot Locker store at Ala Moana where I was instantly greeted (attacked) by an overly enthusiastic salesperson asking me how I am doing today. I said, “Fine, I need a new pair of Nike walking shoes, just like these,” pointing to the ones on my feet. He began showing me all sorts of different shoes while talking with co-workers and taking phone calls on that little mouthpiece they all wear. I interrupted him and asked, “Do you have these shoes or not?” He said, “No we don’t carry those anymore.” I asked him who does and he suggested I look at Champs Sports on the lower level.

-2nd Attempt:
I hiked on down to Champs and found the Nike shoe section where a salesperson approached me with the ol’ “May I help you” line. I told him what I wanted, he pointed to the wall of shoes saying, “These are all we have” and then got into a discussion with his friend who was visiting him in the store. I interrupted him and asked, “Do you have these shoes or not?” He said, “No we don’t carry those.” I asked him who does and he suggested I look at Wal Mart across from the mall.

-3rd Attempt:
By now I am determined to get those shoes so I walk on over to Wal Mart. I have never been in the Wal Mart store, so I thought it would be an adventure. It was; I discovered why I haven’t been there and know why I won’t go back. I hunted down em employee (cannot say “salesperson”) and asked about the Nike shoes. She told me to go across the street to ROSS Dress for Less.

-4th Attempt:
That’s another store I won’t return to. I hunted down the shoe department and had to hold back my laughter on the way back out five minutes later. I’m still not sure if they had 3 or 5 Nike shoes (No I don’t mean pairs) but surely not what I wanted.

-5th Attempt:
I went home and decided to let my fingers do the walking. I called Sports Authority. I was promptly connected with the shoe department where a very helpful salesman checked his inventory and said that he has one pair of the shoes I want, in my size. I asked him to set them aside and that I would be there in the morning to pick them up. He agreed to do that. I went there in the morning and was amazed by the size of the store. I asked the clerk at the front counter where I would find the men’s sport shoes. He replied, and I quote, “They are in the shoe department.” I was interested in the store, so I thanked him and set out to find the shoe department. When I did there was a woman doing stock work. I told her that I have a pair of Nike shoes on hold. She went into the back room, brought out a shoe box and handed it to me. I said, “Okay, let’s try them on.” She said, “Go ahead” and walked off. I paid and walked out without shopping further. 

SUCCESS!
I just took my chances and brought them home. They fit, and my morning walk around Ala Moana Beach Park was 1 minute faster today.
The moral of this story is, “You can succeed as a customer if you are willing to place enough effort.” It shouldn’t be this way. How many lost opportunities do we see here?

Cosmo-Yajima Service Station
If you live on Oahu, I urge you to fill up next at Cosmo on the corner of Keaumoku and King St. I actually look forward to getting gasoline there. They never fail to RUN out to greet me (everyone) as I pull into the driveway. I love watching them “attack” my car, washing the windows, checking the tires and oil as well as anything else I might need. I haven’t tried their hand wash yet, but I will soon. I most likely will never use the self serve aisle, but my guess is that both are exceptional as well. When they finish, I am always thanked for my business with a huge smile. The whole experience takes me back to the days when this was the norm at filling stations.

The Good Ol’ Days
Last Friday evening I saw them in a light I couldn’t even imagine and I must share it with you. It was 6:10 PM and I was running late, on my way to an event in Aina Haina. I looked at my fuel gauge and realized it was going to be a close call, so I pulled into Cosmo. I was surprised that no one ran out to greet me. Within minutes an employee came to my window and said, “Hello, we are actually closed, the pumps have been shut off and the computers are in the process of shutting down.” Sensing my disappointment, he said, “But please wait a minute and let me see what we can do.” How different is that? I got out of my car and looked into the office where about five people were huddled around the computer feverishly trying to reverse the shut down process.

Success!
Once they succeeded, they came running out to my car actually cheering that they were able to service my car. I was totally blown away. I snapped the photo above with my iPhone and was sad to see later that it was blurry. I must have been too excited. I just had to put it on here anyway. I plan to contact the manager or owner and hopefully arrange to do a YouTube interview. I am also hopeful that you will get your gasoline there the next time you need it. I promise you that you will be amazed.

Competition Abounds
It’s much easier to keep a good customer than it is to find a new one; sometimes.
I switched nail salons about a year ago when the owner put me with an amateur manicurist who drew blood while doing my pedicure. OUCH!

Atmosphere Matters
I took my business to a fancy, much more expensive salon, and after a few procedures found a manicurist that I really liked. I asked for her every time. I also gave my facial business to the same salon.
All was well until two weeks ago. I called ahead and made an appointment for a manicure and pedicure and then planned my day around that time. When I arrived, the receptionist said, “She’s busy with someone right now.” I asked her to see how long it would be. She went into the back and returned saying, “She will be 20 or 30 more minutes.” I told her to cancel my appointment and that I would call and make a new one when time permitted. I was annoyed, but was not mad nor did I look eleswhere. Two weeks later (yesterday) I called the salon and was told that my manicurist was on vacation and won’t be back for another week. She asked if someone else can help me and I said, “No, I’ll call when she returns.”
I looked at my nails and decided to give the salon across the street a try. My wife said, “You know that’s a gamble don’t you?” I agreed, but decided to go anyway.

My Good Fortune
As fate (good luck) would have it, Lily gave me the best pedicure and manicure of my life for $20 less than the fancy salon I had been frequenting the past year. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know where I will go from now on.
To this date I have nothing against my former manicurist, in fact I feel bad about it. I also feel bad because I really like the salon owner a lot. I have mentioned to her on numerous occasions that I would like to help her increase product sales in her salon.  But, through no fault of the owner or my former manicurist, I am not going back; Lily is better, faster and cheaper. That’s a tough combination to beat.
How much did this little faux pas cost the salon? The loss of twice monthly manicures and pedicures for me, the same for my wife, plus monthly facials will amount to about $6,000 a year. And this doesn’t include the referrals that I will now make for Lily.
What could have been done to prevent this, besides setting an accurate appointment time?

Totally Addicted!
Coffee is my last remaining vice, and I can (and do) drink it day and night. When my long time coffee maker died the other day I hustled right over to the mall to get a new one. I was actually excited about seeing the latest innovations in coffee makers.

Starbucks
My first stop was Starbucks. After a quick look at the few options they had, I decided that this was the one. I don’t remember the price, but it was about $80. I took it down from the shelf and began to figure out how to use it. I couldn’t get it open and nobody seemed interested in my interest, as they were all busy handling the line of people buying coffee. When it comes right down to buying anything I become quite impatient, so I put it back on the shelf and reluctantly walked into Macy’s.

Fancy
When I arrived at the houseware section I saw coffee makers as far as the eye could see. I didn’t see any salespeople however, which has become pretty much the norm at Macy’s. I reached for my iPhone to take a photo of this vast unattened area, imagining a sarcastic blog post. To my suprise I heard my name and saw Char, who has worked for at least two of my clients in the past. I asked her if she works here, and was thrilled when she said that she does. Not only did I have a salesperson all to myself, but a good one too. Char showed me the options, gave me the information needed and in less than 10 minutes I was out the door with my new $100 coffee maker. It does everything but the dishes. I found myself thinking, “This is the way it is supposed to be.” Do you agree with me?