Presented By: Linda Wallingford

10460 Roosevelt Blvd., Suite 287St. Petersburg, FL 33716

727.324.3006lcwallingford4@aol.com

Winning Customer Service…Tools, Tips & More!

The Equinox, Manchester Village, VT

Folk Folk

Folk Folk

Folk Folk

Folk Folk

Folk Folk

Feature filmsare the resultof years of scientificresearch and ofexperience.

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Four Cornerstones ofReadership Growth

• Improving editorial and advertising content

• Building recognition and loyalty through stronger brand promotion

• Reforming management and culture

• Providing superior customer service

5 Reasons Subscribers and Single Copy Readers Continue To Read

Your Newspaper?

• ________________________

• ________________________

• ________________________

• ________________________

• ________________________

Something to Think About…

• A typical business hears from only 4% of its dissatisfied customers. The other 96% just quietly go away and 91% will NEVER come back!

This represents a serious financial loss for those companies whose employees do not know how to treat customers, and a tremendous gain for those companies that do.

A survey on why customers never come back found the following…

• 3% move away

• 5% develop other loyalties

• 9% leave for competitive reasons

• 14% are dissatisfied with the product

• 68% quit because of an attitude of indifference toward the customer by the owner, manager or an employee.

• Only 5 years ago, a typical dissatisfied customer would tell eight to 10 people about his or her problem.

• One in 5 would tell 20.

• Now, with the internet, a dissatisfied customer can tell the world about their interaction with your newspaper!

Yours is a Very Bad Hotel

A graphic complaint prepared for:

Joseph CrosbyGeneral Manager

Lisa RinkerFront Desk Manager

DoubleTree Club Hotel2828 Southwest Freeway

Houston, Texas

In the Early Morning Hours ofNovember 15, 2001, at the DoubleTree Club

Houston, We Were Treated Very Badly Indeed.

• We are Tom Farmer and Shane Atchison of Seattle, Washington.

• We held guaranteed, confirmed reservations at the DoubleTree Club for the night of November 14-15.

• These rooms were held for late arrival with a major credit card.

• Tom is a card-carrying Hilton HHonors Gold VIP…• Yet when we arrived at 2:00am… we were refused

rooms!

Refused Rooms… Even When We’re“Confirmed” and “Guaranteed”?

• Mike, your Night Clerk, said the only rooms left were off-limits because their plumbing and air-conditioning had broken!

• He’d given away the last good rooms three hours ago!

• He’d done nothing about finding us accommodation elsewhere!

• And he was deeply unapologetic!

Quotations from Night Clerk Mike

“Most of our guests don’t arriveat two o’clock in the morning.”

-- 2:08 am, November 15, 2001Explaining why it was

OUR fault that the DoubleTree Club could not honor our guaranteed reservation

We Discussed With Mike the Meaning of the Term “Guarantee.”

guar·an·tee (g r n-t ), n. 1. Something that assures a particular outcome or

condition: Lack of interest is a guarantee of failure. a. A promise or an assurance, especially one given in writing,

that attests to the quality or durability of a product or service.

b. A pledge that something will be performed in a specified manner.

(Save this for your future reference.)

Quotations from Night Clerk Mike

“I have nothing to apologize to you for.”

-- 2:10 am, November 15, 2001Explaining why we were wrong

to be upset that our “guaranteed” rooms weren’t saved for us

The Career Path of Night Clerk Mike(He peaked last week.)

November 15, 2001:Rude Hotel Clerk

1985:Paper Boy

1995:Subway Sandwich Maker 2004:

McDonald’sSandwich Maker

2014:Septic TankCleaner

Mike Wasn’t Too Optimistic AboutFinding Us a Place to Sleep.

• 2:15 in the morning is a heck of a time to start looking for two spare hotel rooms!

• Mike slowly started dialing around town.

Quotations from Night Clerk Mike

“I don’t know if there ARE anyhotel rooms around here… all these

hotels are full.”

-- 2:12 am, November 15, 2001Just starting to look for alternate

accommodation for us, even though he’d filledhis own house up by 11:00pm

Mapped Against Other Hospitality Providers, YourDoubleTree Club Fared Badly on November 15, 2001.

GROWTH-ORIENTED

HEADING FOR COLLAPSE

DESPISES &MISTREATSCUSTOMERS

TREATSCUSTOMERS

WELL

Mike Finally Found Us Rooms Here.

• Shoney’s Inn & Suites is a dump.• It is six miles further away from downtown Houston,

which makes a difference in morning rush-hour traffic.• Had we wanted to stay at Shoney’s, we would have

called them in the first place.• We could only get smoking rooms.

Jon, a colleague, was arriving in Houston on an overnight flight …

and coming to join us at the DoubleTree Club first thing in the morning. As we had to go stay elsewhere, we wrote

Jon a note and left it in care of Mike the Night Clerk.

Even After We Left the DoubleTree Club, OurTroubles Weren’t Over, as This Timeline Shows.

We Are Very Unlikely to Return to theDoubleTree Club Houston.

Lifetime chances of dying in a bathtub: 1 in 10,455(National Safety Council)

Chance of Earth being ejected from the solar system by the gravitational pull of a passing star: 1 in 2,200,000

(University of Michigan)

Chance of winning the UK Lottery: 1 in 13,983,816(UK Lottery)

Chance of us returning to the DoubleTree Club Houston: worse than any of those

(And what are the chances you’d save rooms for us anyway?)

The average business spends six times more to attract new customers than it does to keep old ones.

Yet customer loyalty is, in most cases, worth ten times the price of a single purchase!

Revenue Lost to the DoubleTree ClubHouston as a Result of our November 15 Incident

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

Our firm's totalexpenditures onHouston-area lodging

Dollars we'll bespending at theDoubleTree ClubHouston

Calendar2001

Calendar2002

Shown in U.S. dollars

We’ll Be Sending This Presentationto Promus Properties.

• And to some friends.• We hope they’ll share it with their friends!• If you’d like a hard copy, email us at:

BearX220@hotmail.com.• Good luck!• And give our best to Mike!

Then there are…

• www.bestbuysux.org

• www.whypaypalsucks.com

• Don’t Buy a Kia -http://members.tripod.com/~aiki_joe/i_hate_kia/

5 Reasons Customers Stop Subscribing/Purchasing Your

Newspaper

• ________________________

• ________________________

• ________________________

• ________________________

• ________________________

Goal…Increase Ad Revenue

• Recruitment

• Automotive

• Real Estate

• Private Party

Goal…Gain and Retain Readers

• Reduce Churn

• Grow E-Z Pay

• Cost-Effective Marketing

• Added-value programs

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

• How easy is it to do business with us?

• What methods do we use to follow-up with our readers?

• Do we measure reader satisfaction?

• What are we doing to position our brand and image in our markets?

Customer service doesnot begin and end in our call centers!

A successful newspaper is a

customer-driven newspaper!

When customers feel good about that first interaction with your newspaper, they’ll come back for more - they will become loyal customers and will tell others about their satisfaction!

We don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

Circulation departments that focus on their customers -

• Ask questions

• Solve problems

• Offer solutions

• Don’t assume

• Up sell Partial Subs

• Seek feedback

• Are creative

• Communicate

• Plan ahead - work their plan

• Know that actions speak louder than words

Dealing with any customer situation efficiently, professionally and in a manner that leaves customers committed to your newspaper and/or purchasing your products – including your on-line and niche publications.

Let’s first define what superior customer service means...

There is a vast difference between guessing and knowing what our readers want.

We know what our readers want and, moreover, we know what is important to them!

• Our readers want:

- Excellent Content

- Timely Delivery

- Great Value

…

A genuine commitment to providing what is truly important to them!

For us to really listen and communicate with them.

And, for us to do everything we can to provide the level of service they expect and deserve!

Keeping loyal readers who are already familiar with our product requires something as basic and affordable as providing superior customer service.

Some companies that get it…

Company-wide

Service

Commitment

They have a...

Staff members understand the importance of their jobs in contributing to the success of their department and the newspaper.

Workplace Culture

Communication is wide open between all levels of management, their staff and among other departments.

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Do your newspaper's various divisions operate independently of one another?

The ”silo effect”…

• Lost revenue

• Duplicated efforts

• Missed promotional

opportunities

• Morale issues

• Employee turnover

It is critical that members from different departments work on problem-solving teams with one another, thereby learning an appreciation for the jobs or responsibilities of others.

Lack of Motivation?

Is the newspaper’s mission is clearly communicated to employees at all levels and their commitment secured?

Show me and I'll remember...

Involve me and I'll understand.

Tell me and I’ll forget...

VISIONAn image of ourdesired future.

PURPOSE or

MISSION

How we expect to travel to where we want to go.

VALUES

Milestones we expect toreach before too long.

What our newspaper is here to do.

GOALS

• Genuine Compliance: Sees the benefits of the vision. Does everything expected and more!

• Formal Compliance: On the whole, sees the benefits of the vision. Does what is expected and no more.

• Grudging Compliance: Does not see the benefits of the vision. But also, does not want to lose job. Does what he or she has to do, but also lets it be known that he is not really on board.

Possible Attitudes Toward a Vision

• Non-Compliance: Does not see the benefits of the vision and will not do what is expected. “I won’t do it and you can’t make me”.

• Apathy: Neither for nor against vision. No interest. No energy. “Is it five o’clock yet?”

Possible Attitudes Toward a Vision

What Are The Top 10 Attributes of Successful Circulation Employee?

• Organization

• Flexibility

• Excellent Customer Service Skills

• Accountability

• Follow Through

• Thoroughness

Top 10 Continued...• An general understanding of other team

members’ duties.

• Excellent Communication Skills - Verbal & Written

• Knowledge of accounts and key people

• The ability to partner with other team members to increase their account base, bring in additional revenue and build relationships.

Empowerment!!!

Empowered people have the necessary information to make the right decisions and act; they don’t have to wait for multiple levels of approval.

Empowered people identify problems and fix them. They do what it takes to keep customers happy. These people don’t have time for turf battles because when everyone shares power and a common goal, turf becomes irrelevant and teamwork becomes imperative.

There’s nothing I can do.

That’s just the way I am.He makes me so mad.

They won’t allow that.

I have to do that.

I can’t.I must.

If only.

Let’s look at our alternatives.

I can choose a different approach.

I control my own feelings.

I can create an effective presentation.

I will choose an appropriate response.

I choose.

I prefer.

I will.

Continual Training Is Imperative

• Telephone Techniques

• How to Multi-Task

• Prioritization/Time Management

• Working Proactively

• Maximizing Productivity

• Building Your Interpersonal Skills

• Projecting a Positive Attitude in a High Stress Environment

• Maximize Your Contribution to the newspaper and co-workers.

The more you know…

• …the more valuable to the organization you become.

• …the more advancement opportunities present themselves.

• …the more assistance you can provide to your internal and external customers!

First Impressions Are Lasting Impressions

5 seconds!

The clock is ticking…

• Do we look professional and interested and engaged?

• Do we greet customers and acknowledge their presence whether on the phone or in person?

• Do we make customers feel welcome and appreciated?

or…

• Do we treat customers like they are just another inconvenience… interrupting your conversation, thoughts, etc.

• Do we treat customers like they are just a number?

• Are we desensitized to the customers’ needs...not willing to give them the level of service they expect and deserve?

People don’t have to do business with you!

Where else can they find news and ads?

Emotions Play a Role

• Readers want to feel welcome.

• Readers want to feel appreciated.

• Readers want to feel good about you and the products and services your newspaper provides!

Often overlooked!!!

• Our customers hear and see how we interact with each other!

How much revenue has yournewspaper lost because of poor

telephone techniques?

Would you believe…

Halllo… Oliver??

Yes, Commissioner Gordon.

One ringy dingy…two ringy dingies…three ringy dingies. Have I reached the party to whomI am speaking?

Personalize your voice.Your personality IS NOT eliminated when you answer the telephone. Smile, putting a natural smile in your voice is contagious!

Really listen.Actively listen to what your caller is saying. Avoid making a customer repeat himself/herself. DO NOT interrupt the caller in mid-sentence. Avoid using industry terms. The caller does not know what they mean.

Use salesmanship.Everybody sells. Give the customer all the facts. Anticipate possible objections or concerns. Be of service to the customer. Show an interest in the customer’s needs. Be enthusiastic and sincere.

Be Prepared.Know your product. Be thoroughly informed, particularly about any complaint procedures. If you don’t know the answers, ask questions.

Answer Promptly!If a caller has been waiting, THANK THEM for waiting. Answer cheerfully. Use the caller’s name during the course of the conversation to personalize the call.

EVERBODY SELLS?

• You want to cancel your subscription? Sure…I can take care of that…

• Starting delivery? We’ve got a deal on Sunday only for 13 weeks. Why don’t you start with that?

• Would you like us to bill you?

• We’ve got 30 people waiting, I’m taking my lunch. They’ll call back. They always do.

You’ll Have To.

I Don’t Know.Find out.

“I’ll find someone who can help.”

Tell people what you can do.

No.The word “NO” should never begin a sentence. Offer a positive alternative.

Use “you’ll need to” instead.

We Can’t Do That.

Positive Trigger Words

• Important

• Effective

• Exclusive

• Immediate

• Easy

• The Latest

• Advantages

• Affordable

• Confidence

• Right Now

• Benefits

• Exclusive

• Dependable

• Economical

• Available

• Valuable

•PLEASE.•YOUR WELCOME.•THANK YOU.•HOW CAN I HELP YOU?•WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY?•THAT’S NO PROBLEM.•THERE SHOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM.•SURE!•CERTAINLY! •YES!•I’D BE HAPPY TO...•I’D LOVE TO...•YES, I CAN...•YES, WE CAN...•I’D LIKE TO SIGN YOU UP FOR...•LET ME GET YOU STARTED FOR...•LET’S SET YOU UP FOR...•I’D HATE TO SEE YOU CANCEL.•I’D HATE TO HAVE YOU CANCEL.•I UNDERSTAND. •I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY.•I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION.

•I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.•I’LL SEE TO IT, THAT...•I’LL MAKE SURE THAT...•I HAVE YOUR INFORMATION, AND WILL SEE TO IT...•I’LL CERTAINLY FIND OUT FOR YOU.•I’D BE HAPPY TO FIND OUT FOR PROBLEMS ARISE.•HERE’S WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU. •HERE’S WHAT WE CAN DO. •LET ME DO THIS.•LET’S DO THIS.

Explain to the caller that you would be happy to connect them to theappropriate department/person they are trying to reach.

Identify the party or department to whom you are transferring the caller tobefore you attempt the transfer.

Example:

I will connect you with the classified inside sales department. In case we aredisconnected and for your convenience, the number is 216-999-5555. Onemoment please while I connect your call.

Or

I will connect you to Ms. Maxwell's office. In case we are disconnected andfor your convenience, Ms. Maxwell's number is 216-999-1234. One momentplease while I connect your call.

Then…

How to Transfer a Telephone Call

Connect the call. Stay on the line if at all possible until the customer hasreached the appropriate party/department. If you have the caller's nameand/or reason for the transfer, give that information to the party/departmentto whom you are connecting the call.

When the person/department you are connecting the caller to answers thephone…

Identify yourself and announce the call.

Example:

Hello. This is Mary from Editorial. I am transferring Mrs. Smith to you. Shewants to place a classified ad. Go ahead Mrs. Smith. You have the ClassifiedAdvertising department on the line.

Or

Hello. This is Susan from Promotions. I have Mr. Rogers on the line for Ms.Maxwell. One moment while I connect the call. Go ahead Mr. Rogers. Youhave Ms. Maxwell's office.

Rephrase the caller’s words to let them know that YOU understand what the call is about. If there is a need to call the customer back, make sure you have a number where they can be reached during the day! Ideally, all customer concerns should be addressed within 24 hours.

A caller’s perception of a problem is their reality. No matter how small their concern might seem to you, it is important. Show the caller that you appreciate the fact that they cared enough about your product to call. After all, if it were not for them, you would not be in business.

Avoid making excuses such as, the computer was down, it’s not my department’s fault, he/she didn’t follow through, etc. Excuses exasperate any situation and are a tremendous waste of everyone’s time.

Ask questions to insure that you have the necessary information to resolve the caller’s concern(s).

It’s too late after you disconnect the call!

Be thorough and accurate when writing messages and conveying a customer’s wants and needs to other individuals.

Take ownership. Once you hear the caller’s concern, it becomes... YOUR CONCERN!

Resolve it! You’ll feel great about your efforts and the customer will feel great about you and your company.

How to Calm the Upset Customer

Customers, in general, are not angry at you!

They are angry or upset about a situation or an event.

Sorry…seems to be the hardest word.

• Apologize

• Empathize

• Reassure

• Ask the customer what will satisfy them.

• Tell them that you VALUE them and the relationship.

Internal Customer Service

External Customer Service

THE ETERNAL CUSTOMER

+

=

• when employees think of customers they usually think external customers – readers, advertisers…the community at large.

• the quality of service provided by staff dealing directly with external customers is, to a large extent, dependent on the quality of support provided to them internally

• for internal customer service to thrive in an organization it must be demonstrated by everyone… in every aspect of there work whether they deal with external customers or not.

Why does improving internalcustomer service matter?

Internal Customers

• Our Co-workers

• Other Departments

• How do you treat co-workers?

• Do you share successes and failures?

• Do you try to make others look bad… thinking you’ll get ahead?

How do we treat each other?

• You do it…that’s not my job.

• Who do they think they are… asking me for help?

• That’s their problem…not mine.

• I’m not getting paid for that…why should I care?

Leaders Care About the Team!

• They ask if anyone needs helps and will accept assistance from others.

• Work well with others to accomplish set goals and objectives.

• Have no time for turf battles and gossip …they are irrelevant.

• Leaders are often the first to be promoted!

• Acknowledgment. Excellence in internal customer service delivery by individuals and teams should be acknowledged and rewarded.

• Long-term commitment. Internal service delivery improvements will not happen overnight and requires a continuous effort by all departments and employees.

For internal customer service to thrive in an organization it must be demonstrated by everyone… in every aspect of there work whether they deal with external customers or not.

Ask Yourself These Questions…(from a Governmental task force on internal customer service.)

• When you answer the phone, do you identifyyourself and your department?

• Do you apply the same levels of urgency andservice to internal vs. external e-mails, phonecalls, correspondence?

• When other departments contact you for help, do you regard it as a worthwhile and importantuse of your time?

• Do you enjoy working with other departments at the newspaper?

• Can you see the greater good that comesfrom helping other departments solve theirproblems or fulfill their needs?

• Do you provide information or advice to otherdepartments on time?

• Do you arrive on time for internal meetings?

• Do you provide regular updates and briefings on your work to the rest of your department/

newspaper?

How can we incorporate superior internal customer service in our day-to-day operation?

____________________________________________________________ ____________________ ________________________________________ ____________________

People youwork with...

…and there is always ego -

• The Chronic Complainer

• The Rule-Breaker

• The Annoying Braggart

• The Lone-Wolf

The Greedy Employee

The Joker

The Leader

The Loud Mouth

The Busy Body

The Happy Employee

The Disgruntled Employee

The Information Specialist

Keeper of the Nuts

The New Guy

The Expert

The Supervisor

The Mole

The Frustrated Employee

And

Tadaaaa…

Da BOSS !!!!

Da Boss’ Wife

The Boss’ Kid

the best timeof the year…

VACATION!

Are you in sales?

A solid grasp of product and company knowledge, along with continual training, will give you and your team the tools necessary to increase revenue by gaining and retaining advertisers!

Yes!!!!

The Importance of Product and Company Knowledge

You can’t sell and service what you don’t know!

• Features and Benefits

• Overcoming Objections

• What’s New

• Role Playing

Training…

• Scavenger Hunts• Daily Challenge• Morning Snapshot• Operation Smile• Mystery Callers• Monitoring

Tools…

What is your Product or Products?

• _______________________________

• _______________________________

• _______________________________

• _______________________________

• _______________________________

Who is your audience/market?

• _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List 10 things you KNOW about your product?

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

List 10 things you KNOW about your company?

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

• ________________

What obstacles do you face in providing superior customer service to the internal and external customer?

What are some of the positive steps YOU can take to overcome some of these obstacles?

Maslow’s Levels of Competency

#4 Unconscious Competency

You no longer need to think on a consciouslevel how to perform a specific action. At the point of unconscious competency a habit is formed. We can get good at things that serve usor good at things that don’t.

Creating Raving Fans

Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better.

Just having satisfied customers isn’t good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business, you have to create “raving fans.”

When a customer complains, you know you are hearing the truth ... their perception is their reality.

When a customer is silent or says “fine” with a slight smile, perk up your ears--you’ve got a real problem.

Creating Raving Fans - Blanchard and Bowles

Harvey Mackay

Customers who have been burned before don’t trust easily.

You are trying to pull them in and they are trying to resist.

Consistency will overcome resistance.

Consistency Creates

Credibility

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Those who believe that the newspaper can succeed are instrumental to that success. It only takes one negative person to destroy part of your customer base and chip away at any continued growth.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You can make a difference! There is much more to customer service than meets the eye. Dedication, commitment, goals and emotions play an important role in the level of customer service you and your organization provides to your customers!

1. __________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________

Raving Fan

The Lifetime Value of a Customer

Revenue Lost to the DoubleTree ClubHouston as a Result of our November 15 Incident

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

Our firm's totalexpenditures onHouston-area lodging

Dollars we'll bespending at theDoubleTree ClubHouston

Calendar2001

Calendar2002

Shown in U.S. dollars

Understanding the Lifetime Value of the Customer

If a customer runs a full page b/w ad in your newspaper once a year for 10 years, how much will they have spent with the newspaper ?

Retail Advertising…

Friday-Sunday Home DeliveryA home delivered subscriber (based on current Friday thru Sunday home delivery rates) takes the newspaper for 20 years.

How much money will that customer pay the newspaper?

Single Copy Sunday

• Mrs. Smith purchases a Sunday newspaper from her local store every Sunday. She has been doing so for the past three years.

How much money has she spent?

26 seven-day subscribers cancelled today because of poor service

• How much revenue is will be lost annually?

My Top 10 Learns As An Advertising and Circulation Manager

1. Training should be continual and mandatory. While some organizations will tell they have neither the budget nor the ability to spare the time to train their employees, my message to them is you can’t afford not to!

2. Product and Company Knowledge. Simply put, you can’t sell and service what you don’t know.

3. Communication must be wide open between all levels of management, their staff and among other departments.Call center staffs are often the last to know about important changes in the product or company. Because these folks are a vital link between readers/advertisers and the company it is imperative that they be informed and trained immediately on any pending product enhancements, changes, etc.

4. Recognition means more than money. The staff wants to be recognized and appreciated for the effort put forth day-in and day-out.

Working in a newspaper’s advertising or circulation department can be very intense. Every customer must be treated as if they are your only customer.

When a representative is on their 30th call of the day, the ability to make a reader/advertiser feel appreciated and valued requires dedication, commitment and talent!

5. Challenge. Implement programs such as “the daily challenge” or form teams to help achieve certain goals. Everyday should be as exciting as the previous day. The staff will look forward to coming to work because they won’t want to miss out on the excitement!

6. Competition is healthy. Share with the staff information about other like-size newspapers …answered call percentages, ad revenue gains/losses, benchmarking studies. Let them know where they stand.

Involve them in developing the road map to becoming #1.

7. Everybody Sells! There is a huge difference between an operator and a well-trained customer service representative. An operator answers the telephone and transfers the call. A customer service representative is employed to sell –gain and retain!

Gone are the days of the “phone boards”. Skilled call center reps have a tremendous impact on our ability to gain and retain advertisers and readers as well as bring in revenue.

8. Avoid Burnout. It is a manager’s DUTY to make sure his/her staff does not burn out. Burn out creates employee turnover, morale issues and customer dissatisfaction.

9. Work the Floor. You can’t manage your operation sitting in your office. Walk the floor…listen to calls…take calls. Talk to your staff! You’ll be surprised at the difference it will make and how much more engaged they will become.

10. Have Fun! When conducting on-site training throughout the country, the one thing that I hear continually is that “work is not fun anymore”. Why? Because we are often consumed with the “bottom-line”, we fail to realize that our staffs are not smiling…not happy. Simple solutions are easy to implement. You and your staff will be glad you did!

A Customer Is...The most important person to

come into this organization whether

in person, on the phone,or by mail.

The person who ultimately pays my paycheck.

I really work for her.

Not someone with whom I should argue. Dale Carnegie said:

“The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it”--especially with customers.

Someone with whomI will learn patience,

even though he is notalways patient with me.

Someone who can make or break my day,

depending upon how I react to her comments.

I can easily control my lifeby controlling how I

respond to situations.

The most important person to come into this organization

whetherin person, on the phone,

or by mail.

The person who ultimately pays my paycheck.

I really work for her.

Not someone with whom I should argue. Dale Carnegie said:

“The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it”--especially with customers.

Someone with whomI will learn patience,

even though he is notalways patient with me.

Someone who can make or break my day,

depending upon how I react to her comments.

I can easily control my lifeby controlling how I

respond to situations.

Rebecca L. Morgan

Someone who has biasesand prejudices just like I do.

He may not like my hair;I may not like his clothes.

Yet he is a special human beingand my customer.

Someone I take care not to offend.

Even when she is wrong, I point out the mistake indirectly and

politely.

Someone who is sometimes a challenge.

I embrace the challenge and am glad when I can turn a frown into

a smile.

Someone who is very special.She is my customer for a few short minutes and I focus on

serving her needs 100%when I am helping her.

Someone with whom I will gothe “extra mile.”

He may not realize it, but I realizethat the difference between

mediocre and excellent is just 10%.

Someone who has biasesand prejudices just like I do.

He may not like my hair;I may not like his clothes.

Yet he is a special human beingand my customer.

Someone I take care not to offend.

Even when she is wrong, I point out the mistake indirectly and

politely.

Someone who is sometimes a challenge.

I embrace the challenge and am glad when I can turn a frown into

a smile.

Someone who is very special.She is my customer for a few short minutes and I focus on

serving her needs 100%when I am helping her.

Someone with whom I will gothe “extra mile.”

He may not realize it, but I realizethat the difference between

mediocre and excellent is just 10%.

Winners make things happen…

losers let things happen.