Creating a service organization Building customer loyalty means creating a customer-centered management and staff. Service leaders typically do the following:

1. Research. Excellent customer service professionals know that you begin with open-ended questions, focus groups and other non-directive methods to find out what customers really value and want from the organization. Common research mistakes include asking the wrong questions. One failure mode is to ask staff to brainstorm a list of service attributes, then turn them into a customer questionnaire. This approach gives you data for developing a service strategy that supports the existing approach.
2. Develop a service strategy. Create a simple, long-term strategy focused on customer needs based on your research. It is difficult to provide excellent service to more than one market segment. Liz Claiborne and Frito-Lay concentrate on storeowners, not consumers; Scandinavian Airlines and Embassy Suites target business travelers. Shelby Williams Industries sells chairs only to hotels and restaur
   Company Letter Head Designs Top 4 Worst Mistakes: Don't Be Caught Making These!
   Have you thought about your letterhead lately? Many businesses don’t because it is easier to not think about it and keep going on with the multitude of tasks that has to be done on a daily basis. However an update to an old letterhead can be just like an extreme makeover. If your letterhead has not changed in the last 15 or more years it might be time for an update. However there are many things you want to watch out for and make sure you don’t make these mistakes in designing your letterhead.Don’t Do Tip 1: Overcrowded Corporate LetterheadIf you are going for a corporate letterhead look you want to be sure to not crowd everything into the top of the letterhead. Sure there are a ton of things you want to include on there and a lot of important information. However with all of the contact details in today’s connected environment you letterhead can quickly become overcrowded and ugly. So plan ahead and make some decisions early on what is necessary for the top part of the letterhead. For example do you really need two different emails address, multiple phone numbers, address and all kinds of other jun
   Years of Gallup Organization polls say consumers believe service quality in the U.S. has fallen and will continue to fall. Brand loyalty has been declining for years. The biggest gripes of customers are failure to do work correctly, slowness, high cost and employees who are unqualified, indifferent or even rude.

   Some typical examples of poor service:

   1. Government agencies that emphasize paperwork rather than personal service. And many federal offices have almost incomprehensible voice mail systems.
   2. Hospitals whose first concern seems to be patients' finances rather than healing.
   3. Car dealers who are only open for sales and service when their customer have to be at work.
   The goal of organizations should be to provide value to the customer. But in most organizations, rules and policies are more important than customer needs.

   Many managers take the wrong approach to building customer loyalty. They work on customer service - defined by the organization. But the emphasis should be on customer satisfaction - defined by the customer. To build customer loyalty, you must focus on customer satisfaction.

   The only way to know what your customers want is to ask them. Both qualitative and quantitative research is helpful. Build a customer satisfaction model. Ask managers and employees what customers want, and then determine what employee behaviors will deliver it. The next step is to ask customers to review the model and make changes.

   Often the internal model is not what customers want. A hotel industry story illustrates this. A seminar group was asked to create a model of the service they wanted during coffee break. Then their trainer asked hotel management and service employees what was important in setting up coffee service.

   Hotel people said coffee should be of highest quality and well brewed, served in polished urns with attractive china on a well-arranged table. What did their customers want? None of the above. They wanted fast service - no long lines. And they wanted phones and restrooms nearby. Not a single item hotel people considered important for good service was valued by their customers!

   Is customer service worth the trouble? A loyal customer spends about $150,000 over a lifetime with a car dealer. Does it make sense to argue over a $100 part? American Express research says a loyal customer spends about $180,000 over 10 years - employees make extraordinary efforts to keep them happy. Service is so good that U.S. citizens in trouble overseas are far more likely to call American Express than the U.S. Embassy.

   Poor service causes 42% of customers to switch banks. Only 14% of car owners switch dealers because of the cars - 68% switch because of "indifference" from sales and service employees.

   Good service creates legends - and profit leadership.

   • Federal Express spawned an industry by providing a new customer service - reliable overnight delivery.
   • Nordstrom's chain of fashion specialty stores saw sales skyrocket 700% in 10 years while profits soared nearly as fast.
   • Embassy Suites beats competition almost every way and is growing 10 times faster than the hotel industry. It has been rated first by Consumer Reports readers against both mid-priced and high-priced chains.
   • Scandinavian Airlines saw its bottom line change from an $8 million loss to $72 million in profits 18 months later, following a $30 million investment to change its business approach and focus on service for the business traveler.
   How do dissatisfied customers behave? Managers still tend to think their customers are satisfied because few complaints come to their attention. Classic research conducted during the Carter Administration revealed 96% of dissatisfied customers do not complain. Smart managers use this research. They know that for every complaint, there are about 25 other customers with the same problem. If the problem is not resolved, they know that people with problems will tell 10-20 people.

   Smart managers encourage people to complain to the company and make it easy for them to do so because:

   • Complainers are more likely than non-complainers to buy from the organization again - even if their problems aren't resolved.
   • 54-70% of complainers remain loyal to organizations when complaints are well handled; 95% will do business again if problem is resolved quickly.
   • Complainers whose problems are resolved tell five others about the good service they received.
   The cost of getting a new customer is 3-5 times the cost of keeping an existing one. Yet most organizations spend 80-90% of their marketing budgets seeking new customers.

   Creating a service organization Building customer loyalty means creating a customer-centered management and staff. Service leaders typically do the following:

   1. Research. Excellent customer service professionals know that you begin with open-ended questions, focus groups and other non-directive methods to find out what customers really value and want from the organization. Common research mistakes include asking the wrong questions. One failure mode is to ask staff to brainstorm a list of service attributes, then turn them into a customer questionnaire. This approach gives you data for developing a service strategy that supports the existing approach.
   2. Develop a service strategy. Create a simple, long-term strategy focused on customer needs based on your research. It is difficult to provide excellent service to more than one market segment. Liz Claiborne and Frito-Lay concentrate on storeowners, not consumers; Scandinavian Airlines and Embassy Suites target business travelers. Shelby Williams Industries sells chairs only to hotels and restaura
      Do You Want To Get Into Goldman Sachs?
      All the recent talk about earning big money by becoming bankers…has caused a rush by everybody (be it fresh grads, experienced professionals, etc) into the financial services industry. It is true that the money is in this industry now.However, to be earning the top dollars (i.e. to be in the front line) one need to be a certain caliber and I hope most of you agree with me that not everyone in this world is top caliber. And also, one got to look at what are the sacrifices for such money and prestige.Personally I would recommend most of us who are not of such caliber and who wants to have a comfortable life, to not chase after all the “glamor” that has been reported in the media about the financial service industry. The media are just reporting people who make it but not those who have fallen.Some words of wisdom …”When people are rushing into something, it’s time for the wise to get out or stay away…” Just think, the financial services industry has its own ups and down. Companies around the world are cutting costs…job cutting can come anytime..beyond any employee’s control.After
      to know what your customers want is to ask them. Both qualitative and quantitative research is helpful. Build a customer satisfaction model. Ask managers and employees what customers want, and then determine what employee behaviors will deliver it. The next step is to ask customers to review the model and make changes.

      Often the internal model is not what customers want. A hotel industry story illustrates this. A seminar group was asked to create a model of the service they wanted during coffee break. Then their trainer asked hotel management and service employees what was important in setting up coffee service.

      Hotel people said coffee should be of highest quality and well brewed, served in polished urns with attractive china on a well-arranged table. What did their customers want? None of the above. They wanted fast service - no long lines. And they wanted phones and restrooms nearby. Not a single item hotel people considered important for good service was valued by their customers!

      Is customer service worth the trouble? A loyal customer spends about $150,000 over a lifetime with a car dealer. Does it make sense to argue over a $100 part? American Express research says a loyal customer spends about $180,000 over 10 years - employees make extraordinary efforts to keep them happy. Service is so good that U.S. citizens in trouble overseas are far more likely to call American Express than the U.S. Embassy.

      Poor service causes 42% of customers to switch banks. Only 14% of car owners switch dealers because of the cars - 68% switch because of "indifference" from sales and service employees.

      Good service creates legends - and profit leadership.

      • Federal Express spawned an industry by providing a new customer service - reliable overnight delivery.
      • Nordstrom's chain of fashion specialty stores saw sales skyrocket 700% in 10 years while profits soared nearly as fast.
      • Embassy Suites beats competition almost every way and is growing 10 times faster than the hotel industry. It has been rated first by Consumer Reports readers against both mid-priced and high-priced chains.
      • Scandinavian Airlines saw its bottom line change from an $8 million loss to $72 million in profits 18 months later, following a $30 million investment to change its business approach and focus on service for the business traveler.
      How do dissatisfied customers behave? Managers still tend to think their customers are satisfied because few complaints come to their attention. Classic research conducted during the Carter Administration revealed 96% of dissatisfied customers do not complain. Smart managers use this research. They know that for every complaint, there are about 25 other customers with the same problem. If the problem is not resolved, they know that people with problems will tell 10-20 people.

      Smart managers encourage people to complain to the company and make it easy for them to do so because:

      • Complainers are more likely than non-complainers to buy from the organization again - even if their problems aren't resolved.
      • 54-70% of complainers remain loyal to organizations when complaints are well handled; 95% will do business again if problem is resolved quickly.
      • Complainers whose problems are resolved tell five others about the good service they received.
      The cost of getting a new customer is 3-5 times the cost of keeping an existing one. Yet most organizations spend 80-90% of their marketing budgets seeking new customers.

      Creating a service organization Building customer loyalty means creating a customer-centered management and staff. Service leaders typically do the following:

      1. Research. Excellent customer service professionals know that you begin with open-ended questions, focus groups and other non-directive methods to find out what customers really value and want from the organization. Common research mistakes include asking the wrong questions. One failure mode is to ask staff to brainstorm a list of service attributes, then turn them into a customer questionnaire. This approach gives you data for developing a service strategy that supports the existing approach.
      2. Develop a service strategy. Create a simple, long-term strategy focused on customer needs based on your research. It is difficult to provide excellent service to more than one market segment. Liz Claiborne and Frito-Lay concentrate on storeowners, not consumers; Scandinavian Airlines and Embassy Suites target business travelers. Shelby Williams Industries sells chairs only to hotels and restaur
         Making it Big as a Private Investigator in New Jersey
         John is a certified public accountant from Trenton, New Jersey. This person this job to be a noble profession. This is because the expertise will make sure the books of the clients and those who live in the neighborhood are done right.A few weeks ago, a close friend was scammed of a lot of money. Someone called and claimed to be a representative of the IRS and wanted to award the person with a lot of cash after the name was drawn in a sweepstakes raffle.Digging deeper, John found out that there were a lot of these incidents and it was not only confined in New Jersey. Feeling sorry for the friend, Richard conducted an investigation starting from the bogus website.With some help from other colleagues in college who specialized in computers, the group was able to find the suspect who has been doing this which led to that person’s arrest. Knowing that much of money will never be recovered, everyone else was happy that this wouldn’t happen again.This experience gave John something new to do in life. Since there were hackers and other fraudulent people doing this to others, this individual decided to
         over a $100 part? American Express research says a loyal customer spends about $180,000 over 10 years - employees make extraordinary efforts to keep them happy. Service is so good that U.S. citizens in trouble overseas are far more likely to call American Express than the U.S. Embassy.

         Poor service causes 42% of customers to switch banks. Only 14% of car owners switch dealers because of the cars - 68% switch because of "indifference" from sales and service employees.

         Good service creates legends - and profit leadership.

         • Federal Express spawned an industry by providing a new customer service - reliable overnight delivery.
         • Nordstrom's chain of fashion specialty stores saw sales skyrocket 700% in 10 years while profits soared nearly as fast.
         • Embassy Suites beats competition almost every way and is growing 10 times faster than the hotel industry. It has been rated first by Consumer Reports readers against both mid-priced and high-priced chains.
         • Scandinavian Airlines saw its bottom line change from an $8 million loss to $72 million in profits 18 months later, following a $30 million investment to change its business approach and focus on service for the business traveler.
         How do dissatisfied customers behave? Managers still tend to think their customers are satisfied because few complaints come to their attention. Classic research conducted during the Carter Administration revealed 96% of dissatisfied customers do not complain. Smart managers use this research. They know that for every complaint, there are about 25 other customers with the same problem. If the problem is not resolved, they know that people with problems will tell 10-20 people.

         Smart managers encourage people to complain to the company and make it easy for them to do so because:

         • Complainers are more likely than non-complainers to buy from the organization again - even if their problems aren't resolved.
         • 54-70% of complainers remain loyal to organizations when complaints are well handled; 95% will do business again if problem is resolved quickly.
         • Complainers whose problems are resolved tell five others about the good service they received.
         The cost of getting a new customer is 3-5 times the cost of keeping an existing one. Yet most organizations spend 80-90% of their marketing budgets seeking new customers.

         Creating a service organization Building customer loyalty means creating a customer-centered management and staff. Service leaders typically do the following:

         1. Research. Excellent customer service professionals know that you begin with open-ended questions, focus groups and other non-directive methods to find out what customers really value and want from the organization. Common research mistakes include asking the wrong questions. One failure mode is to ask staff to brainstorm a list of service attributes, then turn them into a customer questionnaire. This approach gives you data for developing a service strategy that supports the existing approach.
         2. Develop a service strategy. Create a simple, long-term strategy focused on customer needs based on your research. It is difficult to provide excellent service to more than one market segment. Liz Claiborne and Frito-Lay concentrate on storeowners, not consumers; Scandinavian Airlines and Embassy Suites target business travelers. Shelby Williams Industries sells chairs only to hotels and restaur
            Finding the Right Career in the Entertainment Industry
            There are many people who think they may enjoy a career in the entertainment industry. However, most do not actually realize how many different jobs are available in this industry. A career in entertainment can be very exciting, and you do not have to be an actor to have a successful career in this industry. When you are considering careers, you want to pick the one best suited to you, so it is important that you understand the various career options that the entertainment industry has to offer so you can make the right choice. Entertainment Careers ( actor, producer, director, musician, singer, dancers, choreographers)Within the entertainment industry there are many great careers to choose from and there are opportunities for people with a variety of talents. One of the most obvious choices in this field is to be an actor. Whether you act on stage or in the movies, you have the opportunity to portray various characters, and although it can be quite a demanding career, it is usually a great deal of fun as well. Some careers that are behind the scenes of all movies include the producers and the directors. If you enj
            ss approach and focus on service for the business traveler.
         How do dissatisfied customers behave? Managers still tend to think their customers are satisfied because few complaints come to their attention. Classic research conducted during the Carter Administration revealed 96% of dissatisfied customers do not complain. Smart managers use this research. They know that for every complaint, there are about 25 other customers with the same problem. If the problem is not resolved, they know that people with problems will tell 10-20 people.

         Smart managers encourage people to complain to the company and make it easy for them to do so because:

         • Complainers are more likely than non-complainers to buy from the organization again - even if their problems aren't resolved.
         • 54-70% of complainers remain loyal to organizations when complaints are well handled; 95% will do business again if problem is resolved quickly.
         • Complainers whose problems are resolved tell five others about the good service they received.
         The cost of getting a new customer is 3-5 times the cost of keeping an existing one. Yet most organizations spend 80-90% of their marketing budgets seeking new customers.

         Creating a service organization Building customer loyalty means creating a customer-centered management and staff. Service leaders typically do the following:

         1. Research. Excellent customer service professionals know that you begin with open-ended questions, focus groups and other non-directive methods to find out what customers really value and want from the organization. Common research mistakes include asking the wrong questions. One failure mode is to ask staff to brainstorm a list of service attributes, then turn them into a customer questionnaire. This approach gives you data for developing a service strategy that supports the existing approach.
         2. Develop a service strategy. Create a simple, long-term strategy focused on customer needs based on your research. It is difficult to provide excellent service to more than one market segment. Liz Claiborne and Frito-Lay concentrate on storeowners, not consumers; Scandinavian Airlines and Embassy Suites target business travelers. Shelby Williams Industries sells chairs only to hotels and restaur
            Do You Actually Ever Get Anything From This
            I just received another one in my inbox today. The link in the email when clicked takes you to a site with a picture of some guy standing in front of a nice house with a great car and you hear this audio of him saying how much money you will make with his program and why this works and the others don't. He told me why MLM doesn't work, Why gifting doesn't work, and why these very high ticket items don't work. In the end he says he has a program for everybodys budget, one that is $1,000, the other is $297 and the final one is just $14.95. Everybody has a point where they will part with some of there money in the hopes that they are going to make so much more.Is there actually a product here or is everybody just throwing money into the wind in the hopes that their money will be returned to them in a greater number? Is it true, "There is one born every minute"? These people are going to spend this money anyways whether it be on a vacation, a concert, of drugs and alcohol but with whats going around these days is that there is hope that you will get more money back than you invested..Lets look at all these prog
            organizations spend 80-90% of their marketing budgets seeking new customers.

            Creating a service organization Building customer loyalty means creating a customer-centered management and staff. Service leaders typically do the following:

            1. Research. Excellent customer service professionals know that you begin with open-ended questions, focus groups and other non-directive methods to find out what customers really value and want from the organization. Common research mistakes include asking the wrong questions. One failure mode is to ask staff to brainstorm a list of service attributes, then turn them into a customer questionnaire. This approach gives you data for developing a service strategy that supports the existing approach.
            2. Develop a service strategy. Create a simple, long-term strategy focused on customer needs based on your research. It is difficult to provide excellent service to more than one market segment. Liz Claiborne and Frito-Lay concentrate on storeowners, not consumers; Scandinavian Airlines and Embassy Suites target business travelers. Shelby Williams Industries sells chairs only to hotels and restaurants. (It owns the largest share-20% - of a tough commodity market.) Every aspect of American Express service is shaped by research. Frequent focus groups and two-hour follow-up interviews are used to develop 4-page customer satisfaction surveys which are sent to 12,000 customers annually.
            3. Encourage two-way communication. It is an essential foundation for building employee and customer satisfaction. Managers and executives must model the behavior they expect from others. They need to learn to ask questions and listen well. Recent research has shown most quality improvement and worker empowerment programs fail because top managers continue their autocratic methods.
            4. Educate the organization. An absolute truth for creating customer satisfaction is that you first must achieve employee satisfaction. To develop a customer-service culture, front-line employees must be allowed and encouraged to make decisions. That's where the service action is! Education is more than a training seminar. People forget 90% of what they hear in one week, according to communication research. Education is a continuous process, which includes on-going formal training and on-the-job reinforcement. Managers and supervisors must be trained to be mentors and coaches so they help employees rather than give orders.

            Typical service training at most corporations involves a $1,000 expenditure per site. There is little on-the-job training, no follow-up to training and few programs to motivate employee behavior, such as bonuses. Only front-line employees are trained (sometimes only those in customer service departments). Usually there is no training for managers and supervisors.

            The right kind of training is essential Contrast that with training done by America's service leaders. A survey by Citicorp of 17 companies known for excellent service showed that service training costs for front-line employees, managers and executives averaged 1-2% of sales. Typical training programs share two key concepts:

            • Vertical cross training where employees learn jobs above and below their own level. Delta and Singapore Airlines require flight attendants to learn to handle reservations and trace lost luggage before they can fly.
            • Horizontal cross training, in which employees learn most of the other jobs at their level. Hotels and food chains pay hourly workers extra to learn most of the hourly jobs.
            Why cross training? It allows job switching and creates better understanding of how organizations operate, helps employees more easily solve customer problems and increases employee self esteem. Everyone has done the work of sales clerk at Nordstrom; at McDonalds everyone has flipped burgers; everyone can inspect a room for cleanliness at Embassy Suites; Avis vice presidents work at the front desk serving customers; and every officer has fielded customer complaints at Xerox.

            Is it worth all this effort? Research suggests customers remain loyal to good service organizations even when things go wrong. Customers tend to be sympathetic when they feel a front-line employee cares about them, understands their needs and does his/her best to fix things.