Shhh… I Have a Secret

Customer service is a hot topic and can make or break your business. Consumers have little patience for lousy customer service and easily get tired of waiting in long lines, trying to get a live person on the line, going through an interrogation to return something or trying to communicate through a language barrier. If you provide them with a simple, efficient, pleasant experience they will revisit your business over and over. More importantly, they will tell everyone they know! There are three secrets to good customer service; the first one we’re going to conquer is knowing exactly what YOU

Continue Reading »

Add Some Compost

In the last post we talked about the first three of the 7 specific areas you need to consider in your franchise prototype process. Here are all seven again:• Primary Aim• Strategic Objectives• Organizational Strategy• Management Strategy• People Strategy• Marketing Strategy• Systems Strategy These 7 areas will fine tune your plan for the ultimate level of success. Today we are going to cover the last four.Think of constructing your business model like planting a tree. At first, it’s so small and weak you wonder if it will even make it through the night. But you keep watering, fertilizing and nurturing

Continue Reading »

The Corporate Puzzle

These are the 7 specific areas you need to consider in your franchise prototype process: Primary Aim Strategic Objectives Organizational Strategy Management Strategy People Strategy Marketing Strategy Systems Strategy These 7 areas will fine turn your plan for the ultimate level of success. In this post, we are going to cover the first three. Primary Aim It’s essential in business development to set goals and see a vision for the future. This needs to go beyond the business and you need to think about what you want out of life. What do you dream about? How do you see your

Continue Reading »

Deliver + 1

In the last post we talked about how to figure out what your customers want out of a positive shopping experience. Today we’ll talk about the concept of Deliver +1 and how this concept can take your customer service to the next level. I’ve decided to split up this post so the next one will cover the 1% Rule. Consistency is the key to any great customer service experience. If you want to take your satisfied customers to Raving Fan status, you have to go above and beyond the average customer service experience. There are three ways to develop consistency:

Continue Reading »

Another Secret Revealed

In the last post we talked about the first secret to building a solid customer service plan and how to decide what your vision is. Today we’ll talk about the second secret in taking your satisfied customers to raving fans. You must know what your customers want. Know who your customers are and you will know better how to serve them. Demographics are really important here. An upper-class woman in her 30’s is going to have completely different expectations than a blue collar worker in his 50’s. There are four main areas you need to consider and plan when figuring

Continue Reading »