CUSTOMER SERVICE

A customer is the most important visitor on your premises. He is not dependent on you -- you are dependent on him. He is not an outsider in your business -- he is part of it. You are not doing him a favor by serving him -- he is doing you a favor by giving you the opportunity to do so.

Tips & Tools for Retail Success! Taken from an e-newsletter Barbara Wold. Barbara Wold is a streetsmart, down-to-earth business speaker, presenting topics from sales and marketing to customer service and tourism. She is an international speaker who has "WOWED" over 100,000 people from all 50 of the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela.

A Customer's Top Ten Sales & Customer Service Requirements

• Treat me with respect. I am a customer, not an account number.
• Follow through with your commitments.
• Communicate with me about both the good and the bad.
• Talk to me without interruption.
• Answer the phone quickly.
• Provide alternatives when we have a problem.
• Allow me to talk to somebody in authority when there is a problem.
• Clearly state what I should expect from you.
• Know everything about your products and services.
• Be a customer advocate.

SOURCE: Barbara Wold's Retail & Consumer Tips ­February 2004

Email: bwold@ix.netcom.com