How to Avoid Walkouts and Other Customer Service Disasters

http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2011/06/consumer-reports-survey-two-in-three-consumers-have-walked-out-of-a-store-because-of-poor-customer-service.html

The solution to most of those problems is have enough good quality employees. Of course, to attact those individuals, companies have to cease the ‘race to the bottom’, and having respect for the people hired. That means investing in your staff. Whether your accountant realizes it or not, your staff, not your inventory, is your most valuable asset! If you indicate that you do not repect your employees, it will reflect in your business. Customers will walk out, complain, take their business elsewhere. You will not be able to keep staff. Your business will suck. I call it voting with the pocketbook.

Pay your employees better. If you cannot afford more employees, you need to explain honesly to them where you stand financially and actively recruit your help to become “stakeholders’ in the day to day operations.Take the time to get to know all of your employees. Invite them to offer suggestions. Listen to them w/o being judgemental. Chances are they’ve got good ideas on how the business can be improved. Reward good performance, either monetarily or verbally in a way that demonstrates that you truly appreciate their efforts to make you look better.

Show your employees that you owner, manager etc.aren’t afraid to work. Let them see you cleaning cases, untangling chains, answering phones, cleaning jewelry, running the vaccum.Be able to jump in and lend a hand when necessarily without stepping on your employee’s toes. Don’t hide from your difficult customers.

Have constructive meetings where goals are clearly outlined, along with the means to accomplish them.Everyone should have goals, and a reasonable means of achieving and charting them. Provide training sessions to learn about new products, sales techniques.Don’t ream your employees out in public. In fact learn to criticize constructively.

Be what you wish to seem. Come in every day with a smile and a good additude yourself. If you are honest and with your employees, they will respect you and be loyal and your business will grow.
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