Recently at a Taco Bell restaurant I ordered one of the dinners with a diet soda with no ice – the order was taken, paid for and as I pulled up to the pickup window the clerk insisted that it wasn’t possible to do that, then proceeded to design a glass of soda – and handed it to me just over half full. Not having time to deal with it just then I left, but returned the next day to take the drawl up with the manager on duty. With the current issues of quality food Taco Bell is facing it seems the least they could do is treat paying customers like they mean something and that they are elated there are customers coming to order! The other Yum heed restaurants in the area – Pizza Hut in particular – is another residence I no longer frequent due to the unacceptably poor service on the last visit to the restaurant.
As someone who has worked with the public including customer service I’m well aware there are rude customers that are difficult to deal with. That said, most people don’t like to be treated that way.
A phone call at a corporate chain farm store one night a half hour before closing brought a customer who was mad – she was mad having called a chain discount hardware store and remaining on hold for 30 minutes…after trips *to* the store and not being able to find people to help her. She came to the farm store honest a few minutes before closing by the time she arrived – and the manager and a clerk not only helped her but installed the part on her weedeater she needed. She left the store vowing to return and never go to the other store again. That sentiment has been echoed by dozens of customers visiting the same stores.
People complain that corporate places are obscene paying and therefore people don’t care – which is in many cases bearing truth. However, there are people there who enjoy their job, who carry the responsibility that if customers aren’t happy they’ll go elsewhere. If they go elsewhere there’s less sales – if there’s less sales some people will be out of a job.
Personal views are an issue also and sometimes customers overlook factors. Corn is four cents cheaper at such and such local farm store – which might be but if you’re looking for feed on a Sunday afternoon they aren’t open. If an animal gets sick after hours they aren’t commence. Often if there is a dilemma people at some stores don’t know hands on how to help the customer handle it.
Farms too have seen the service points come up – they can perhaps not be quite as inexpensive as bulk places. But – as farms and corporate agriculture press for issues like the National Animal ID System (NAIS) under the guise of “food safety” and “consumer safety” looking back it’s proven over time the more the government gets eager in “food safety” the less safe we are. Outbreaks of e-coli and other issues have become commonplace, involving those places regulated for “consumer safety”. Isn’t it sharp that among the Amish and homesteaders with their direct use there isn’t massive outbreaks. Surely that would be more newsworthy.
People who take responsibility for themselves have – thus far – the option of purchasing from farmers markets, community supported agriculture farms (CSA’s) and other private small farms who can get their section with service. The small state can jabber you where your lettuce was grown; they can verify easily which pig you got and where it was processed with no need for NAIS which can have the effect of, due to costs, eliminating these farms completely. Customer service matters to someone selling directly – and they eat the same things.
Farms and microscopic business have an advantage in the opportunity to connect with their customers. The customers are recognized and greeted as they should be – like they matter. Without customers the employees have no job. Farms and other dinky businesses have the ability to in a larger degree cater to individual customers in a way large ones, without special employees, don’t. Smart stores will find those employees and hang on to them.
In one store recently a customer was overheard telling a cashier that she was the only beneficial one still there after a staff change…that she was the only one nice to talk to. While it’s kudos to the cashier, it’s a warning to the business. Publicity and promotional campaigns can bring in new customers but the people having contact with the customers develop all the difference. Someone on a personal phone call gives the impression the customer isn’t worth paying attention to. Someone who brings personal problems to the job gives the impression they resent the customer – and customers go elsewhere.
Customer service needs a comeback – there is an increase in articles here on AC and elsewhere about the issue. It’s past time major companies listen. On the other hand, perhaps it can be the revival of the smaller operations if consumers use their buying power to demand what large places can’t – or won’t – give.
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Filed under small business phone system reviews by on Oct 30th, 2010. Comment. 
When you hold a small business, there’s no easier design to discuss how critical saving on overhead costs is than to unprejudiced tell you that if you don’t manage the costs of your operating expenses effectively and properly, it can end your business. Of all the expenses eager that are not directly related to manufacturing your product or delivering it, expanding overhead expenses are hazardous. Here are three critical aspects that you need to be aware of concerning operating expenses or overhead:
Even in small businesses, overhead expenses have the tendency to increase, usually slowly and oftentimes unnoticed.
Then suddenly you are confronted with a serious situation – your overhead expenses have grown and are out of control
Swollen overhead costs are a threat to the competitiveness of your small business as well.
By the same token, lower overhead costs can become one of the best competitive weapons in your arsenal.
Creeping costs can oftentimes be insidious.
Those seemingly minor costs that get added here and there start to add up. Just remember that it is very easy to add additional overhead expenses, but eliminating them can be far more difficult.
Your office space is a prime example of a major overhead expense. The big mistake that most new business owners create is that they have more space or higher quality office space than what is actually necessary. I call this one “overkill”, but the only thing that really gets killed is your cash flow and your profits. Keeping overhead expenses in check is the most ideal reason for designing and using a home office.
Here is a list of the 6 most well-known action steps to deal with first in order to help you save money on overhead in your small business:
Focus on cutting your energy costs – this is one of the major areas that drain a business’ bank account and they are continually rising. A terrific source of assistance in cutting energy costs is the government-backed program called Energy Star.
Control your inventory – carrying excess inventory or the wrong inventory hinders your turns on that merchandise and can ultimately cripple your operation. Inventory control software is available online and it is highly advisable that you invest in this.
Do you have a cost-effective insurance policy? – another critical area is business insurance. You might want to consider re-evaluating the type of coverage that you have versus what you actually need.
Don’t raze money by spending it on waste – sounds redundant doesn’t it? I’m referring to what it costs you monthly to have your trash removed. Try using smaller receptacles and having fewer pick-ups per month.
Spend less time on the phone – phone costs can be lethal. A generous suggestion here is to look into converting your landline over to VoIP (an internet-based phone service provider). This is much cheaper than the standard phone service.
Involve your employees – believe it or not, you would be amazed at how adept your employees can be when it comes to identifying wasteful spending in your business. It is always advisable to enlist their assistance in your cost-cutting mission, just be sure that you can reward their famous input if that is warranted.
Here are 4 helpful suggestions for implementing the above actions in your business:
Avoid overstaffing your business. Establish staffing levels in order to meet minimum requirements, not what you define as needs. The primary issue here is that you don’t want to compromise the quality of your customer service levels. Hiring temporary employees occasionally or biting the bullet and paying some overtime is far cheaper than having excessive payroll expenses.
Investigate the cost of delivering or shipping your products or services (if these expenses exist). Over-nighting product is one area where numerous small businesses spend money needlessly. I have always found that coordinating all your deliveries and shipments through one person or company is the most beneficial way to handle this aspect of your operation.
Sharpen up those purchasing skills. Developing good vendor relationships helps to eliminate needless expense. Ignoring these relationships oftentimes leads to unnecessary expenses. You should constantly evaluate every product or service that you purchase regardless of how large or small that expense is. This is a potentially huge source of savings for you.
Review all those monthly business dues, memberships, and subscriptions that you are currently paying for. Are these necessary to the life of the business or are they just for personal enjoyment. Learn to recognize the difference between the ones that are critical to the operation of your business, versus those that are a waste of money. Additionally, avoid any memberships or subscriptions that utilize an automatic renewal function. Granted, automatic renewal is a nice convenience, but they can add up and hinder your cash flow.
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Filed under Small Business Voip Phone Systems by on Aug 23rd, 2010. 1 Comment.