Don't Forget About Customer Service

Customer Service is the key to any business industry. Whether its retail, corporate or the food industry the cornerstone of bringing people back into your store is providing good customer service. Recently some business have been spot-on in stepping up or maintaining the highest level of customer service. Other businesses I have had interaction with have a noticeable decline. Is it the recession? Could it be managers and business owners are more focused on keeping the business running than focusing on employee-customer relations?

Three years ago I read a book called Customers For Life, by Carl Sewell. Customers for Life is a book explaining the basics of offering a high level of customer service in the auto industry. After reading the book and seeing how simple imposing a standard for customer service can be it was easy to realize that Mr. Sewells philosophy could be applied to any business, not just the auto industry.

As a public relations professional suggesting a business to focus on customer service may seem like a small task or a task that may not be normally associated with a PR campaign but it is effective and necessary. I could get as much press about your restaurant as needed but if your restaurant doesn't have the customer service to back up the hype people will not return. It can be an integral part of PR campaign depending on your goals.

According to Carl Sewell it's easier to provide great customer service to one guest and have them become a repeat customer or a customer for life, rather than spending money on trying to bring in first time guests. During these difficult economic times business owners and managers must not forget the customer.

I walked into a local electronics retailer looking for information about a laptop. This retailer had many staff members who were very helpful and knowledgeable about their product. Because there were so many on staff during a busy Saturday afternoon, they were able to spend one on one time with each guest their interacted with. This lead to the eventual selling of the laptops not only to me but to numerous others. Every fifth person out the door had a computer of some sort. The price factor did not seem to be the deal breaker, the prices were comparable to any other electronics store but the high level of customer service provided by their employees created a relationship between consumer and seller. This relationship is what builds the foundation of a successful business.

All of this circles back to providing high levels of customer service to forge that relationship between business and consumer. Taking time now to make that connection will produce benefits down the road. This is clear in my retailer example, I was satisfied by the level of service provided and plan to return again the next time I am in the need of any electronics. I will tell my friends and family to visit this store because I trust them and trust their opinions and experience. Word of mouth has been proven to be the strongest form of marketing. Word of mouth is more trusted than celebrity endorsements or flash commercials.

Focus on cementing those relationships and you could be ahead of the game.

BINGO!

At a recent trip to the local bingo hall in San Antonio, Texas I entered a world of cut throat competition. Now, I have played bingo before in the large bingo halls with my grandmother 10+ years ago but forgot how intense it can be. My grandmother would bring all her little buda statues and elephant figures all supposedly bringing her good luck for the nights games.

When I stepped into the bingo hall and began observing the types of people that played the game it reminded me any sport on TV. All walks of life were in the bingo hall, young people, business people, families, senior citizen (who are the die-hards) and blue-collar workers. Just by observation you could spot the religious bingo players. The people that had tote bags with outside pockets to carry their marker stamps (ink filled bottles that mark the number called on your card) and enough room in the bag to carry a portable fan, troll dolls, candles, dice, fools gold and any other trinkets considered good luck (I dubbed them the "professionals").

As the bingo games got underway the excitement (yes, I said excitement and bingo in the same sentence) began to wear off and all the players in this large hall turned into scoundrels all with poker faces that would rival the best Texas Hold'em player. The shifty eyes, the confidence as if all of them knew they had winning card. I even saw people who seemed to be friends at the beginning of the game turn into card covering, angry-faced, competition hungry enemies.

The last game before a break was a $500 cash prize game. Cash was paid out that night just minutes after you won. The game was a triple bingo, meaning you had to get three bingo's any way not counting the four corners. The room was eerily silent. The only noise heard was the bingo machine with all players looking on with confidence and determination. The game was going into the 15 minute mark and with 54 numbers of 75 called someone was close to winning. The shifty eyes began as O 71 came on the screen. You could feel the tension building. As O 71 was called over the speaker and loud shout came from the smoking section, BINGO! and as if all the air was let of a tire, a huge sigh fell out amongst the bingo hall as someone else but them had won.

The experience left me laughing and feeling empty at the same time. I wanted to be a winner and plan to go back for more, I guess that is how these "professionals" get hooked. At the same time I laughed as I see a 80 year old woman playing 8 cards and methodically pondering over her cards, strategizing for the next nights games.

I will always remember that I didn't find the cut throat competition on the basketball field, football field or board room but in a bingo hall in San Antonio, Texas

The Walk Is Here

On Saturday, May 30, the Walk-a-thon and 5k run for the Alamo Area Parkinson's Support Group (AAPSG) will finally be here.

Recently, on 101.9 FM in San Antonio announced our PSA for the event and has been mentioned in 4 San Antonio publications. Not to mention all the feedback I've been getting from all the online event calendar posts too.

Dianne Johnson RN did an interview with Elizabeth Ruiz from KTSA 550AM and aired lasty week and will again on Friday and Saturday regarding Parkinson's Disease and the event.

A feature story will be published sometime this week in the San Antonio Express-News about one of the Board Members of AAPSG who has Parkinson's Disease but is not letting that stop him from accomplishing great things. Look out for it either Friday or Saturday.

Still interested in participating in the walk/run? There is still time to register by visiting www.aapsg.org

Listen Out Your Good Ear

A board member from the Parkinson's Support Group is set to have a pre-recorded segment on 550AM KTSA with Elizabeth Ruiz. Be sure to keep checking the blog to see when it will air.

Thanks again to everyone at Great Day SA for having us on the May 3 show. It went very well and we had a Parkinson's patient and Dianne Johnson RN talk about Parkinson's and the 5K run/walk coming up.

Follow Guardian PR on Twitter and follow AAPSG on Facebook.

AAPSG On TV

I was able to secure a local morning T.V. spot for the Alamo Area Parkinson's Support Group to push Parkinson's awareness and the 5k run/walk coming up in May. We tape on wednesday at the Kens5 studios and it airs this Sunday May 3.

We will hit a good share of the San Antonio audience with this spot and will get more spots from this exposure.

Guardian PR has one client which im doing pro bono work for the alamo area parkinson's support group. Helping them out with planning a 5k run/walk should be fun

Trying to blog from my phone hope this works

New to blogging

Hi all, i'm familiar with blogging but am new to it myself. I read a few blogs of local news casters and such but have not started one myself.

Look forward to keeping everyone up-to-date on my happenings with the new business venture, Guardian Public Relations.

later much,