Customer Service

Service and Etiquette Tips for SMBs

April 25, 2019 by Robert Beagle Leave a Comment

If your small or medium-size business does service or sales calls to customer locations, everything the customer sees, hears, or smells is an integral part of your marketing efforts. Your field employees and contractors are the face of your company, and it is impossible to overestimate their role in marketing your company. The Tech Army offers these tips to help make sure that you and your team are presenting the highest level of service and etiquette.

No smoking

It should go without saying but smoking while on a sales or service call is always unprofessional. Many business sites are smoke-free zones, but even if they aren’t you and your technicians should still act as though smoking is prohibited at all customer facilities. Vaporizers and smokeless tobacco products should also be avoided, along with never going to a job site while under the influence of alcohol or any other drugs.

When you are on a job at the customer’s location, you are there to work (and you’re probably billing them at a high rate). Don’t insult your customers by taking time out to smoke. Whether you’re in your company vehicle or a designated smoking area, smoking while on a call at a customer’s location is unacceptable. If you must smoke, do it between calls – preferably in the open air outside the vehicle so that you don’t smell like smoke when talking to the next client.

Be attentive

Your attention while on a sales or service call should always be on the customer and the task at hand. Believe it or not, we have heard stories about contractors falling asleep at a customer’s facility – dozing in their company vehicle in the parking lot or while inside the building! When you are at a customer’s facility, you need to be working and ready to address any concerns that your client may have. If you find that being tired in the middle of the day is a concern, consider building in a short nap during scheduled breaks or during your lunch period.

Always be courteous

Always be courteous and professional when working with clients. If you’re visiting a client or making a service call, dress appropriately and display your company’s logo. If your company provides polo shirts, dress shirts, or t-shirts for contractors to wear, be sure that they wear them when meeting with every customer. Make sure that all of your employees or contractors have business cards or identity badges that let the customer know that they’re with your company.

Customers can sometimes be chatty or, worse, combative. Even when a customer is rude, you and your employees have a job to do. Being rude in response only hurts you and your brand. If the actions of a customer impact your ability to perform the work requested, just do your best to complete the task. Take notes on the situation immediately afterward and address the issues with your primary contact at the business at the appropriate time.

Mind the Mess

Just as you would be upset if someone came into your office and made a mess without cleaning up, customers understandably get upset when contractors leave a mess behind. You should always leave the work site exactly as you found it. Always wear shoe covers when entering the customer’s premises to avoid tracking in mud, dirt, or other debris. All of the trash or packaging from items you’ve installed or brought into the site are your responsibility to dispose of – never leave boxes or other packaging for the customer to clean up.

If the space you’re working in was seemingly messy or cluttered when you arrived, resist the urge to clean up. While you may think that you’re doing the customer a favor or helping out, you should never do anything outside of your scope of work.

Professionalism at its best

From competing with bigger companies to trying to match the prices of larger businesses and attempting to win larger customers, small and medium-size businesses have enough to worry about. The best way for SMBs to differentiate themselves from their larger competitors is to provide the best customer service possible – make sure that your employees in the field and your contractors share that same commitment.

Running an SMB can be a challenge. SMB Now provides tips, expert advice, and information about the services that you need to help make running your business easier. Visit us often to stay up-to-date with SMB Now and follow us on social media. Join in the discussion by commenting below.

SMB Company Celebrates 25 Years

November 20, 2012 by John Beagle Leave a Comment

Headquartered at 6730 Roosevelt Ave, Middletown, Ohio 45005 [near Dayton and Cincinnati], Rentacomputer.com celebrates 25 years in the Technology Rental Industry. Rentacomputer.com works in over 1500 cities worldwide with hundreds of LOCAL installers and computer/av rental companies.

The president of the company is John Beagle. He along with Rose and David Morgan started the company on April 27, 1987. Rentacomputer’s first order was delivered to a defense contractor during the first week of May 1987.

In 1983, Gary Eiserman started a computer training company which ultimately became a computer rental company named, Rent-A-Computer, Inc. The computer industry was just getting started and Gary was operating in the Washington DC market. The company was originally a franchisee of Rent-A-Computer, Inc operating in Middletown, Ohio and servicing the Dayton-Wright-Patt Market. By 1989, CFR, Inc. dba Rent-A-Computer became an independent company with no franchise ties to the original company located in Bethesda, Maryland near Washington DC.

Above: Logo as it appeared in 1987.

Story Continues: Rent-A-Computer History

Ways to Improve Your Company’s Customer Service

October 28, 2010 by Zack Duncan Leave a Comment

Everybody dreads a call to customer service, no matter what company it is. Whatever the problem is, most people would rather take their losses than go through a long, arduous process with a customer service representative. That is why businesses, especially small businesses, should consider improving their customer support in every way possible, because customers are more likely to return to your business if it has good customer service.

In a recent survey 60% of Americans ranked great customer service as very important. However, only one-third of them believe that they are getting it. A vast majority of Americans believe that companies either haven’t changed the way they look at customer service or they are paying less attention to it. Only 37% of Americans believe that companies have increased their focus on giving high quality customer service in today’s market.

The problem stems from a few different reasons. One reason is that business owners do not always know what will satisfy their customers the most. Owners may think price will satisfy customers, whereas customers may believe it is personalized service. Another reason is that business owners may not have put in place the systems and processes to ensure that they can easily provide ongoing customer service.

One way to improve upon this is to find technology that will help you monitor what customers are saying about you. There are many services you can sign up for that will alert you when someone online is mentioning your company, like Google Alerts or even TweetBeep. You also need to make sure you are reaching out to customers on a regular basis. This allows them to easily tell you how they feel.

If a customer complains, make sure the problem gets fixed and that they are happy. If the owner personally deals with the problem, then the customer usually leaves happy. You also have to communicate to your employees about how important it is to make sure that the customer is as happy as he or she can be before leaving. Consistent, good customer service does not come easily, and you have to train your employees to do so in order to get the best productivity.

One thing you have to do as a small business is make sure superior customer service is a part of your company’s reputation. You need to ensure that you are talking about your customer service and selling your services or products on that fact. Encourage your customers who have left feeling satisfied to share their experiences with others.

Good customer service will also get your name out there by customers. Three-fourths of people surveyed said they are more inclined to talk about good customer service as opposed to complaining about bad customer service. People really do like to discuss positive things, so make sure one of those things is your customer service.

Contrary to that, people also say that they are more inclined to believe negative feedback they see online as opposed to positive. This is all the more reason to make sure your customers are satisfied with your customer service. Nobody likes bad feedback, so when you do get some, make sure you address that problem immediately. You may also want to hop on that discussion online and say what you have done to fix the problem.

It goes without saying that customer service is one of the most crucial aspects of an up-and-coming business. If you want your customers to keep coming back and you want new customers to start coming, then you need to make sure that whenever they talk to one of your staff or even yourself that your customer service is as top notch as possible, because it may be the deciding factor in whether your business succeeds or fails.

If you are in the market for an InFocus Projector Rental, then visit Rentacomputer.com or give them a call at 800-736-8772.

Camera Secuity for excellent customer service

June 30, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Here’s a follow up to John Beagle’s excellent article about closed circuit cameras providing security against theft. Closed circuit TV’s allows, you the owner, to monitor your customer service employees.

I once was privileged to hear a true American success story by a guy known as “Kenney the Printer.” Kenny Fisher was looking to own his own business and had an idea that he might like to start a chain of dry cleaning shops, but was prompted by an idea when his son came home upset about the poor service he observed at a quick print shop where he worked. This give Fisher an idea. He went around scouting quick print shops in his area and found them to be sadly wanting in terms of cleanliness and courtesy. He started his quick print shops with a fanaticism to customer satisfaction. In his first year his shop reached the annual sales average for quick shops and now his revenue is SEVEN times that of a normal quick print shop. One tool he uses is closed circuit TV to monitor customer service. He cites many statistics about how poor customer service can absolutely sink your small businesses reputation. Also Kenny states how many marketing dollars it takes to bring one customer into your shop, a very eye opening figure. If you would like to learn more about what Kenny thinks is a vital tool for your small business, take a look at the site map of this fine business: Camera Security Now Site Map or call 877-422-1907.

Security cameras can not only be a vital tool for anti theft protection but can also be a powerful tool in ensuring that your customers are given world class service each time they enter your establishment.

Looking for a GeoVison Security Camera System to help secure your small or medium business? Call www.CameraSecurityNow.com today at 877-422-1907 for a free phone consultation. Ask about the new Hybrid DVR/NVR surveillance solutions.

Yottaquest- an American small business success story!

April 14, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

YottaQuest Fantasy Gaming Let’s start by saying thanks to Matthew Fay, the owner of Yottaquest, for his time in answering some questions about his shop and his success story.

YottaQuest, LLC
7607 Hamilton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio
45231
513-923-1985

1)Today we hear a lot of economic gloom and doom, and most of it frankly has good reasoning behind it; However, America is still the land of opportunity even for small retailing stores for owners who work both hard and smart. One of these in the Cincinnati area is Matt Fay owner of Yottaquest, a specialty retailer, dealing mostly in games.

Matthew Fay: Our store is a specialty retail store, but it is also very much a service business. Our customers actually refer to Yottaquest as” their” game store; they have taken “ownership” of the experience here. This is a community where they belong.

2)Tell about some of your store’s prestigious awards:

Matthew Fay: Yottaquest won Goodman Games award of being
“America’s Favorite Game Store.” The City of Mount Healthy has declared a Matthew Fay day.

3)What was your idea for the store?

Matthew Fay: One day I just wanted a game store-How hard can it be? I made many mistakes, but I learned from each one of them very quickly; I had no choice. . I talked to all sorts of people, other game store owners, distributors, game designers, and gamers/customers. I asked, “What did they like about a store.” I also drew on my prior experience. I worked at a White Castle and I learned about customer service there. From my time in the US Navy, I learned how to lead people.

4)Let’s go back to the beginning; one thing every prospective new business owner wants to know is how did you raise the initial cash to launch the store?

Matthew Fay: I used a home equity loan to raise the initial capital, but that went pretty fast. I also had signature loans and things like that to help get me through. Mostly, I had help from my family, my parents, who helped me when I was at the store a great deal of the time and my children who began as “unpaid labor.” Yottaquest truly is a family store.

5)The first 6 months to a year is vital when did you know that “Hey, I think we’re off and running?

Matthew Fay: Part of the success is when I learned to say no. Some times I said no to things repeatedly. If I wanted or needed something, then I did the research, and then went out to purchase game lines or equipment, anything.
I really think our 5 year anniversary was the day that I thought,” we are up and running.” Our sales tripled our best day ever, but I put all that money back into the business.

6)How important is networking for your business?

Matthew Fay: Well, I am President of the Mount Healthy Business Association, President of the Northwest Kiwanis, Active in American Legion, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Free Masons, A mentor in GAMA (the Game Manufacturers Association) , and Co-Leader of Celebrate Mount Healthy, and a member of the Better Business Bureau. Being a member of these groups is like taking a college class in business, I have learned a lot and continue to learn.

6)You seem to have a specialized clientele, what is your approach to customer service?

Matthew Fay: This business is a service industry. You are servicing the gaming community. Another group I sponsor through meetup.com is the local gaming community in our area. This store provides a place for like minded people to meet, and meet and play, that’s what this is all about. One of the biggest hurdles in playing games is finding people to play with, Yottaquest fills that need.

Recommended reading:
Professionals Prefer Phones to… Everything

The first voice on the phone matters!

April 9, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Probably the least paid person in any organization is the company receptionist, but having a good person at this post is vital to your business. We have all heard the old adage that “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” If you are hiring a receptionist for the first time here are some things you might want to consider.

Is this person polite? I don’t know about you, but politeness always works with me. A person could probably tell me to go jump off a cliff, and if it was said with a smile and polite demeanor, I would probably at least take a look at the ledge. Politeness includes good grammar and pleasant respectful tone of voice and demeanor.

Is this person technically adept? There is nothing more irritating to me than a receptionist that mistakenly hangs up on me, or leaves me on hold for more than 1 minute. Another receptionist sin is sending a potential customer call to the wrong person. Doing any of the above wastes your sales and marketing efforts and can cast your business in a bad light.

Does the potential receptionist know the area? This is a very important skill when potential customers are trying to find your business. A good interview question for a receptionist might be “describe to a lost but important potential customer how to arrive at our location.” If he/she can do that, you have a potential winner!

Finally, many customer service trainers will counsel new customer service representatives to smile while they are on the phone. Some companies like GE buy mirrors for representatives, so that customer service people can check to see if they are smiling. It helps to keep a pleasant attitude especially if they are primarily on the telephone which is a main job function of the company receptionist.

Try these tips next time you are looking for a potential receptionist and may your find a winner!

How to get paid for the products you sell

April 2, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Many business owners bemoan the situation that they have made many sales but have little money to show for them. They then continue that it takes forever to be paid for their product. When this happens, it is good to question “are my invoices going out correctly, and do they match what is on the customers purchase order?”

Professional commercial credit people call this controlling the front end of the accounts receivable. This is how you can trouble shoot like a senior commercial credit analyst and get your small company paid in a timelier manner.

When you take on a new customer, you as the small business owner need to read the purchase order. Make special note of things like freight, terms of payment, billing address, part identification numbers, and purchase order numbers. Persons not directly involved with procurement in their companies might tell your company sales personnel a great many things (well meaning), but these practices will only slow your invoices from being paid, or may get the invoice sent back to your business for correction and clarification (this restarts the payment clock). If the practice continues, this makes your accounts receivable department work harder and eventually expand, making the business less profitable! Here are some simple ideas to help your business avoid the pitfalls:

1) On freight, always offer collect the customers carrier-not pre-paid and add (this can trip an audit from the customers freight department).
2) On terms of payment, make sure they match or call the buyer to get them changed if possible.
3) On part identification numbers, make sure they match.
4) On the billing address, if this does not say attention accounts payable begin to question sales and customer service people.
5) On the purchase order, check the number to make sure it’s correct. If it is a blanket purchase order number, It will need a unique release number.

Doing these small inspections can help your small business collect its receivable more quickly. It can make your invoices go through your customer’s accounts payable with a minimum of inspection, and your accounts receivable not have to collect it. This means more profit for your business!

Smart Business Guys-What Goes Around

March 22, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

I have used the same auto-mechanics since 1986 when my wife and I arrived in Cincinnati. The two men, I‘ll call Dan & Dave are famous for giving courteous, excellent, and honest service. Furthermore, they don’t “go looking” for problems, but point out any need for maintenance, but you as the customer always feel in control. I was bragging about them to a friend who was telling me about his excellent auto mechanics, and we found out we were talking about the same place!

These guys know more than just about cars. They know a good deal about business. I found this out when my son total my Toyota Echo, and I started looking for a car with the settlement money. Wow, what a nightmare dealing with used car lots, and I am not talking about the large auto-mall type dealer, I am talking a couple of tiers down. I finally blurted out to Dan and Dave do you guys have anything? They said, “actually we do.” We take cars from time to time and fix them up to sell, but we’re not really looking to make much money off them. What we are really doing is keeping the guys in our shop working during some slow times. That way they keep their hours (and pay) up, and we don’t have them out looking for a new employer. It costs a lot to recruit, test out, and retain a good employee. If that guy walks for a better deal, it hurts our shop. Plus it keeps good customers coming back to us when they know we’ve serviced a certain car for years.

This is pure HR-PR genius! By treating everyone right: their customer, their employees, and themselves, Dan & Dave have created a win-win-win scenario! They balanced HR with PR. There’s an old saying, “what goes around comes around.” I truly believe in business this is a basic fundamental truth. Dan & Dave have been doing it right for a long time, and it is no coincidence that their lot is always full of cars and their office full of satisfied customers.

Firing Bad Customers

January 9, 2009 by John Beagle 1 Comment

Sometimes, when customers are excessively rude, tell half truths and run up costs because of being a ‘high maintenance’ customer, we fire them.

Just fired a customer today. I thought he was going to jump through the phone and choke me. Good thing is was a phone firing.

I think in the long run we are better off because we will be able to dedicate resources to more productive clients and projects.

Still I struggle with any client loss. In these tough times, firing a customer is something that on the surface seems to fly in the face of logic.

The Death of the Yellow Pages

November 2, 2008 by Etha Walters 1 Comment

I reached and picked up my newly installed ringing phone the other day and I looked at the caller ID and it was a local number. So I clicked it on and said my “hello?” and the small voice of an older woman said “Heather?” I got halfway through “I’m sorry, you have the…” and I heard a click! She had hung up on me. I frowned for a moment thinking of my years of customer service and how social rudeness had become one of my biggest pet peeves. It only takes a moment to be polite I thought. I looked at the ID again musing at the thought of calling the lady back and giving her a lesson in proper telephone etiquette. It probably didn’t occur to her that I could call her back. I had another call an hour later a very nice customer service rep was on the line congratulating me on being entered into a sweepstakes that was supposed to be a “no purchase necessary” and she started on a script about magazines. Before she got too far I said, “Excuse me, but I just bought a house and my budget doesn’t allow purchases at this time.” I heard a click. The 800 number was on my caller ID and she had told me up front her name was “Julie” and her operator number. I had the ability to call her back too.

Looking for businesses or people has far evolved the phone book and operators. With caller ID’s you know who is calling you, and with search engines you can find the people and businesses you need. No one wants to strain their back picking up the phonebook when they can go to yellow pages on line or search locally through websites like Yahoo or MSN. As a matter of fact, studies show 2008was the first time, search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN were the leading source of information for local customers. This not only changes the face of communications but it also changes the direction of advertising. Advertising on the web is more economical than print and there are many local directories where you can list your small business for free. Other things to consider with yellow page advertising vs. Internet are:

– Usability – In a culture of internet read cell phones and laptop computers you can find the business you are looking for from any location. No hunting down big bulky books and then returning them to the phone booth or receptionist. All the information you need is right at your finger tips with a map for directions to boot.

– As a business owner why would you want to give your prospects a detailed list of you and your competitors, including their addresses and phone numbers? That is exactly what the Yellow Pages do. Using search engines, you have the opportunity to differentiate yourself from everyone else and help you stand out to the ideal client. You want them to find you, not all your competitors.

– Search engines now have the ability to determine where the search is coming from. It can target way down to a city, zip or area code. With a defined geographic area, you have an incredible opportunity to be the top firm that comes up when people use a search engine for services in your area.

Despite the long years of trusted service that the yellow pages has offered its customers and will remain to do so I anticipate, for many years to come, the times they are a changing and so are the needs of subscribers. The Yellow Pages still offers a little more than nostalgia and the embracing of more technical tools has been a slow evolvement so I would say the Yellow Pages are still alive but wounded.

By the way… remember the older woman that hung up on me the other day? My phone rang again last night and I smirked when I looked at the caller ID. It read “Heather” so I picked up the phone and said “hello?” and this young lady said, “Is Travis there?” I replied “I’m sorry, you have the wrong number.” She answered, “Ok, Thank you. Have a nice evening. Goodbye.” I said, “You too. Goodbye” and then she hung up and I smiled. Some things should never die.