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Service and Etiquette Tips for SMBs

April 25, 2019 by Robert Beagle Leave a Comment

small business owner and team

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.

No Smoking Or Vaping Sign

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.

small and medium sized business

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.

Posted in: SMB, SMB Advice Tagged: client interactions, Customer Service, etiquette, medium business, small business, small enterprise, SMB, SME

New Year’s Resolutions for Small Businesses

December 20, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment
New Years Resolutions 2019

Running your own business brings with it a lot of pride and the ability to set your own course – but it also brings a lot of stress and anxiety. Your own financial well-being and that of your employees is on your shoulders at all times. As we head into the new year, here are three New Year’s resolutions you can make to help your small business grow and succeed in the new year.

Managed antivirus solutions

Do you need a managed antivirus solution? Yes.

 

Considering that more than 60 percent of small businesses that have been hacked or the victims of viruses go out of business within six months, topping your list of New Year’s resolutions for your small business should be protecting your computers and servers from viruses and malicious activity that can seriously impact your ability to do business.

An agile and reliable antivirus program can protect your business from intrusions, alerting you to potential threats, and preventing your computers and network from receiving malicious software, viruses, malware, and ransomware. Unlike unmanaged software-based antivirus programs, a managed solution makes sure that your system is free from risks.

Instead of leaving the vital protection of your network to a random staff member, our IT security professionals are able to focus on keeping your business secure. Computer Service Now provides industry-leading virus and malware protection, making sure that your antivirus solutions are active and that your subscriptions remain current.

Make education a priority

Staying up to date with the latest industry knowledge and trends is key to remaining on top of your game. Take advantage of online educational opportunities, conferences, and seminars to help keep yourself and your team competitive. No matter your industry, a quick Google search is sure to return a plethora of training and educational events across the country.

Save money and rent your technology for training classes

Want to conduct a company-wide training off-site? Rentacomputer.com’s experts can help you with all of your computer, tablet, iPad, and other business meeting needs. No matter where your event is, Rentacomputer.com can help. Get a quote for all your equipment needs today!

Install or upgrade your security cameras

Security cameras can help you identify everyday lapses in protocols that undermine the integrity of your safety program. Catching these slips allows you to prevent injuries and helps remind employees that safety is a priority for your company. Additionally, security cameras can help you identify areas where additional precautions are needed or specific groups of employees that could benefit from additional safety training. Not only will you be more compliant with OSHA and industry regulatory standards, but you’ll also be able to minimize injuries to employees that can lead to lost productivity for your company.

Upgrade your surveillance system

Camera Security Now is a leader in the workplace security camera industry and can provide long-term storage for all of your workplace security video for reference, training, and compliance purposes. We offer motion detecting, infrared, fisheye 360º, and Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras and cameras with audio recording abilities. Our expert technicians will install all of your equipment and can answer any questions your IT department may have. Get a quote for all of your workplace safety and security camera needs.

Make the most of your new year

New Years Resolutions 2019

Running an SMB can be a challenge. SMB Now provides tips, expert advice, and information about the services 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 the discussion by commenting below.

Posted in: Medium Business, New Years Resolutions, Small Business, SMB Tagged: 2019, conferences, Managed antivirus, medium business, New Years, online education, OSHA, safety, Security Cameras, seminars, small business, SMB, SME

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