EIG Newsletter
Volume 2, Number 6 – November, December, 2002
Greetings and
welcome to the latest edition of the newsletter. We are now up to 3,000 plus
subscribers in 54 countries, and we are honored to have you all aboard. Thank
you so much to all of you who have referred or passed on the newsletter to your
family, friends and colleagues at work.
You will notice a
slight change in the design of the newsletter. I hope you like it and would
welcome your feedback. Also, if for any reason you would like to continue to
receive the newsletter without the color banner, let me know and I will place
you on a separate list. You can e-mail us at info@cmarcus.com
I would like to say
a special hello to all the new friends I have made internationally in my
speaking engagements these last couple of months, and thank you again to all
the wonderful organizations who have brought me in to speak to their people. I
would love to come and speak to your group in 2003, wherever in the world you
maybe. Please contact me personally and let us discuss ways to work together to
make it a reality. You can e-mail me at charles@cmarcus.com
Wishing you all happy holidays. See you in 2003!!
In This Edition
THE
6 DEFINITIVE LAWS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE
Today, just delivering customer service is not
enough. It takes a lot more to win the heart, mind and loyalty of your
customer. You have to work hard to build
trust with your customer, you have to work harder to nurture the win-win
relationship, and your entire focus needs to be on making your customers and
clients feel so important and special that they would not want to go anywhere
else; then, and only then, will they go beyond just wanting your product or
service to recommending and introducing you to others as well. Customer
satisfaction and retention is the key to keeping and growing your organization
or business. Customer service is not a
choice in today’s highly competitive world, it is a necessity. It is a
commitment to excellence every time you pick up that phone, try to sell your
product or service, speak to the customer, or answer your customer’s questions
or concerns. Customer service is how you present yourself in both formal and
informal settings.
Here are six things I believe are the “definitive
laws” when it comes to putting on the customer service hat.
When I went in to business for the
first time many years ago in the U.K. owning my first modest hairdressing
salon, my father gave me some good advice, he told me these very simple but so
true words: “Be in business for your customers”, he said, “Look after your
customers and they will look after you”. He was a small business owner in
Manchester, and lived by these words himself. They proved true for him and for
me. I believe these words ring true if
your business is small or your company big. Service is service, no matter the
size. Thanks for the wise words dad!
It is not how well you think you
are doing that counts, it is how well your customer thinks you are doing!! Please remember that, and solicit, encourage
and seek out feedback at every opportunity. And act on your customer’s
recommendations.
Treat every person as you would
like to be treated, with the same respect and dignity. Do not pre-judge people because of their
appearance or demeanor, and be on 100% at all times. Take a moment to pack away
any baggage you might have from outside or even inside your work environment
before you face the customer.
It truly is all about
relationships. That old saying: if people do not like, trust, or respect you,
they will not do business with you, is so true. Today few people have a product
or service that no one else has and this is a very competitive market place;
building life long relationships with your customers is imperative and makes
good business sense.
We all like to talk, but being a
good listener is sometimes another matter.
Show empathy and compassion at all times, listen to your customer’s
point of view at all times, and most of all, do not interrupt them when they
are talking or become defensive. Follow the 80/20 rule: talk 20% of the time
and listen 80% of the time. Dale Carnegie said: “You will make more friends in
two weeks by being interested in other people, than you will in two years by
trying to get other people interested in you”
Always respect and appreciate your
valued customers and clients. Keep in touch with them. You can never say thank
you enough for their business. Let them know you care about them, and never
underestimate the power of a smile, saying please and thank you, a sincere
compliment, a hand written note. Never take your customer for granted and they
will stay loyal to you.
“ There is only one boss: the
customer. And he can fire everybody in the company. From the chairman on down,
simply by spending his money somewhere else”
Sam Walton, Founder Of Wal-Mart.
DAVE THOMAS: The Genius Behind Wendy’s.
He was an orphan who become a multi millionaire, a
high school dropout whose dream of running a family-style restaurant grew into
North America’s third-largest burger chain.
Dave Thomas was always on our T.V. screens it seemed,
at least here in North America. He looked just like a regular guy, someone you
would be proud to have as your dad or favorite uncle. In fact, he was deemed
“cool” because he was so anti-cool. In a culture of glitz, glamour, trends and
gimmicks, Dave Thomas and his Wendy commercials stood out for simplicity,
unpretentious, good old-fashioned values and honesty.
Born July 2, 1932, In Atlanta, Georgia, he was
adopted at 6 weeks by Rex and Auleva Thomas of Michigan. His adoptive mother
died when he was just 5, and he spent the next 10 years moving from city to city
as his father searched for work. Dave landed his first job working the counter
at a Knoxville, Tennessee restaurant and fell in love with the business. At 15, he found work at the Hobby House
Restaurant in Fort Wayne, Ind. When his father pulled up stakes again Dave
stayed behind, quit high school and moved into a room at the YMCA. While
working at the Hobby Horse restaurant Thomas met Colonel Harland Sanders, who
later went on to fame and fortune as the owner of the Kentucky Fried Chicken
Chain. Colonel Sanders became a very big
influence on Dave Thomas’s life.
In 1969 Thomas founded Wendy’s Old Fashioned
Hamburgers. From that first small restaurant back in 1969 his vision has grown
to 5,700 locations in 34 countries operating now under Wendy’s Restaurants. Thomas differentiated his chain from the
competition by emphasizing fresh, not frozen beef patties shaped in squares.
When once asked why the hamburgers were square, Thomas replied: “Because we
don’t cut corners”. That revealed much about the man and his approach to life.
People said about him that he was great at
identifying with people, building relationships, just being honest, down to
earth, no hype, what you see, is what you get. In Grade 10 before he dropped
out of school Thomas wrote in an essay that defined his philosophy to his dying
day: “If you’re happier driving a truck than being a president of a bank, drive
a truck, the main thing in life is to be happy.” Dave Thomas lived and enjoyed life to the
fullest.
Dropping out of high school remained his biggest
regret, and to his great credit he went back to school 45 years later, already
a multi millionaire and a household name. When he graduated from Coconut Creek
High School in Fort Lauderdale he was voted “most likely to succeed” by his
classmates.
He died earlier this year at the age of 69 after a
lengthy battle with liver cancer. He left behind an $8 billion dollar a year
empire. Not bad for a kid who dropped out of high school.
Dave Thomas will be sadly missed; he was one of life’s
genuine good guys, a very caring and generous man who in 1992 founded the Dave
Thomas Foundation in an effort to improve orphaned children’s chances of
finding a home. He never forgot where he came from. We could all learn much from his work ethic
and simple approach to life and business success. Do what you love and love
what you do…
Your Road Map To Success by John Maxwell
In a refreshingly straightforward style, best-selling
author John Maxwell shares unique insights in to what it means to be
successful, and he reveals a definition that puts genuine success within your
reach yet motivates you to keep striving for your dreams.
The Little Book Of Business Wisdom edited by Peter Krass
Imagine if the world’s great business leaders, past
and present were there to coach you whenever you faced a crucial business
decision. This book is a tremendous resource and will help you get ahead in
business.
The Customer Driven Company by Richard C. Whiteley
This is not a new book, but I came across it
recently. It is one of the all time classics and bestseller on customer
service. This is a great read with lots of good information and as the sub
title says, it’s about: “Moving from Talk to Action.”
“ When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things-not the great occasions that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness” Bob Hope
“ Persistence takes a focus that doesn’t see the obstacles, but only the opportunity”
Doug Firebaugh
“ Don’t wait. The time will never be just right” Napoleon Hill
Have you missed earlier editions of the EIG newsletter? All previous editions are available on our website: www.cmarcus.com through the "Articles" page.
Charles Marcus is a professional speaker. He works internationally with companies and associations who want to inspire excellence in their people and that want to win the heart, mind and loyalty of their customers. For more information on how Charles and one /or more of his customized programs can add value to your upcoming conference or event, please contact his office as indicated below.
Charles is also available for telephone consultations and for personal coaching. For further information on how these services can work for you, please contact him directly
To Book Charles for your future convention, sales meeting, retreat, customer appreciation day or important event please contact him personally at:
Telephone: 416-490-6744
Fax: 416-490-6344
Email: charles@cmarcus.com
Website: www.cmarcus.com
Copyright 2002 Charles M. Marcus: All rights worldwide reserved
Permission is granted to reproduce this newsletter in whole or in part provided the following byline below appears along with the article and that a copy is sent to me after publication. Thank you: To check previous issues for publication, please go to www.cmarcus.com and click on articles/newsletters.
Charles Marcus is an international speaker. To subscribe to his FREE personal and professional development newsletter, please send an email to info@cmarcus.com with the word SUBSCRIBE. An electronic copy will be sent out to you every two months. For more information on how Charles and his programs can benefit your organization or group, please call 416-490-6744, email charles@cmarcus.com or visit his website: www.cmarcus.com
Copyright 2002. All rights worldwide reserved.
Please rest assured that your name and email will NEVER be sold or shared with another. It will remain private. If you would like to share this newsletter with a friend or colleague, please do so by sending an email message to info@cmarcus.com with their email address and the word SUBSCRIBE. We will add them to the list for future editions.
Please DO NOT FORGET to notify us of any change in your e-mail address
We appreciate and welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please send a message with your comments to info@cmarcus.com