Blue Print For Customer Service by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Is there a blue print for amazing customer service? If so what would it look like?

 For businesses to survive whether they are brick and mortar or online they must create amazing customer experiences.

I have been buying groceries at Farm Fresh Grocery Store in Poquoson, Virginia for several years. Their cooked food department has amazing customer service and their customers keep returning for their tasty food and line up to buy their freshly cooked products daily.

What makes this store so special?

The Manager and assistant cooks know me by name and I know each of them by name. We have a "relationship". Customers enjoy buying from people they like and trust. Friendly helpful sales service makes your customer feel special!

We ask about each other's families and they are willing and happy to spent a few seconds talking to you. The employees are not only knowledgeable about the layout of the store they are eager to help you find something. They are also quick to engage you in conversation if you look like you have had a hard day at work. They are eager to offer a caring ear and other times point out a bright spot that you hadn't recognized.

They care.

Happy customers tell their friends and neighbors about their experience. Word- of - mouth sales will continue to be the top generator of business in any business. Creating a fantastic customer experience primes the pump for telling their friends and neighbors about their experience.

The chef is quick to tell me "I just made up some fresh roasted chicken, Madeline, you owe it to yourself to try some."

When you make your selection they will wrap it up or if they have run out of it, will tell you it will take 10-15 minutes for them to cook up your selection and to please continue shopping and they will have it prepared for you when you return.

What are the three steps for your blue print to have amazing customer service at your business?

1) Hire for attitude. Your salespersons must have a positive attitude and smile at their customers. They are friendly and have a caring attitude, know their customers names, and truly care how their customers are. Your salespersons are personable and they enjoy their job.

2) Your salesperson "listens" to what you customers want and need to know about your products and then tells your customer the benefits of each product and the cost.

3) Your salesperson is passionate and knowledgeable about what they are selling and knows everything about the products they sell. They enjoy helping their customers solve their problems and become friends and as expert, Jeffrey Gitomer says become a "trusted adviser" to them.

By following this three step blue print for amazing customer service there will be a line of customers waiting to do business with you.

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

Excellent Customer Experiences During Difficult Times by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Does your customer service need improvement? For a brick and mortar business to survive they need to give their customers “excellent custom experiences” today and tomorrow. 

When a business or organization is pushed to the limits and challenges everything they are doing, this is called “Red Teaming” or Stress testing.  In retail business, cyber, military or any other type of business; saying you perform well under stress is different than actually doing it. It’s time to take your blinders off and look at the situation you are in.

Macy's "secret shopping" excursion:

Bryce Hoffman, author of "Red Teaming: How Your Business Can Conquer the Competition by Challenging Everything", made a surprise visit to Macy's in March 2017 after the new CEO took command and had begun his restructuring plan which included reducing the sales staff at Macy's.

Mr. Hoffman went shopping at Macy's and wanted to ask a salesperson about one of their products. He looked for a salesperson for 10 minutes. When he could not find anyone to answer his question he left the store.

The most important rule for your salesperson is to be available, on time, have a positive attitude and be there to answer your customer's questions. If you are understaffed, focus on teaching your staff to recognize people who are wandering around looking for something, and what to do when they encounter them.

(At the very least have a bell or buzzer at your customer service desk so your customers can reach your salesperson.)

What are the three ways of creating "excellent customer experiences" in your business?

1. Choose and train your sales persons to be on time, to be dependable, to have a positive attitude, to be tuned in to the needs of your customers. Have a bell at the desk, if you are short help, so customers can ring for assistance.

2. Your salesperson listens to what your customer's want and need for your products to do and shares the benefits of each product including the price. Your salesperson has the solution to your customer's problem.

3. Your salesperson has a passion and knowledge for your products and happily shares them with your customers. Your salesperson knows everything about these products and when your salesperson makes a promise they keep it!

As Jeffrey Gitomer, sales expert says, your salesperson is your "trusted adviser."

To keep your brick and mortar business surviving, create excellent customer experiences, by training your salespersons to be on time, dependable, have a positive attitude, to be personable, trustworthy, knowledgeable about your product, and to listen and want to help your customers. Your salespersons are passionate about your products and enjoy helping their customers solve their problems.

Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

How to Give Positive Feedback by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

 Many years ago, author, Ted Engstrom wrote about the University of Wisconsin's "group of brilliant young men who had amazing creative literary talent.”  These students were essayists, novelists, and poets. “They were extraordinary in their ability to put the English language to its best use" and met often to evaluate "each other’s work.”

Engstrom said, they “were merciless with one another dissecting the most minute literary expression into a hundred pieces. They were heartless, tough, even mean in their criticism.” They named their group "the Stranglers.” They strangled all the hopes and dreams they each had to be writers.

At the university the young women who had literary talent began their own  group calling it the "Wranglers". "They read their works to one another. But there was one great difference. The criticism was much softer, more positive, more encouraging. Sometimes, there was almost no criticism at all. Every effort was encouraged.”

Study Done 20 Years Later:

A study was done twenty years later by an alumnus who wanted to do a “study of his classmates’ careers” . He discovered none of the Stranglers   made any “literary accomplishment”. They had all given up on writing!

"From the Wranglers had come six or more successful writers, some of national renown such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who wrote The Yearling.”

In looking at the education of both groups, he found them to be equal. Ted Engstrom  “concluded, the Stranglers strangled, while the Wranglers highlighted the best, not the worst.”

Words are powerful, choose the wrong ones, and they can hurt and destroy. That's what the Stranglers did! They acted like a bunch of bullies demoralizing each others work until all the members gave up on their writing!

Choosing positive words motivates others:

The Wranglers chose words that inspired, encouraged, and motivated their members to continue writing and being creative.

 Toastmasters clubs give positive evaluations :

At Toastmasters clubs, we learn to help our members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Constructive feedback is given in a positive friendly atmosphere on prepared speeches. Evaluators listen carefully to the speaker they are evaluating and tell them what they have done well to build the speakers confidence, and then make one suggestion that they can improve. Every person needs positive encouragement to motivate and inspire them to the next level of their journey.

What 5 ways can you encourage and empower others to be good wranglers/ good finders to family, friends, and your fellow employees?

  1)  Ask them about their families, their hopes, challenges, and dreams. Show interest in them and want to know all about them.

  2)  Matt McWilliams, online marketing expert, says “Use the four magic words: I believe in you. Take the time to tell your team, your friends, your family, and your followers that you believe in your abilities and that you are confident that they will succeed.”

   3)  Written words of praise last a lifetime!

When did you last thank someone who helped you in some way? (Your mentor, parent, grandparent, coach, teacher, boss.) Did you write them a note of thanks, or send them a text to tell them thank them? If they are no longer with you on earth, write a blog on the net memorializing their work with you.

President Abraham Lincoln when he died had 8 newspaper clippings in his pocket on the positive things written about him during his re-election campaign. He had read and re-read these   newspaper clippings many times, to remind him of the nice things they had written about him.  During his presidency he was maligned many times by the newspapers.

When Mark Eklund, a young soldier, died in Vietnam, he had two well-worn sheets of paper in his pocket that he had read and re-read many times. On the two sheets were “all the good things" his classmates had written about him when he was in the eighth grade. ("All the Good Things" by Sister Helen P. Mrosla.) Written words of praise last a lifetime!

   4)   When you speak about your employees, your children, your spouse or sibling in public, praise them to others. When you are speaking to a team member at work and are talking about another team member say something positive about them. Build others up by building on their strengths.

  5) Chris Martin,Author Development Specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources, say, “Listen to others’ concerns and ask how you can help. One of the best ways to earn the ears of others is by learning to use your own. When you use your ears and listen to the concerns of others, you tell them that what preoccupies them matters to you, and even if you can’t do anything about it you care.” Stop talking and listen to others.

Every person needs positive encouragement to motivate, encourage, and inspire them to the next level of their journey through life. The Wranglers  encouraged and motivated their members by giving them positive feedback. Just like Toastmasters, - leaders who are wranglers/ good finders begin with, what their team members/employees did well, and demonstrate how to correct what needs improvement. 

Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an award winning teacher, Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes a monthly newsletter "Madeline's Monthly article & Musical Tips Blog" and a monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show". Her book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available anywhere books are sold. Contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com