repost from latinbusinesstoday.com

Customer Service Still Matters Because:

 A.  People Remember Bad Service.

When people experience bad service, they usually will remember it enough not to give the company a second shot! Do you really have the luxury to lose customers in this competitive marketplace.

     B.  It Makes Your Business Look Bad.

Even if the owner is not the one that provided the bad service, every person on your team represents the company to the customer. Someone hired the individual (s) and thought they were a good match for the company. So the message a customer gets is either “this company cares about its customers” or they don’t.

     C.  It Brings the “You Care” Message to Life.   

When customers have a first rate experience they can’t help to receive the subliminal message that you have taken the time to train your team in what is important to you.

      D.  It Gives People A Good Reason to Talk About You.

People will talk about you anyway. Make sure it’s good because good means more people will buy your products or come to your establishment. Bad means they will cross you off the “must check out” list or never put you on that list to begin with.

I tell my students in business entrepreneurship courses that book knowledge is nothing if it never leaves the classroom and becomes lived knowledge.

Perhaps you are a Latino business owner and have already received notice from customers or employees that something is amiss in your establishment; or maybe you’ve never made it a point to evaluate.

Here are some things you can do to turn the tide around.

     A.  Give customers a way to give you feedback fast. 

Do you have a way for customers to tell you about their experience? Perhaps an app with a “tell us about your experience today?” and built in loyalty points for a % off next visit, an incentive program that rewards those who give you feedback?

     B.  Reward the employees that are exemplifying what you want to see in your company. 

What gets rewarded gets repeated. An atta boy or atta girl only goes so far.

Can you give the employees who showcase the values of your customer service pillars best some comp time, a higher discount on goods, dinner for two on you?

      C.  Make customer service training a part of your organizational culture. 

New hires as well as those who have been in your company for a few years should be trained continually, perhaps new hire orientation and once a year team gatherings.

Training should not only on the service you wish to see but on how great customer service builds a business and thus increase jobs and promotions. Show them how it is a win/win for everyone to be on the same page when it comes to customer service.

The single most important focus of your Latino-owned business is to deliver an amazing experience for your customer. That’s it. There is nothing else more important than making sure every memory of you by your customer is one of delight.

If you don’t deliver on that, you might not be in business long even if you had the initial support of the Latino community.  I know I won’t be returning to that restaurant and I don’t even think they care. Yes, customer service STILL MATTERS!