Keeping more clients with better customer service
Keeping more clients with better customer service One thing we have to keep in the forefront of our minds as our business begins to grow is the power of customer service. After all, we are all in the business of fixing problems. Every client you have right now is your client because he or she had a problem and you fixed it, simply put. Never thought of it that way, this fact is true, and the reason you are reading this right now is, there is something you want to do better, or want to begin doing so in essence you are looking for a solution as all your clients are, when they call you. If we can remember this from the company level then we will look at customer complaints from a different perspective. When a customer complains, about a service or product, he/she does not really care about your product or service, what they care about is the problem they were, having in the first place that is as of yet unresolved. Your client has made a purchase from you, for you to fix there particular problem and your solution has come up short. The only thing that the client is looking for is to have his original problem fixed. Below is and example of customer service explained and how it has saved one client and created an onslaught of referrals from this client. Let us assume one of our clients calls in and begins to complain about how long it took our company to repair his pc. He also tells us there is another company online that does remote support and they have a 24×7 30 sec response time. In addition, it took us 1 hour to respond and 15 minutes for repair. So what do we do, the product he purchased (DirectTek core) clearly states response time to calls are 2-4 hours and our (DirectTek pro) has a 30 second response time and repairs average 8 minutes. Clearly, our client has purchased the wrong product and what he is upset about is the solution we presented does not fit his needs. The biggest mistake we could make at this point is putting the blame on the client. We could tell him that when we presented our solution to you, it was your company that chose the core product; furthermore, our response times are clearly indicated. We would be right in telling him that but we would probably be with one less client. Instead, we choose to use the opportunity as an up sell versus a loss of a client. we would tell the client in this example, “Sir we are sorry we did not live up to your expectations, but we do have a product that is better suited to you needs and at this time we would like to offer you our DirectTek pro. This solution will resolve your downtime issues and due to you being unsatisfied with our other product we will offer it to you at a 10% discount rate with one month free”. For us to do this our profit margin on that sale will be less then usual. We also have to give him a month free (more loss) but remember the client has already purchased the first product(profit) now he purchases a second product (profit) and he will tell his colleagues about how great our company is, (word of mouth) all in all I think the customer service went a long way. Good customer service does not have to be performed only in the face of problems though. One of the most profitable forms of customer service comes in the form of cross selling. Let’s use our insurance broker as an example. One of our clients (Associated Management) implemented a cross sale, customer service plan here’s how it works. They specialize in worker’s compensation they also carry automobile, fleet, and life insurance. They implemented a customer service call center which would call there existing customer to make sure they were happy with there current insurance solutions. They then began the up sell process of explaining to them the discount they would receive by converting there fleet, life and automobile insurance over to them. As well as making it more convenient to the client by having to only, keep track of one company instead of dealing with multiple companies. It lead to an 11.3% increase in revenue (recently implemented give us some time) Conclusion: Stay in the business of fixing problems and you will stand a better chance of staying in business.12 Years as an I.T. professional, jobs involve but not limited to Help Desk manager,Jr Admin, Sr.Admin,MIS Director,MIS Account Manager/purchaser,Technical Outsource Coordinator,Software Trainer,Network Design. Currently I.T. Consultant
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Free Credit Card Merchant Account
If you have been doing business for a few years, you probably have heard about the benefits of opening a free credit card merchant account to expand the availability of your products and services. However, there are so many banks and other financial institutions competing for your business that you may be unsure which one to partner with in this exciting venture. One attractive option is to look for a free credit card merchant account offer. Applying for a merchant account is easy and often can be handled online in a few moments’ time. However, it may be difficult to know which bank to choose. One may offer a lower transaction fee for credit card processing. Another may vie for your business by offering a no-fee installation of credit card processing equipment. But you could benefit more from a free credit card merchant account if the card does not come with hidden fees or limits. Start by shopping for a merchant account with banks that offer low-interest rate credit cards or a no-rate credit card merchant account. If your favorite bank does not currently offer this type of deal, ask about one. Perhaps they will consider offering you a special deal if you are a valued customer. Otherwise, when considering a merchant account credit card from a relatively unknown institution, compare the terms of the card to those from other banks to make sure you get the best deal. Sometimes a “free” credit card deal may actually hide or incur unexpected costs. For example, while you may not have to pay any up front costs when opening the account, like an application fee, you may be billed later for an annual membership fee that entitles you to use the credit card. Failing to pay this fee may result in the cancellation of your credit privileges. A free credit card merchant account should be free in every sense of its use, so ask about contingency fees or possible changes in terms later on as the economy shifts. You don’t want to get comfortable using the card only to find in a few months that you are being billed for services you did not expect to pay for. A free credit card merchant account can be just the thing to launch you into e-commerce use, however. You can use your credit account to purchase credit card processing equipment or other innovations that will upgrade your company’s image to impress customers and draw in new clients. Or you can use your free credit card merchant account to experiment with other marketing techniques, attend conventions, or try a new line of merchandise or services. If you have demonstrated skill in using business credit responsibly and in keeping with your business income and expenses, this type of credit card account may be just what you need to move your business forward and expand company interests or operations for your customers’ benefit. Check out all the terms and conditions when you apply to get the best free credit card merchant account. Shane Penrod is the founder of Merchant-Acount-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account rates and fees, please go to <a href="http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com" target="_blank">http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com</a>
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