Showing posts with label don't for business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label don't for business. Show all posts

Wednesday

Do's and Dont's of Business & Customer Service – My View



This past week, I had a phone call from a business I have been doing business with since it started.  The business was beauty and spa treatment one. The phone call was from the women that run it for an owner that has just changed. The women saw that I had an appointment this weekend and called me to let me know the new owner was no longer honouring the membership I bought in May 2013. I was using the membership, so it was active, and as you can see by the date, it was current as well as it’s only the beginning of August. The membership deal the woman was talking about was a membership which was $200 for $400 worth of product of services. I have been steadily using the membership as the limit was down from $400 to $250 in a few months. However, none of the customers knew about the business being sold nor about the new owner not honouring the memberships until customers either came out of having the appointment finished or making a further appointment. I only knew about these happenings because of them seeing my name and knowing that I have a membership.  How poor and sad of a new business owner to not honour a steady base of customers? 

My tips on owning a new business

Visit the intended business

Upon talking to the new owner, he kept talking about not knowing about the memberships and because they didn’t know they aren’t libel for them. Well, if they would have done a bit of knowledge searching of the business, questioning either in person or over the phone, then they would know what the score is. Anyone can ask those types of questions, so there was no cause in tipping anyone off about the purchase in case anyone decides to go ahead or not go ahead. 

Ask about literature about the business & communications with customers

Before the new people took over the business, we had monthly or at the very least quarterly, newsletters sent to us. These were just a small reminder on products and services, deals and other new and interesting information. If the new owners would have just asked about seeing any of these, then they would have known about the memberships and vouchers. 

Ask questions to the customers of the business

I know many people were using memberships and vouchers of the business, especially if they have been long term customers. My husband’s been getting me vouchers for massages for the last 3 years, which I love, through the business and that also promotes the business again. 

Follow the business through Social Media

Social media is free. All the apps, websites, and information contained are free. No one has to know who you are – you just have to search for the business name. Most businesses have an online presence now because it’s easier to promote and for people to forward and spread the word about your products and services. 

Search for a website

Even through the lowest and smallest businesses have websites. It’s one of your main marketing areas and after the set-up, usually the modifications are cheap, so it’s pretty cost effective because of the customers it will bring in.

Use the services or products of the intended business

This seems almost like a no brainer, but believe it or not, the new owner didn’t do even use the services or products of the business.  I know if I were to buy a business, I would be checking out the people pretty thoroughly as they are what you are going to be basing your imagine and quality upon, so why wouldn’t you? 

Take a business course and learn terms and conditions

When I speak to management about how they handle certain terms and conditions, and it’s usually an interesting conversation. Owners don’t understand that when a customer pays for a membership, voucher, products and services, they are actually entering a contract with the place in business. In my current circumstances, the new owner is still under the misunderstanding that I have a contract/agreement with the old owner – I don’t. My agreement/contract is with the business whoever the owner is and not with whomever owns the business. 
 
What you don’t do if you are going into business

Don’t lie to your customers – be truthful

I know I have caught owners of businesses out either in marketing, online or social media documentation and I have made them match what they said. If they put it in writing, then they have to stand by it. Most countries have a customer protection agency to protect us as a customer. If the business doesn’t stand by it, and you have tried to get them to stand by it and they won’t, exercise your rights and report them. I don’t like people who lie. Liars have not use to me and aren’t worth the time and energy. 

Stand by your advertising material

As I stated above, if your material online or off stays something standby it. Don’t take the money for the service if you’re not going to produce the goods or services. Again, see my comment above about the protection agency. 

Know your products and services that are offered 

There’s nothing worse than owning a business and not knowing what’s going on within it. If you have to test out a service or product do that before you offer it to customers. Besides, make sure that the new or modified product or services are at level with the current standards of all of the other products and services – how are you going to know unless you’ve been there? 

Accuse customers of things

I have actually had employees of business accuse me of being late, not knowing what I was talking about and even of being dumb because they had such bad procedures and follow through that they didn’t know when I, as a customer, had an appointment for. For instance, I had an appointment for a few days before Easter. Upon me arriving at the store, I went to open the door and found it locked and dark. I called and left a message about it. Days later I got an irritated call because I never showed up for an appointment. She called me a range of things but one of them was dumb and not knowing what I was talking about. 

There are probably more tips of what to do and not to do in a business, but I had to stop somewhere didn’t I? Let me know what other tips you have for businesses?

Customer Service


One thing I cannot fault with the business, I had the dealings with this week, is with the actual employees which are performing the work. These people in each instance are hard workers and know what they are doing, and make the experience great. When you can walk away from a business or an appointment feeling great and like something worked, it’s a plus and needs to be rewarded.
Customer service is not easy. I’ve been in many of these types of jobs and, at times, can be one of the most challenging areas to work. I’ve had employment in Hotel Reception, Receptionist and a few other positions where all of the customer service attributes are mixed within the position. Not easy, but the more experience you have and how you present yourself to people will give you or not give you the feedback either you deserve or want. Give the people what the terms of whatever the contract or agreement is, and everyone will be happy. 

The problem is management, or the owners, don’t understand that they actually affect customer service and, in turn, the customers. In my current instance, the management are making the people who have to do the customer service have a very difficult job, when it shouldn’t be, and are making many customers very unhappy by not sticking to the agreements. 
 
In closing, businesses just have to be truthful and upfront with customers. You do that and everyone with Amala Spa and Beauty this past week, the customer service couldn’t have been better because of the fore thinking and truthfulness of its employees. However, the management is another story. I talked to both the new and the old management, in trying to sort things through, but I’m not sure who did what and I shouldn’t be. I know there was an agreement in writing for the business and there was some verbal agreement, but I’m not sure what that was. Neither party are willing to cover the agreement – each saying the other is the party responsible. In this instance, I’m going to follow through what the Australian Consumer Affairs agency says to do before contacting the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Hopefully, it will be resolved before this; however, I’m very doubtful.  Unfortunately, there’s been other customers in the same instance as myself because I informed other customers on Amala Spa and Beauty’s Facebook account. Social media can be a blessing and help with marketing, but it can also affect a business’s reputation and business negatively as well.
will be happy and content. Go against this and there’s heartbreak all the way around. In my current circumstances