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 
