PROVERBS

"If You are not in business for fun or profit what the hell are You doing there?"

"Why do You think the captain always read his checklist before take off"

"One picture is wort more than 10.000 words"

Do it with excellency or don't do it at all"

"Work smarter not harder"

"Promises keep them"

20 STEPS TO SUCCESS by dr. E. I. Kearney

Why do some companies attract business while others lose it, even when the products or sevices offered are almost identical? The answer is, the outstanding companies share twenty approaches that are all too often overlooked by their less successful competitors. In a nationwide study, we asked a cross-section of customers to tell us which companies they thought were the most customer-oriented and which the least. The top companies - at the forefront of their industries regardless of size, product, or service-have twenty approcaches in common. Those whose customer service was noted as poor use fewer than 50 percent of the approaches. Put these approaches to work for you no matter your company size or focus. When you copy the winner's, you move into the winner's circle with them.

1. From the Top Down

This is the motto of each of the best companies. Customer service is a priority for everyone in the company, and top management gave far more than lip service to the concept. For example, Xerox has its managers on the customer service phones for a given period each month-after all, the best way to know what the customers' need and concerns are is to talk to them.

2. Teamwork

Success requires teamwork that goes beyond a formal approach to group decision-making. It require for each other and an awareness that internal customer service is equally important in a compaamy's success as external customer service. The decision makers in the top companies believe that treatment of staff would be repeted in the staff's treatment of the public.

3. Training

Each company lauded for its customer service strives to give every employee -not just those on the customer service phones-the training they need to answer questions, provide service, and understand their own role in the company's success. L.L.Bean provides extensive training before they allow emplyees to answer the phone.

4. Follow-Up

Top companies stress the importance of follow-up, and encourage staff to respond to questions, concerns, and signs of interest promtly. In some companies, there was even a timeframe within which that had to be done.

5. PSP

Many of the outstanding companies practice what Federal Express preaches-PSP ( People first. Service second, and Profit third). In fact Stew Leonard, who owns and operates one of the country's most successful diary stores, told us, "No company deserves a profit, but every customer deserves the most outstanding service. When that is given, profits follow."

6. Employee Recognition

Leonard also believes employees recognition should be given frequently and publicly. One of his former employees said that one of the best things about working for him was the pleasure each employee recieved from knowing that their efforts were recognized and appreciated.

7. Surveys

Top companies are very consciuous of their customers' needs and make an on-going effort to determine those needs. Several car companies use surveys to find what what their customers want. Several years ago, another car company sponsored a nationwide series of conferences for women to learn more about their needs while making them aware of the company's concern and interest.

8. Listen and Change

The best companies listen and change. For example, Avis learned that customers wanted a quick check-in with a reciept provided right then-not mailed to them later. That knowledge promted them to employ computerized checkins.

9. Solicit and Listen

Top companies solicit and listen to input from their staff. Input pays dividends since decisions made in the ivory tower often leave out the needs of the customers and staff. Needs that are met lead to satisfied customers, and customers really do run our companies and pay our bills.

10. Twenty - Four - Hour Service

Both large and small companies often provide this service, although quite differently.

11. Live contact

A real person answering the phone may be available in the largest firms, while voice mail provides a version of the same service. People want to make contact when their concern is at its height, and they should be able to do so since frustration builds when they can't.

12. The Right Tone

If you must use voice mail, be sure the tone of the voice is accompanied by a "smile" in the voice.

13. Personalization

Also, make the voice message personal and tell the customer how long you will be away from the phone and when one might expect a return call.

14. Customer Importance

Take the word personal as far as you can. All customers should feel that they and their problems or concerns are important to the company and its staff.

15. Identify and Solve

You make customers feel important by using a three-point system that identifies the problem or concern, notes the alternative solutions that you can make available, and explains the benefits of each.

16. Track Problems

Once you identify problems and solve them, track them to ensure that other customers don't meet the same kind of problems.

17. Empowerment

The foundation that makes all of the above possible is empowerment. Select your staff carefully, train and support them thoroughly, and empower them to make the decisions needed to satisfy the customer. SAS built a strong international airline on this concept, and Nordstrom has a policy sheet that tells staff member to remember that their primary goal is customer satisfaction, and to achieve this they ask each employee to use his/her "good judgement in every situation."

18. Communication

Such empowerment means there is an on-going need for the support of management, for communication, and for a realization that each person on staff is in customer service and public relations always.

19. Handle Anger

Even when we do all of the above and guarantee our services and products, we may still encounter an angry or difficult customer. At such times, you must realize, as one of Marriot's managers pointed out, that each angry customer is a golden opportunity to insure that the problem is identified, solved, and never encountered by another customer. Sometimes it is difficult to determine the "real" problem when the angry customer is storming. It takes between seven and fourteen minutes for the average person to calm down when he or she is angry, and during that period there is no point in trying to get him or her to be rational or calm. When anger comes in the door, reasons goes out the window. Give the person time to storm, and when the storm has wound down, ask how you can help.

20. Study the Competition

Every one of the top companies makes a point of studying their competion and uses that information as a benchmark by which to judge their own efforts. These approaches have worked well for leading companies who couple them with quality products, and there isn't any reason every business-large or small-can't follow suit. You are in charge of your success, so take a shortcut and follow the leaders.

THINK POSITIVE

Say to yourself every morning:

- Today is going to be a great day!

- I can handle more than I think I can!

- Things don't get better by worrying about them!

- I can be satisfied if I try to do my best!

- There is always something to be happy about! -

I'm going to make someone happy today!

-It's not good to be down!

- Life is great, make the most of it! BE AN OPTIMIST!

Re: Western Warmlands Sparebank

A little old lady entered the main bransch of the Western Warmlands Sparebanken with a large grocery bag in her arms. She told the teller that she wanted to open an account to make a substantial deposit, in excess of $200,000. Further, she said that since such a large sum was involved, she would deal only with the president of the bank to make necessary arrangements.

The teller looked in the bag and confirmed that it was, in fact, full of cash. He called upstairs and explained the situation to the bank president, who agreed to see the woman. The teller escorted her to the president´s office, and the president invited her to have a seat, which she accepted. She repeated her request to open an account. The president said he would take care of it personally, but his curiosity was killing him. He said, "Mind if I ask how you happened to come into such a large sum of cash?" "Not at all," was her reply. "I bet."

"You bet?" he countered. " at the racetrack, or on professional sports, or in casinos…?"

"Nothing like that," she said. "I just…bet. For example, I´ll bet you $50,000 that by tomorrow your balls will be square."

The president chuckled but, seeing that the lady was serious, and had the funds to back up such a wild bet, agreed. They shook hands on it, and she promised to return at nine the next morning to follow up, and left. As the day wore on, the president found himself frequently checking to make sure all was in order. It was, but just as a precaution he cancelled his regular Tuesday-afternnoon golf match and went home early. The next morning when he showered, he was actually relieved to find that nothing had changed drastically while he slept. He confidently headed for the bank, laughing all the way at the unexpected windfall that was about to become his.

The little old lady showed up promptly at the appointed hour, accompanied by a young man. When the president asked who he was, she replied that he was her lawyer, who she always brought along when payoffs involving significant sums were involved.

The president told her that sorry, she had lost that particular bet, so the funds would be outgoing rather than incoming. She insisted on examining the evidence for herself, considering the amount at stake. He deemed it a reasonable request under the circumstances, so he stood up, unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants. She proceeded to closely inspect his jewels for any abnormatilities.

As she did, the president noticed that her lawyer was standing in the corner, banging his head against the wall. He asked the lady, "What´s the matter with him?" She replied, "Oh him. I bet him $150,000 that before ten a.m. today I´d have have the president of the Warmlandsbanken by the balls…."