Archive | September, 2008

Amazing Service Podcast #4 September 25, 2008 (the “It’s okay to vent” edition)

Amazing Service Podcast #4 September 25, 2008 (the “It’s okay to vent” edition)

by Kevin Stirtz

Welcome to the 4th edition of the Amazing Service Podcast. In this segment we talk about two very useful Amazing Service Rules: #20 “Be grateful for your customers” and #31, “Respect your customer’s opinion”.

We start the podcast talking briefly about how to make the most out of those things we love to hate: customer complaints.

Enjoy the show!

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Thank your customers for complaining

by Kevin Stirtz

are you listening-small

Kevin Stirtz’s Amazing Service Rule #48:

Thank your customers for complaining

One of the situations people hate most is dealing with customer complaints.

This is too bad because customer complaints offer a goldmine of information to companies, if they deal with them effectively.

The first step to making better use of customer complaints is to

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To wow your customers, do something positive and unexpected

by Kevin Stirtz

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Kevin Stirtz’s Amazing Customer Service Rule #46:

To thrill your customers, do something positive and unexpected

We often hear that we need to “thrill” or “wow” our customers. And, intuitively we know this is a good thing because it increases the chances our customers will come back and tell others about us.

That begs the question of how to do it. Because people are different. We all have different tastes and preferences. What might “wow” one person could bore another to death.

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Amazing Service Podcast #3 September 18, 2008 (the “Fashion 411″ edition)

Amazing Service Podcast #3 September 18, 2008 (the “Fashion 411″ edition)

by Kevin Stirtz

Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Amazing Service Podcast. In this segment we talk about two very useful Amazing Service Rules: #47 “don’t multi-task” and #44, “do something extra”.

We start the podcast talking briefly about my interview last week with Barbra Horowitz, host of “Fashion 411″ radio show.

Enjoy the show!

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Amazing Service Guy Interviewed on Fashion 411 with Barbra Horowitz

by Kevin Stirtz

karmasol hdr logo

A few weeks ago I got a call from Barbra Horowitz. Barbra is a personal stylist who works with celebrities and normal people. She is a fashion correspondent for British Vogue and, most importantly, she is the host of “Fashion 411“, a weekly program of the Karma Sol Radio network in Los Angeles.

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Respect Your Customer’s Time

by Kevin Stirtz

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Kevin Stirtz’s Amazing Service Rule #10

Respect their time.

“Tick tock said the clock.”

It seems the almighty clock rules our lives. With each generation, our society gets busier and busier.

Even though we all have the same amount of time, we use it differently. And we use it the way we want. So, we can get a little testy when we feel someone is wasting our time. It’s even worse when they’re wasting our time to meet their needs.

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The Content IS the Marketing

by Kevin Stirtz

MIMA Summit

The Internet has given us an ability to connect with others like we couldn’t have imagined 20 years ago. It’s taken Word of Mouth to new levels. It’s made it possible for anyone to create an effective promotional campaign using free technology and their own creativity and knowledge.

So, the question gets asked (this time, by MIMA) where does content start and where does marketing begin?

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Amazing Service Guy to Speak to Medical Group

by Kevin Stirtz

healthy businessGet out your calendars. next week I am speaking to a group of medical professionals who are also entrepreneurs. It’s the monthly teleseminar for The Entrepreneurial MD.

The session starts at 6:30 pm CDT and lasts for about an hour. To learn more and to register, go here.

Details of the teleseminar

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Amazing Service Guy Interview

Amazing Service Guy Interview

by Kevin Stirtz

In August I was interviewed by Kim Friddle for WeMentorSuccess.com. It was part of a series of audio programs to be broadcast in multiple US markets to a small business audience.

The interview is 21 minutes and focuses on how company owners (or managers) can increase customer loyalty by improving customer service. We discuss the strategic part of the Amazing Service System and the 6 step system any company (or team or division) can use to build a culture of service that can lead to increased loyalty and retention as well as improved employee morale and profits.

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Amazing Service Podcast #2 September 5, 2008

Amazing Service Podcast #2 September 5, 2008

by Kevin Stirtz

Welcome to the Amazing Service Podcast for Friday, September 5, 2008. This is our second podcast on a beautiful late summer day in the Twin Cities.

Today we talk about service as a means to success, Amazing Customer Service Rule #30, “Thank your customers” and Amazing Customer Service Rule #16, “Discover what your customers want.”

Also, I have used different intro music for this podcast. Please let me know what you think.

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Never Leave Your Customers Wondering

by Kevin Stirtz

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Kevin Stirtz’s Amazing Customer Service Rule #23

Never leave them wondering.

I call my insurance company with a question. The customer service representative is unable to answer it so she says she’ll need to research the answer and call me back. Within seconds the line goes dead and she’s gone.

I’m researching a website for a product. They have pretty pictures and witty, hip-sounding marketing copy. But I can’t find the answers to the questions I have. When I email their customer service,

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Service Recovery

Are Your Customer Service Recoveries Really Recoveries?

Recently my wife picked up dinner for 4 on the way home from work. We had ordered online from Swiss Chalet (Canadian Rotisserie chicken franchise). Swiss Chalet is known for their dipping sauce, which is included with every signature meal.

When she arrived home, we discovered that the “special sauce” was not included in the order.

I called the order desk to report this lapse and the conversation went something like this.

Technology

Customer service and Twitter

The popular notion stating that if a customer receives poor service, he/she will tell nine other people, has been grossly out of date since the advent of the Internet. In reality, customers can electronically tell millions of people about their experiences. And now, with Twitter, people can tell others about their experiences as they happen.

Feedback

How to get amazing online reviews from your customers

More and more customers are going online before AND after they do business with a company. They’re getting smart about using online tools to make the best decision about who they do business with.

To thrive in this new world of connected customers you need to do more than ever to make sure your customers get the experience they want. If you do this well you can leverage the power of online feedback and reviews to grow your business. If you fail at this, the online chatter about your business can tarnish your reputation both online and off.

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