http://amazingserviceguy.com Increase revenue and profits by improving customer service. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:28:49 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en by Kevin Stirtz Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Customer Service Rule #47 Don't multi-task when you're helping a customer I know I'll get some feedback on this. "I have to multi-task" people will say. "Otherwise I can't get all my work done." Another common response: "I can do other things while I listen and still provide good ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/514/customer-service-speaker/dont-multi-task-when-helping-your-customer/ Here is the first installment for the Amazing Service Podcast. Eventually this will be a weekly program. But for now look for a new podcast about twice a month. In part one of this program we talk about the importance of being flexible as we serve our customers and help them ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/453/customer-service-speaker/amazing-service-podcast-1-august-24-2008/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Customer Service Rule #11 Be Flexible In customer service, as with most things there is no one right answer. There is almost always more than one way to accomplish something. But we don't always admit it. Too often we focus on one way to do something. Maybe ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/448/customer-service-speaker/help-your-customers-by-being-flexible/ by Kevin Stirtz Bad customer service experiences are so common they’re cliché. They’re like bad breath in the morning. We all have them and they stink. But they are a fact of life. I believe most of us have far more bad customer service experiences than good. My mission is to change ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/413/customer-service-speaker/share-your-customer-service-horror-stories/ by Kevin Stirtz This week I am hosting the Customer Service Carnivale so my friend Maria Palma can take a well-deserved break. The idea behind a blog "carnival" is to show appreciation for other bloggers who write on a certain topic. It's an aggregate of clips (and links) that point to other ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/404/customer-service-speaker/customer-service-carnivale/ by Kevin Stirtz This morning I read a surprising story in my hometown newspaper, the Minneapolis StarTribune. A Target store manager threatens to call the police on a 79 year old customer, has her hauled away to a hospital for a mental evaluation and then files a trespass order barring her ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/401/customer-service-speaker/target-dinged-by-customer-service-mishap/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Customer Service Rule #1: "Remember why you're here." We all get busy in our jobs. It seems there are always more things to do than any one person could possibly get done. From meetings to special projects to covering for co-workers. The list never ends. It's a wonder ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/400/customer-service-speaker/youre-here-to-serve-your-customers/ by Kevin Stirtz This summer I've had fun. My newest client happens to be the host organization for one of the largest events in the USA: The 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC). The RNC is expected to draw 45,000 visitors to the Minneapolis St. Paul metro area. To make sure those guests ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/399/customer-service-speaker/the-amazing-service-guy-helps-train-10000-volunteers/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Customer Service Rule# 20: "Be grateful for their business" At some level we're all grateful for our customers. Because we know without them we would not have a business. And, with busy schedules and hectic lives, it's easy to forget how important our customers are. It's even easier ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/398/customer-service-speaker/be-grateful-for-your-customers/ by Kevin Stirtz Just today I learned my latest book "More Loyal Customers" has been selected by Customer Service Manager to be on their Recommended Reading List. Wow! This is cool. Customer Service Manager is an e-magazine for customer service professionals and anyone interested in providing top notch customer service. They are a ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/394/customer-service-speaker/more-loyal-customers-selected-by-customer-service-manager-for-recommended-reading-list/ by Kevin Stirtz Carve out an hour of your time and learn some new ways to get more customers coming back. On August 21, I will be conducting a free teleseminar in partnership with the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. The seminar is 60 minutes long and starts at 7:00 PM Central. The ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/393/customer-service-speaker/never-lose-another-customer-free-teleseminar/ Good news! Now you can get a free e-book version two of my recent books. They are both published in paperback but to make them available to everyone, they are now available in PDF format here for no charge. "Marketing for Smart People" (Click here to download) "More Loyal Customers: 21 Real World ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/392/customer-service-speaker/customer-service-expert-offers-two-free-e-books/ Quotes are valuable. They are knowledge, and wisdom and insight. They offer us the opportunity to learn through others. And they are great tools to reinforce and reaffirm what we already understand. Sometimes hearing the words of a famous or successful person is enough to help us accept an idea ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/391/customer-service-speaker/213-best-customer-service-quotes-now-available/ Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Customer Service Rule #44 Do something extra. One of the easiest and fastest ways to make a customer smile is to do something extra. Because it's unexpected, it's a pleasant surprise. It's something they'll remember and talk about. When you do something extra, it's like giving your customer a gift. ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/383/customer-service-speaker/do-something-extra/ by Kevin Stirtz I have published a free resource useful for anyone who wants to improve customer service in their organization. It's called: "The Amazing Customer Service Toolkit" and you can download it here for no charge. It contains advice and ideas for people to understand their customers better so they can offer ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/382/customer-service-speaker/customer-service-toolkit-now-available/ by Kevin Stirtz We all know it's important to have loyal customers. But do you know how important it is? A study by Bain & Company suggests that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can improve profitability by anywhere from 25% to 95%. It shows us there are big opportunities available ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/381/customer-service-speaker/six-steps-to-more-loyal-customers/ by Kevin Stirtz Challenging economic times can be scary. Every day we hear news about lay-offs, company closings, mortgage foreclosures and more. But no matter what's going on around us, we all have the ability to make our lives less stressful and more secure. An excellent way to do this is to ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/380/customer-service-speaker/customer-service-expert-offers-5-steps-to-more-job-security/ by Kevin Stirtz The buzz in the world of coffee these days is not being produced by caffeine intake. It's generated by the swirl of news reports and comments about Starbucks plans to close over 600 stores. For me this begs the question: Did Starbucks stumble on their vaunted customer ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/377/customer-service-speaker/did-starbucks-stumble-on-service/ by Kevin Stirtz With all the buzz about Starbucks these days, I think it's a good time to take their temperature. Let's see if the famous coffee shop chain is still thrilling their customers with over the top service that helped them become an American cultural icon. So it's your turn, dear ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/376/customer-service-speaker/rate-your-local-starbucks/ by Kevin Stirtz Yesterday my latest book was reviewed by Glenn Ross, a writer for the AllBusiness.com website. AllBusiness.com is a busienss information website with several million readers every month. Glenn writes about customer service and customer experience so he felt my book was a natural for him to review. Here are some ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/372/customer-service-speaker/customer-loyalty-book-gets-reviewed-on-allbusinesscom/ This fall I will be speaking at three business conference. They are open to the public and the registration fee is quite reasonable for what you get so you might want to consider going to one of them. Plus it makes a good excuse to get out of town for ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/371/customer-service-speaker/kevin-stirtz-chosen-as-speaker-for-small-business-conference-series/ Here's some fun news. Recently I have been named a Top Ten Customer Service Author on one of the Internet's largest websites. The site is called EzineArticles.com and it's the largest of it's kind in the world with millions of readers. In fact, Alexa.com, a website ranking service, rates EzineArticles.com ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/370/customer-service-speaker/the-amazing-service-guy-makes-the-top-ten/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin's Amazing Customer Service Rule# 16: "Discover what your customers want." I admit, this seems overly simple. To run any successful business it's a given we need to know what our customers want. But do we always know? My answer is: "No we don't." We think we do. We hope we do. ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/369/customer-service-speaker/discover-what-your-customers-want/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin's Amazing Customer Service Rule #30: Thank your customers Thanks Merci Danke Masuma Ga ' Mahalo Mila Esker Grazie (My thanks to the people who created the webpage: "Thank you in over 465 languages".) This is one of those customer service "rules" that shouldn't be. ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/368/customer-service-speaker/does-anyone-say-thank-you-anymore/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin’s Amazing Customer Service rule# 31: Respect your customer's opinion. Our customers come to us for our knowledge. They want our help in accomplishing something. But some employees take this to mean the customer's opinion does not matter. They go directly into "arrogant expert mode" and ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/367/customer-service-speaker/respect-your-customers-opinion/ by Kevin Stirtz The economic impact an event like the Republican National Convention has on a host city is tremendous. But if the event is done extremely well, the benefits can go on for years. Here are ten customer service tips to the people hosting the 2008 RNC to help the event ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/366/customer-service-speaker/top-ten-customer-service-tips-for-the-2008-republican-national-convention/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin’s Amazing Customer Service rule# 22: Help your customers get the outcomes they want. Our customers come to us for something. They want to prevent something bad from happening. Or they want to make something good happen. Either way they've come to us for help. So we need to help ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/365/customer-service-speaker/help-your-customers-get-the-outcomes-they-want/ by Kevin Stirtz Last week I read an article about people called "high-milers". These folks go to great lengths to get amazing fuel efficiency from their cars. Some have high mileage cars like the Toyota Prius. Others don't. But they all make it their goal to squeeze every last drop of ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/364/customer-service-speaker/big-customer-service-improvement-starts-with-small-changes/ by Kevin Stirtz Too often I hear people give bad advice to others about how to talk with new potential clients. Rather than focus on what the customer is trying to accomplish now, they try to get their foot in the door for a long-term relationship with the company. It's like talking ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/361/customer-service-speaker/361/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin’s Amazing Customer Service rule# 27: Remember What You Control (And What You Don't) This has been said a thousand ways by a thousand people but it's still true. And it's important. Time and energy spent worrying about (or trying to change) something beyond our control is wasted. Every day we ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/360/customer-service-speaker/remember-what-you-control-and-what-you-don%e2%80%99t/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin’s Amazing Customer Service rule# 14: Be an Amazing Listener In a survey my company did recently, the number one thing customers said they wanted more of was better listening by the people they deal with. This survey reflects a major weakness in how most organizations treat their customers. Listening skills ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/359/customer-service-speaker/be-an-amazing-listener/ by Kevin Stirtz Kevin's Amazing Customer Service rule# 29: Give them details. A sure-fire way to thrill your customers is to make sure you give them all the details they want. When you do this you're helping your customers in several ways. First, you're letting them know you listened, understood and got everything correct.This ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/358/customer-service-speaker/give-them-details/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Service Rule# 13: "Ask open-ended questions." One of the most important ways we serve our customers is to help them get what they want, even if they don't know exactly what that is. They rely on us for knowledge about our product or service. They come to us ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/247/customer-service-speaker/ask-open-ended-questions/ Hey, wanna hear something cool? My newest book has received the "Cool Book of the Day" award. Totally awesome! Okay, enough silly talk. But what's not silly is the award. Dan Janal, one of the best-known PR and marketing guys on the Internet has selected my latest book, "More Loyal Customers" ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/246/customer-service-speaker/cool-book-of-the-day-award-given-to-more-loyal-customers/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule# 38: Always give them something. One of the biggest challenges when serving our customers is when they want (or need) something we can't do. It's frustrating for us because we want to help them. It's frustrating for them because they're not getting what they want. But we ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/245/customer-service-speaker/amazing-customer-service-rule-38-always-give-them-something/ by Kevin Stirtz I was at a meeting last week where a man I respect used the term "all in". He used it in a relevant, powerful and eloquent way. In doing so, he caught my attention. And he compelled me to myself two questions. This first question was, what does it ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/244/customer-service-speaker/are-you-all-in/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule #17 Be easy to work with. We have policies and procedures. We have rules and regulations. Usually they exist because of good intentions. But they often become obstacles to our customers. They develop to solve problems we face as we serve our customers but sometimes they ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/243/customer-service-speaker/to-improve-customer-service-be-easy-to-work-with/ Amazing Customer Service Rule #39: Make a great first impression every time. We've all heard it said first impressions are lasting and it's true. Though we can improve a customer's perception of us over time, we're always better positioned if we show them our best stuff right up front. One way to do ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/242/customer-service-speaker/make-a-great-first-impression-every-time/ Amazing Customer Service Rule #18 Every customer contact is critical What your customer perceives about your company is what determines whether they will stay with you. And their perception is built one contact at a time. Even one bad experience can taint their perception of your company and how you do things. Every ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/241/customer-service-speaker/every-contact-is-critical/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule #32 Apologize if the customer feels you or your company let them down An apology is a bridge-builder. It can mend a broken relationship faster than anything else. And it shows the customer you are willing to take responsibility for helping them get what they want. Often ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/238/customer-service-speaker/apologize-quickly-and-sincerely/ by Kevin Stirtz I was surprised to learn recently that the USA has thousands of people defending us who are not even American citizens. This news came by way of an article in my hometown paper, the StarTribune. The article features two National Guard soldiers who recently became U.S. citizens, ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/237/customer-service-speaker/soldiers-show-us-what-service-means/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule #23 Remember to PYITS: Put Yourself In Their Shoes Try to see things from their perspective in as many ways as you can. This should be easy because we're all customers. Think about when you're the customer. How do you feel and what do you want from people you buy from? What ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/236/customer-service-speaker/remember-to-out-yourself-in-their-shoes/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule #41 Always follow up and follow through. One of the biggest complaints people have is they never hear back from sales or service employees. And we've all experienced it. Someone promises to do something and it never happens. So, as a customer we're left wondering and ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/235/customer-service-speaker/always-follow-up-and-follow-through/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule #34 See your customer only as someone who needs your help. It's easy for us to judge people harshly especially if they're different than we are or if they are upset or angry. When a customer raises their voice or is impatient or otherwise not so ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/234/customer-service-speaker/see-your-customer-as-someone-who-needs-your-help/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule #6 Give customers your complete attention. Customers consistently tell us they hate dealing with employees who don't listen or pay attention. It's a common and yet preventable complaint. When you begin talking with a customer, stop whatever else you are doing and focus on them. ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/233/customer-service-speaker/give-customers-your-complete-attention/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule #3 When talking with a new customer give them your full name and get theirs right away. This makes your conversation more personal and enables you to better connect with your customer. Think of how much better it feels to talking with someone when you know their ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/231/customer-service-speaker/give-them-your-name-first/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule #19 Offer your customers solutions, not dead-ends. We all know not every customer request is easy or possible to fulfill. But rather than tell them “no” try to find other ways to help them get what they want. Always focus on finding a solution. No matter what ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/230/customer-service-speaker/offer-your-customers-solutions-not-dead-ends/ by Kevin Stirtz Amazing Customer Service Rule #35: Never let your customer repeat themselves. A common complaint customers have is they have to repeat their story over and over again as they get handed off to different people. Customers understand that often you have to hand them over to other people to help them ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/229/customer-service-speaker/never-let-your-customer-repeat-themselves/ by Kevin Stirtz Fifteen years ago I had a complaint at a very well known Italian restaurant in Minneapolis. I still remember how badly the employee responded to my concern. In fact, I've used it in my customer service seminars. It shows the power we all have to give our customers ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/225/customer-service-speaker/how-to-handle-customer-complaints/ by Kevin Stirtz Poor customer service from airlines is legendary. It's cliche. It's so common that when we do get great service we feel like we've won the lottery, if only for a moment. But it doesn't have to be that way. Sure, airlines have big challenges that can be obstacles to ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/222/customer-service-speaker/four-things-airlines-can-do-to-improve-customer-service/ by Kevin Stirtz We get a lot of advice about how to deliver great customer service. Many of the tips are reminders of what we already know (but we occasionally forget). And these are useful. But sometimes, we need more than a reminder. Sometimes it's helpful to have a system or, ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/220/customer-service-speaker/six-steps-to-remarkable-service/ by Kevin Stirtz The fastest way to increase customer loyalty is by improving the quality of customer service you deliver. In fact, I dislike thinking of it as "customer service". I prefer calling it "Remarkable Service". When you take care of your customers so well they tell others, then you've delivered ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/219/customer-service-speaker/remarkable-service-starts-with-a-great-first-impression/ by Kevin Stirtz Several news items today talk about how chip giant Intel has parted company with the innovative group, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). OLPC is a nonprofit educational computing group. Their mission is to help children have more access to information and opportunities by providing them with low-cost computing ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/213/customer-service-speaker/intels-actions-speak-louder-than-donations/ by Kevin Stirtz Remember the old motels where you drive up and park in front of your room? A few years ago, my wife and I had the pleasure of staying in one of these because the nice, new hotel we had planned to stay in had lost our reservation. The first ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/203/customer-service-speaker/heres-an-example-of-smart-motel-marketing/ by Kevin Stirtz Today a trial in Duluth, MN (USA) continues. It's a trial that, IMHO, should never have started. For years the Recording Industry Association of America has hammered people for downloading and sharing copyrighted music without paying. Thousands have settled (and paid fines) after getting the "nasty letter" from RIAA ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/192/customer-service-speaker/riaa-trial-big-mistake-on-not/ by Kevin Stirtz With apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson for paraphrasing his quote , here's an easy way to make your company stand out from the rest, in a good way or in a bad way. It's called consistency. But, not all companies understand the difference between consistency and foolish consistency. In my town ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/190/customer-service-speaker/foolish-consistency-is-the-hobgoblin-of-poor-service/ by Kevin Stirtz We're almost done dissecting the Smart Marketing Formula. This is the third of four articles explaining how the formula works. This article will focus on the "M" in the Smart Marketing Formula which stands for Marketing Activities, Message and Market. In our formula, "M" represents everything you do to ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/187/customer-service-speaker/the-smart-marketing-formula-part-3/ by Kevin Stirtz Once again, the 'Net is abuzz with chatter about a hot new mobile phone product from a well-respected industry giant. But this time the product has already been launched and is in use by millions of Apple fans. Trouble is some of those fans are thinking less well of ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/184/customer-service-speaker/apples-iphone-branding-blunder/ by Kevin Stirtz Referrals are a hot topic. And they should be. Many businesses rely more on referrals than any other source of new business. But many people get it wrong when they think about referrals. They see referrals as something they can "get" or produce. They try to build systems and ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/182/customer-service-speaker/never-ask-for-referrals/ by Kevin Stirtz A few weeks ago I renamed my marketing formula and talked about the first element, "Awareness". (Remember, "A" equals Awareness which means people know about our business and are likely to become customers.) Today we're going to talk about the next element that makes the Smart Marketing Formula work: "Time". Time ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/181/customer-service-speaker/the-smart-marketing-formula-part-2/ by Kevin Stirtz A while ago, I wrote about something I called the "Magic Marketing Formula". Here it is in a slightly different format (a.k.a, easier to read and remember). Also, I have changed the name to reflect the true nature of the formula. From this point on, this marketing formula will now ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/178/customer-service-speaker/the-smart-marketing-formula-part-1/ by Kevin Stirtz It seems whenever we talk about finding and targeting our customers, we focus on who they are. Are they young, old or middle aged? Are they educated or not? Rich, poor or middle-class? Tall, short, skinny, chubby? Urban, rural, suburban or even ex-urban? (Ex-urban sounds like you ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/176/customer-service-speaker/forget-who-your-customers-are-focus-on-what-they-want/ by Kevin Stirtz This morning Minnesota is in shock. A major bridge in Minneapolis collapsed. No warning. Nothing unusual happened prior to the collapse. It just dropped 64 feet into the Mississippi River. At least 50 cars fell into the river. As many as 60 people were injured. Nine people have ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/174/customer-service-speaker/bridge-collapse-shows-people-at-their-best/ by Kevin Stirtz A couple months ago I tried an open source word processor, AbiWord . It's a decent product and does everything you'd expect. I tried it because I was tired of Microsoft Word taking so long to start and crashing so often. But before long I found myself using Microsoft ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/163/customer-service-speaker/marketing-lessons-from-microsoft/ by Kevin Stirtz About a month ago, I posted the results of a customer service survey I did last year. The number one thing customers said they wanted more of was better listening by the people they deal with. This survey reflects a major weakness in how most organizations treat their customers. Listening ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/162/customer-service-speaker/are-you-listening/ by Kevin Stirtz I visited the dermatologist today for a minor procedure. It was something I should have done a year ago but at that time the doctor talked me out of it with two solid arguments. One was that the condition would clear up on its own. Two was the ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/157/customer-service-speaker/this-is-going-to-hurt-a-lot/ by Kevin Stirtz A couple weeks ago my mom was in the hospital. She had a knee replacement, a procedure she was already familiar with. So, she knew what was in store and she was not looking forward to it. One of her concerns was the level of service in the hospital. ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/151/customer-service-speaker/make-your-marketing-match-reality-and-make-your-reality-remarkable/ by Kevin Stirtz Some years ago (I can't even remember how long ago) one of the biggest and most influential fast food chains in the USA did something that changed how the fast food (or QSR) industry does business. They did something so simple yet so brilliant that before long, 99% ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/149/customer-service-speaker/ill-take-a-number-three-please/ by Kevin Stirtz Often business owners will focus on marketing to increase their sales without making sure the rest of their business is ready. I've heard it said that good marketing will help a good business get better and will help a bad business get worse. It's true. I've seen too many ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/145/customer-service-speaker/is-your-business-ready-for-smart-marketing/ by Kevin Stirtz Too often we get so busy and focused managing our businesses that we forget life is supposed to be fun. I'm as guilty of this as anyone. Running a business is serious work so we seem justified by keeping our noses to the grindstones. Unfortunately, when we do ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/135/customer-service-speaker/remember-to-have-fun/ by Kevin Stirtz Leadership is what every organization needs and so few have in adequate supply. Part of leadership is what the first President Bush called "the vision thing". It's the ability to see what does not exist and then gather, mold and shape the resources needed to make it happen. Part ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/134/customer-service-speaker/what-is-leadership/ by Kevin Stirtz "What Do Customers Really Want?" It's a question we should always ask and yet we often find so difficult to answer. How an organization handles this question (and the answers) will determine its ultimate success. Because if you consistently offer your customers what they want (at a price they ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/123/customer-service-speaker/what-do-customers-really-want/ by Kevin Stirtz I once had a boss who told us to never return phone calls right away. He said if you return a call too quickly, the other person might think you're not very busy. This same boss also liked to say "always make it hard for the other person ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/108/customer-service-speaker/its-easy-to-be-better-than-your-competition/ by Kevin Stirtz I had a meeting at one of the newer hotel restaurants in my area. It's a nice 4 star hotel - very well designed and decorated. If I were traveling I wouldn't hesitate to stay there. Approaching the hotel, it's easy to see they spent a lot of money. ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/106/customer-service-speaker/get-more-customers-by-sending-the-right-message/ by Kevin Stirtz We hear a lot about spam (the technology kind, not the food product) but usually it's in the context of email. Most of us know or have heard of spam filters, spamming rules and anti-spam policies. There are even laws that seek to reduce the amount of spam ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/105/customer-service-speaker/remarkable-customer-service-means-leaving-the-spam-in-the-can/ by Kevin Stirtz "Great work is done by people who are not afraid to be great." - Fernando Flores I use to be envious of great people. By "great", I mean people who have achieved things so noteworthy they become famous for it. Some do it early in life, like athletes. Tiger Woods is ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/101/customer-service-speaker/lessons-from-tiger-woods-bill-gates-warren-buffet-and-more/ by Kevin Stirtz For the past 30 years, Memorial Day weekend always found me, my brother, my dad, my nephew and several cousins enjoying our annual fishing get-away in Ontario. We'd drive about 8 hours to a beautiful lodge. We would fish for three days, we'd eat a lot and we ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/99/customer-service-speaker/for-more-success-break-your-routines-and-traditions/ by Kevin Stirtz When I was in college, I had a friend who had two very annoying habits. And one day I got to experience them both at the same time (lucky me). His first habit was that of picking up hitchhikers. Remember, this was the early 80's. I honestly thought hitchhiking went ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/94/customer-service-speaker/the-gas-tank-theory-of-serving-others/ by Kevin Stirtz I have never met someone who didn't want to be successful at something. It's fair to say we all want to be successful. Here are some tips I've learned over the years that have helped me stay on track and move toward my dreams. 1. Do the Right Things ... http://amazingserviceguy.com/89/customer-service-speaker/top-7-tips-to-be-more-successful-at-everything/