How it works in my businesses

[saveliberty]

I work for myself in a landscape business and also at retail store for large ticket items. In both, listening to the customers is extremely important. Creating a high customer satisfaction score is necessary, even at times when the customer is being difficult or isn't grasping what you're telling them.

Unhappy customers loss of revenue and potentially a business closer. About the last thing you want is to attack a customer's opinion or create a hostile environment. How do you feel about customer service in your world?

 

[syrenn]

The difference being.... most posters here are not customers...as in paying customers. The membership here is using the site for free.







^^^ see bold letters and little flag.

 

[Mr. H.]

I can't remember when I last had to deal with a "customer" but I sure remember eating their bullshit with a smile on my face.

AS a customer... you're absolutely right. Satisfaction at all levels is what brings me back.

 

[Connery]

The difference being.... most posters here are not customers...as in paying customers. The membership here is using the site for free.







^^^ see bold letters and little flag.

"Paying" customers is irrelevant when a business invites the people to come in and use it's goods or services such as an internet forum. As far as a typical forum type setting, revenue is generated by traffic. That traffic is noted by businesses who may decide to advertise on that site due to it's traffic. Those who come and look at the site, register, log in and post all serve as a basis for that traffic that businesses look for. The forum rules are for the betterment of all and develops an understanding between the user and owner, both sides and have rights and rules to live by.

 

[saveliberty]

So my landscape business should do some scientific market research to better understand my customer? Stay on topic people.

 

[rightwinger]

With sites like Yelp and Angies List it is more important to provide good customer service. They carry a lot of weight with consumers

 

[Dreamy]

I work for myself in a landscape business and also at retail store for large ticket items. In both, listening to the customers is extremely important. Creating a high customer satisfaction score is necessary, even at times when the customer is being difficult or isn't grasping what you're telling them.

Unhappy customers loss of revenue and potentially a business closer. About the last thing you want is to attack a customer's opinion or create a hostile environment. How do you feel about customer service in your world?

My personal opinion? There are some difficult clients I am glad to see never return. Some people are simply bellyaching whiners and malcontents who can never be pleased. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

 

[saveliberty]

With sites like Yelp and Angies List it is more important to provide good customer service. They carry a lot of weight with consumers

Good point RW. Most of mine are personal referrals at this point. Still a positive internet presence with nice reviews could be important.

 

[saveliberty]

I work for myself in a landscape business and also at retail store for large ticket items. In both, listening to the customers is extremely important. Creating a high customer satisfaction score is necessary, even at times when the customer is being difficult or isn't grasping what you're telling them.

Unhappy customers loss of revenue and potentially a business closer. About the last thing you want is to attack a customer's opinion or create a hostile environment. How do you feel about customer service in your world?

My personal opinion? There are some difficult clients I am glad to see never return. Some people are simply bellyaching whiners and malcontents who can never be pleased. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

I have gained a great deal of business from the difficult ones at times though. Others understand that particular customer is hard to please, and if you can work for them, you must be a good contractor.

 

[freedombecki]

I work for myself in a landscape business and also at retail store for large ticket items. In both, listening to the customers is extremely important. Creating a high customer satisfaction score is necessary, even at times when the customer is being difficult or isn't grasping what you're telling them.

Unhappy customers loss of revenue and potentially a business closer. About the last thing you want is to attack a customer's opinion or create a hostile environment. How do you feel about customer service in your world?

I'm a consumer advocate and was when I went into business 25 years ago. My head was full of good will and willingness to go the extra mile when I started, but the first week I was in business, my first elderly customer accused me of unfair pricing for exotic threads that cost a fortune. hahahaha! She claimed she bought threads "just like" the ones I had for $1.00 in her winter home, and that somehow, my price made me a "crook."

It doesn't matter if you spend a fortune bringing a remote community a product it never would have had at a reasonable price, someone is always going to find fault. I learned to buy cheaper products for customers looking for a bargain.

Lessons in business don't come easy for a first-timer, no matter how much customer good-will she studied in school and a pledge to engage in fair pricing and honest dealings with the public. However, we learn from going home feeling bad how to try to outreach to people, whatever their opinion is, but at the bottom line and at the end of the day, ya can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

 

[saveliberty]

I work for myself in a landscape business and also at retail store for large ticket items. In both, listening to the customers is extremely important. Creating a high customer satisfaction score is necessary, even at times when the customer is being difficult or isn't grasping what you're telling them.

Unhappy customers loss of revenue and potentially a business closer. About the last thing you want is to attack a customer's opinion or create a hostile environment. How do you feel about customer service in your world?

I'm a consumer advocate and was when I went into business 25 years ago. My head was full of good will and willingness to go the extra mile when I started, but the first week I was in business, my first elderly customer accused me of unfair pricing for exotic threads that cost a fortune. hahahaha! She claimed she bought threads "just like" the ones I had for $1.00 in her winter home, and that somehow, my price made me a "crook."

It doesn't matter if you spend a fortune bringing a remote community a product it never would have had at a reasonable price, someone is always going to find fault. I learned to buy cheaper products for customers looking for a bargain.

Lessons in business don't come easy for a first-timer, no matter how much customer good-will she studied in school and a pledge to engage in fair pricing and honest dealings with the public. However, we learn from going home feeling bad how to try to outreach to people, whatever their opinion is, but at the bottom line and at the end of the day, ya can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Yes, in my business you can be the low cost producer or quality driven. Picking the quality route usually means you miss out on volume, but your price point can be higher.

 

[Dreamy]

I work for myself in a landscape business and also at retail store for large ticket items. In both, listening to the customers is extremely important. Creating a high customer satisfaction score is necessary, even at times when the customer is being difficult or isn't grasping what you're telling them.

Unhappy customers loss of revenue and potentially a business closer. About the last thing you want is to attack a customer's opinion or create a hostile environment. How do you feel about customer service in your world?

My personal opinion? There are some difficult clients I am glad to see never return. Some people are simply bellyaching whiners and malcontents who can never be pleased. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

I have gained a great deal of business from the difficult ones at times though. Others understand that particular customer is hard to please, and if you can work for them, you must be a good contractor.

There are some clients you can turn around but after many years of watching and observing you get a vibe for people who are simply just plain miserable in every aspect of their life. They spend their almost every waking hour bitching about something or someone. Just remember the cyber world and brick and mortar world are not the same. That old faceless anonymity we gain online is the dividing line in "business". It can create histrionic personalities and a rude boldness that a face to face or phone call to phone call will not.

 

[saveliberty]

My personal opinion? There are some difficult clients I am glad to see never return. Some people are simply bellyaching whiners and malcontents who can never be pleased. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

I have gained a great deal of business from the difficult ones at times though. Others understand that particular customer is hard to please, and if you can work for them, you must be a good contractor.

There are some clients you can turn around but after many years of watching and observing you get a vibe for people who are simply just plain miserable in every aspect of their life. They spend their almost every waking hour bitching about something or someone. Just remember the cyber world and brick and mortar world are not the same. That old faceless anonymity we gain online is the dividing line in "business". It can create histrionic personalities and a rude boldness that a face to face or phone call to phone call will not.

My intial contacts are mostly by phone, but then its followed up by a site visit. You get to know them as individuals and account for their personal tastes and style. The miserable customer certainly does exist Dreamy. I meet them more in the sales job I have. They rarely are people who return again and again.

 

[Connery]

So my landscape business should do some scientific market research to better understand my customer? Stay on topic people.

That is fine, but, you posted about your landscape business in a section that is exclusive to USMB "Announcements and Feedback". Quit bitching about what you get when you ask for it....

 

[saveliberty]

So my landscape business should do some scientific market research to better understand my customer? Stay on topic people.

That is fine, but, you posted about your landscape business in a section that is exclusive to USMB "Announcements and Feedback". Quit bitching about what you get when you ask for it....

Did I not ask for feedback?

 

[syrenn]

The difference being.... most posters here are not customers...as in paying customers. The membership here is using the site for free.







^^^ see bold letters and little flag.

"Paying" customers is irrelevant when a business invites the people to come in and use it's goods or services such as an internet forum. As far as a typical forum type setting, revenue is generated by traffic. That traffic is noted by businesses who may decide to advertise on that site due to it's traffic. Those who come and look at the site, register, log in and post all serve as a basis for that traffic that businesses look for. The forum rules are for the betterment of all and develops an understanding between the user and owner, both sides and have rights and rules to live by.

The bottom line... site owners can and will do what they want.... It doesn't really matter if we like it or not.

 

[syrenn]

So my landscape business should do some scientific market research to better understand my customer? Stay on topic people.

I would think.....the topic is your metaphor.

 

[Dreamy]

I have gained a great deal of business from the difficult ones at times though. Others understand that particular customer is hard to please, and if you can work for them, you must be a good contractor.

There are some clients you can turn around but after many years of watching and observing you get a vibe for people who are simply just plain miserable in every aspect of their life. They spend their almost every waking hour bitching about something or someone. Just remember the cyber world and brick and mortar world are not the same. That old faceless anonymity we gain online is the dividing line in "business". It can create histrionic personalities and a rude boldness that a face to face or phone call to phone call will not.

My intial contacts are mostly by phone, but then its followed up by a site visit. You get to know them as individuals and account for their personal tastes and style. The miserable customer certainly does exist Dreamy. I meet them more in the sales job I have. They rarely are people who return again and again.

I like to try and turn people around but some people simply like waking up miserable and going to bed pretty much the same and for those people I prefer to not share air space with them. My deal is this. If I offer you the best product and service I can, keeping in mind you can't please all people all the time, and there are some lost revenue because of a few who are simply terminal whiny asses, such is life in general and in business. Now if I am offering a free service and you still piss and moan I will be even less gracious.

 

[saveliberty]

So my landscape business should do some scientific market research to better understand my customer? Stay on topic people.

I would think.....the topis is your metaphor.

It appears most here want to make it something else. Thread highjacks happen.

 

[Noomi]

I work for myself in a landscape business and also at retail store for large ticket items. In both, listening to the customers is extremely important. Creating a high customer satisfaction score is necessary, even at times when the customer is being difficult or isn't grasping what you're telling them.

Unhappy customers loss of revenue and potentially a business closer. About the last thing you want is to attack a customer's opinion or create a hostile environment. How do you feel about customer service in your world?

If I try and speak to a customer, who refuses to pay any attention to what I am saying, and constantly interrupts me and is difficult, they can go and get fucked.

I have no time for idiots who demand I help them, then refuse to listen to a word I say.