Guest post by Cory Russum...

Online advertising alone is a multi billion dollar industry, yet I still believe that if you could somehow globalize word of mouth, it would be prove to be much more valuable. I run a moving business in Southern California and I still receive referrals from customers that My Crew and I relocated 3-5 years back. All from word of mouth.

I previously relied solely on the web resource Craigslist for leads. Craigslist is the American Version of Ad Trader Scotland where you can acquire services, buy goods, offer services, etc.. I rarely advertise because I now have the luxury of knowing that clients will be referred to me due to the level of customer service that My Team and I extended to the original clients who are now referring the new clients to us. I stress the words My Team and I because running a business is never a one man show.

Respect the people who assist in making your vision a reality, and in turn they will perform at a high level. Do the aforementioned and your employees will almost assuredly provide great customer service to your clients on your behalf.

Paying for professional advertising services is never a bad idea, but a better idea is to predicate the success of your business on providing Unparalleled Customer Service. Great person to person/persons relations will never fail to produce goodwill and loyalty between the parties. Keep in mind that your customers are paying you for the level of service that they expect in return.

by Cory Russum

I believe that the concept of customer satisfaction must be measured over an extended period of time before an accurate assessment can be made. If you notice that your employees are familiar with many of the patrons who visit your establishment, then that is a good sign that your customers are satisfied with your products or services.

If you sell a product(s), you can make a pretty accurate determination of how satisfied your customers are by the number of returns that are processed each quarter. If returns are low then customers are satisfied and vice versa. If you happen to sell a service, the demand for your service directly correlates with how satisfied your customers are.

In the modern marketplace, customer satisfaction is measured by a quantifiable method called KPI. For those who are not familiar with the KPI definition, it is an acronym for Key Performance Indicators. These indicators are part of a business success model that measures not only customer satisfaction, but also employee satisfaction, which is just as important. Having a viable measuring tool such as KPI allows employers to effectively access statistical information and adjust to market conditions as necessary.

What are your thoughts about measuring customer satisfaction?

When I worked as a salesperson I absolutely hated to have a sales quota.  It was alot of pressure to have to sell a certain amount each day or each week.  The manager would threaten us with a "write up" if we didn't meet that quota. 

Sure, there are some people who were motivated by fear and were able to meet their sales goals, but as for me, I just couldn't work well under that kind of stress.  All I could think about is what would happen if I didn't meet my quota.  I would then approach customers with an air of desperation, pleading with them in my mind to buy something...anything!  Little did I know back then that customers could sense when a sales person is desperate for a sale.  It's a big turn-off.

When it comes to sales training, I think the focus should solely be on teaching sales people how to make a connection with the customer. Take out the pressure of meeting quotas and make it all about communicating and listening well. Oftentimes sales people are so focused on "making the sale" that they are not even listening to the customer's needs or wants.

According to a study published by RainToday.com, 74% of 200 purchasers surveyed said they would be “much more likely” to buy from a sales person if the seller would simply listen to the buyer.

So think about taking away those sales quotas and start focusing on teaching salespeople the power of listening to customers. Having sales goals is fine, but don't put so much stress on the numbers or the "bottom line".

Just a quick note to let you know that I've postponed the Customer Service Carnivale until next Monday, so there's time to submit an article to be included in the next edition!

Welcome to the Customer Service Carnivale, a bimonthly newsletter featuring articles about customer service. This edition contains a good mix of customer service tips and customer service stories that will help you become even more of a superstar business person!

Henry Stern shares a story about Sirius satellite radio that customer service agents for cable and wireless cell phone companies should read.

The folks over at ProBest remind us that in this day and age of the internet, Reputation is EVERYTHING.

Impact Learning Systems reminds us that companies like Rackspace truly understand how to differentiate yourself with customer service. 

Kathy C. presents Work Completion Checklists – 6 Reasons to Use Work Completion Checklists saying, "Using work checklists ensures consistency in practice which translates into predictable processes for the customer."

Anna Farmery says that social media can be the "free trial" for your your business.

Jim Logan shares Don’t overlook the power of testimonials in growing your business saying, "Testimonials and creative guarantees are often overlooked marketing and sales tools available to all businesses. Of all sales tools, I believe testimonials to be most overlooked."

When you're more productive and stress-free, you're more likely to offer better customer service. Here are 10 Stress-Free Ways to Work Productively.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of  customer service carnivale using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

During my two week vacation a couple months ago I did quite a bit of flying on United Airlines.  In general, the airline industry has received a bad rep in the last ten years - raising fares, charging for carry-on baggage, and just plain bad attitudes among airline employees.

I was flying first class from Honolulu to San Francisco not really expecting anything special in terms of service -- well, nothing other than complimentary alcohol and food.  So, just as I was getting settled in, the flight attendant walks over and asks:

"Ms. Palma, would you like something to drink?"

Now that question in and of itself doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary, but as you can see, the flight attendant actually addressed me by name.  I was so taken off guard that all I could do was just stare at her for a moment to allow my mind to wrap around the fact that she had used my name.  Just that simple gesture alone gave her brownie points and put that warm and fuzzy feeling inside me.

If you work in business, ask yourself when was the last time you addressed a customer by name. Don't worry, I'll wait...*tapping fingers*

Remember that by nature, humans are somewhat narcissistic.  We like to hear our names.  We are more likely to buy from you and connect with you on a more personal level when you address us by name.  Any time you're given the chance to use a customer's name, do so.  This should be easy for customer service agents in call centers who bring up customer's information on the computer.  It only takes 2 seconds to look at a customer's account and to take notice of their name.

What are your thoughts about addressing customers by name?

It's been a great summer here in Southern California so far. Hope yours is going good!

Well, after a long hiatus, I'm back and ready to rock and roll with the Customer Service Carnivale. I've received over 80 submissions, but unfortunately I can only include the ones that pertain to customer service. Take some time this week to read these customer service tips, stories, news, and more...

First off, let's start your week with a few good chuckles...Here are 10 reasons why customer service reps aren't so bad.

How do you know if your business is thriving? "Delighted customers" is part of this top 10 list!

Coffee shop customers do love their free wifi, right? Here are 10 reasons why a coffee shop would not have wifi. FYI: If you don't have free wifi, I'm not going into your shop. Just sayin'.

Customer Service Tips

Oh, how I wish more companies would realize this: Customer Satisfaction is the Cheapest Marketing

In order to increase productivity and create a pleasant work environment, it's important to harness the power of your employees. Remember that happy employees make for happy customers!

If you want to improve service through your call center, read How Much Do You Know?

Every business has their "moment of truth", but what if your moment of truth is not what it should be?

Do you work in telemarketing or are you on the phone with customers frequently? Here are 10 Secrets to Cold Calling Customers.

Have you ever stopped to think that you may have rude customers because you have a bad attitude? Seth reminds us of this in Rude A** Customers.

Speaking of attitudes, here are 10 negative attitudes to avoid. Do any of these sound like your coworkers?

There are times when someone at work will criticize you; then you end up taking it out on the customer. Here are some tips on taking criticism.

If you ever have to deal with an unsatisfied customer, you may want to use the "wow gift" to change your customer's outlook.

We all need a refresher every now and then on what customer service is. Jake Thomas shares his 7 tips for amazing customer service. These tips should be in every business' policy book!

Part of offering great customer service is being a productive person. Here are 10 tips on how to be more productive.

How would you describe your company to customers? Jim Logan shares popular marketing-speak that doesn't mean anything.

It's one thing to say that you want a great business where everyone is on the same page, but it's another thing to actually do it. Here's a great article about how to cultivate a successful organizational culture.

Customer Service Stories

Here's a customer service story about Chick-fil-A that will have you also thinking that "perfect" is the only acceptable business performance target.

Don't think that convenience stores offer great service? Think again. Here are some things we can learn from QuickTrip.

Customer Service Tools

There are all kinds of technology these days to keep track of customers and communication channels. Jimson Lee of CRMHelpDeskSoftware.com offers up his dream of the perfect CRM system.

For a long time businesses have lived by the philosophy: "The customer is always right". Well, here are 5 reasons why that philosophy is wrong. What do you think?

If you're looking for a new phone system to communicate with customers, here are 10 online sites for managing your business phones.

Tips and Stories For and About Consumers

Jim A. shares with us a few tips on how to deal with the world of 800 numbers in his post, Navigating the Customer Service Jungle.

I think we can all probably agree that dealing with big cable companies are a huge hassle. Here are 10 Complaints About Qwest's DSL Internet Service.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of customer service carnivale using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.