eBay and Customer Service

Good customer service is no less important online than in any other business.

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eBay

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If you are running an eBay business, you may not realize that the need for great customer service still exists - even for online auctions. When a buyer receives quality customer service from you, they will potentially do one of two things - or both. They will give you great feedback, and they may look for more of your auctions in the future. If you hope to make a living from eBay, you have to stop thinking of it as an "auction" and start running it like a "business."

If you owned a brick and mortar business, how would you treat your customer while they were standing at your counter, waiting for you to finish ringing up their order? You would be helpful and respectful of course! You would do everything that you could to guarantee that customers return to your establishment in the future. You would bend over backwards to make sure that their buying experience with you was both satisfactory and enjoyable. Why would you do any less at the close of one of your eBay auctions?

First, act quickly at the close of your auctions. Contact the winner, and congratulate them. Describe the item they have won and how the item will be shipped - even if this information is already part of the description for the auction. Remind them of their winning bid amount, and give them payment options and instructions. Let them know when the item will be shipped.

Close your email by thanking them for participating in your auction. You might even take this opportunity to tell them about other open auctions that you have as well. Think of this contact with the winner as a conversation that you are having with a customer who is standing at your counter in that imaginary brick and mortar store.

Once the payment and shipping details have been taken care of, contact your buyer again. Let them know when the item was shipped - the exact date and time - and when it is expected to arrive on their end. During this contact, let them know that if they have any problems or questions, that they should contact you through the eBay site. If they do contact you in the future, make sure that you answer promptly, and that you do all that you can to make them happy with their purchase - even if it means issuing a refund.

Yes. You should be open to issuing refunds, depending on what the item is. Furthermore, you should issue refunds promptly. Of course, it is reasonable to expect the buyer to return the item to you, at your expense, before the refund is issued - but once you receive the item, issue the refund promptly. This is just good business!

Christian Services: Service or Using Others?

Are Christians taking advantage of other Christians in business by expecting a discount? If you are a Christian are you obligated to finding a Christian for products and services? This bold article takes an honest look at Christian business ethics.

Keywords:

service, services, christian, christian business, christian business directory, christian business opportunity, christian business network, christian business ethics, christian business opportunity

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I know a good Christian lady who cuts hair for a living. That’s her occupation. That’s how she makes a living. She is very good at it. Why is it that when Christians come to her shop they expect a “discount” just because they go to the same Church that she attends? There are some who refer to this practice as a “believer discount”.

Now I am not opposed to finding discounts and deals, but not at someone else’s expense. If someone decides that they want to give me a haircut at no charge, or half price, out of love, then that’s fine. But to just expect that Christian businesses are supposed to give discounts to all the “brothers and sisters” is not love. It’s actually an indication of a poverty mind set. I’ll explain that later.

For me to think that my Christian brothers and sisters are obligated to give me a cheaper price is selfish and it takes money away from them. Suppose you couldn’t find a Christian for the service or product you needed? What would you do? You would end up paying someone the price they charged.

I know some Christians who are very good at doing car repairs and some of them even do it as a business. And hardly a week or two goes by that another Christian asks them for help in fixing their car, expecting to pay little or nothing for services rendered. That is very selfish and, again, an indication of a poverty mentality.

Here’s a startling thought: pay your Christian brother or sister more than they normally charge! Now that’s a concept that has love written all over it. Why would you do that? First of all it is indeed a blessing to have a Christian provide a service or a product. If they operate their business with integrity and love, that love will have an impact on my life. Secondly, by believing God’s promises of abundance you can go over and beyond and give more to the person who is providing you the service or product. That increases their prosperity. But, if you have a poverty mentality, you are always looking for someone to charge you less for everything and expecting any Christian to give you a discount. Why not believe God’s promises of prosperity, receive His abundance, and then share that abundance with others?

Now I would rather pay a Christian for a product or service, but there is another side to this coin. Just because I am a Christian does that mean I have to find another Christian to provide my products and services? Suppose I know a Christian who could get the job done, but not with the quality I require? Am I obligated to hire a Christian anyway and then have inferior work done? Some say that would be the “Christian thing to do.” I say, “No.”

If I hire you to fix my car I am expecting you to know what you are doing and to do it right the first time. If that doesn’t happen then I have wasted the money God gave me to steward, not to mention the time that I have lost. Perhaps the “Christian thing to do” would be to be honest and tell someone that their work is not the quality that it could be. Instead of feeling obligated to hire them, why not give them some money so that they can get the training they need so they can do quality work? Feeling sorry for someone and then having them do a job that they or someone else will need to re-do it is not helping my brother or sister.

As a final thought, why shouldn’t Christian businesses be the best businesses on the face of the earth? That takes a lot more than just having a Christian sounding name. It means quality work. It means integrity and honesty. It means operating biblical principles of giving more value. Having a Christian business reflects back on our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, whether we own a business or are simply employed by someone, the “Christian thing to do” is to work heartily, ethically, and honestly with the love of God. Our light should so shine that everybody, Christians and non-Christians alike want our products and services.

Customer Service Leads to Customer Loyalty

All customers want and expect superior customer service, and it is all too important that we give it to them. Otherwise, our competition will.

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Sales, marketing, loan officer, mortgage, leads, telemarketing, skills, training, communication, selling

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Customer Service Leads to Customer Loyalty

All customers want and expect superior customer service, and it is all too important that we give it to them. Otherwise, our competition will.

Your customer doesn’t want to be treated like another statistic along an assembly line. They want to be treated with respect. It is very important that your customer realizes just how important their business is to you.

Imagine if you were a daily customer at a bank, restaurant, or some other establishment. And every day that you walked in, a sales associate would take care of your business, than hurry you out the door, without so much as a hi, bye, or even making eye contact for that matter.

Okay, so you don’t necessarily go to these places to make new friends, but you would think that the experience could be just a little bit positive.

Maybe this isn’t enough to make someone take their business elsewhere. However, it just might if they were approached by your competition, and your competition gave them an idea of just how the grass can be greener on the other side, and managed to swipe that customer from you. And if they did, would you even realize it?

The most important thing to your customer when doing business is customer service. People want to be treated with respect. They want to be addressed by name, they want their phone calls returned, and they want their problems resolved in a timely fashion.

Customer service, believe it or not, is more important to people than the amount of the product, or the over all fees’ they have to pay.

So before you discuss pricing, give them great customer service up front.

When I was in banking, I had an elderly couple take their business to a new bank that just opened across the street offering all kinds of special promotions at their grand opening. They happened to be very good customers of mine, and they were sad to go. They told me that the new bank was able to offer them the same products I could, except the products were free.

I told them that although the products may be free, they would never experience the customer service there that they received here.

They understood, but left by telling me that it just made economic sense for them to leave.

A month later, they came back. Needless to say, they were not happy with the other bank’s customer service.

I wasn’t at all surprised and was only too happy to have them back.

Excellent customer service is a great way to build customer relationships, and also build customer loyalty.


When I say customer loyalty, I mean they won’t be so quick to jump ship when approached by your competitor.

People love to have the peace of mind that whatever product or service they have with you is secure with you. They like knowing that if ever there is a problem, or if they have a question, you will be there to resolve their issue, regardless of what it may be.

Excellent customer service also leads to loyalty because if your customers like the way you treat them, they will be happy to refer their friends and family to you.

Providing excellent customer service to gain loyalty is quite easy. People love to be greeted by name along with a smile. They love to have their problems resolved quickly, so make sure they know that they can depend on you. They like to have their phone calls returned, so return them.

Customer service is key to retaining your customers, and obtaining all of their business. It is also a great way to obtain referrals from them.

Trust me, treat your customers the way you would treat your friends or family and they will stick with you forever, and provide you with a lot of business. Good luck.

This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.

Customer Service Strategies on eBay

Customer service is important on eBay. Buyers rate their satisfaction with sellers, and your rating can make a difference on whether potential customers are willing to buy from you.

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start home business, e-commerce,eBay,customer service

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Copyright © Michael Hehn, Online-Profit-4-You

Customer service is important on eBay. Buyers rate their satisfaction with sellers, and your rating can make a difference on whether potential customers are willing to buy from you.

Customer service strategies on eBay start by providing an accurate product description. Displaying clear pictures and describing any imperfection shows the buyer what to expect. It's much better for customer satisfaction if the buyer receives a product in better shape than he expected than if you oversell and disappoint your customer.

Customer service strategies on eBay include acknowledgement of the winning bid and prompt shipping information. Use an automated response to let the buyer know you have received his bid. Acknowledgement payment quickly. Ship immediately, and inform the customer when the product is shipped. Customer service strategies include providing a tracking link to the product whenever possible.

Some eBay sellers offer free shipping as a customer service strategy. If you charge for shipping, don't charge much above shipping costs. Customers notice the postage cost and will likely complain if the shipping and handling is several dollars over. They understand the cost of materials, but they don't want to pay for your time to package the product.

Customer service stategies on eBay include a return policy. It is worth it to accept returns any time a customer asks. You can probably resell the item, and receiving a good rating is worth the cost and hassle.

Customer service strategies on eBay are not any different than traditional online stores. Make sure the product is as good as you say it is, don't inflate shipping and handling, ship quickly, and have a liberal return policy. This is the way to achieve high customer service ratings.

Customers Who Rave About You and Your Service

According to customer service studies by marketing gurus of the world, here are the following qualities, which must be present in your life and your business in order to develop raving fan customers who are not just satisfied but completely loyal to you over the long haul.

Keywords:

business, marketing, customer service, satisfaction, personal level, return policy, hours of operation, guarantee, warranty, value

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According to customer service studies by marketing gurus of the world, here are the following qualities, which must be present in your life and your business in order to develop raving fan customers who are not just satisfied but completely loyal to you over the long haul.

1. People want you to show an interest in their lives.
You not only know about their business, you know about their families, the hobbies they enjoy, and their life experiences. You know when they have had a win or a wow in their business, the birth of a new child, or a milestone celebration around the corner.

2. People want you to be quick!
People want their products and services yesterday, not tomorrow or 3 - 4 days down the road. In today's fast paced world, if you take more than 24 hours to respond to a request from a client, there is a very likely chance that he/she will find someone else to take your place. These are no longer the days of the Pony Express. These are the days of overnight service by Fed Ex, Palm Pilots that call personal messaging systems, high speed internet connections, and fax machines galore. Be quick and be energetic, or you will fall behind in a flash.

3. People want you to be very available.
People are tired of automated message machines or the words “Press 1 for Bob Smith, press 2 for customer service, press 3 if you speak Spanish…press 4 if you want to hire another company!” There is very little excuse for not being available. Provide your customers with your business phone, mobile phone, fax machine, e-mail address, and your physical mailing address. If you live alone, work out of your home and don't want to share your home office address, then get a P.O. Box. Your customers want to know that they can reach you when there is a problem or a concern with their product or service.

4. People want a friendly voice and a warm smile.
The first rule of customer service when you meet any person or when you answer the phone is to grin from ear to ear. If you are not smiling, this will come across over the phone and will definitely be seen and noticed in public, so get busy being happy when you are out and about and when you are engaging in a phone conversation. If you have a virtual company, put a fun photograph or a 5 x 7 card on your desk that says, “Smile…Today is a great day.”

5. People would rather you under promise and over deliver.
Customers never forget a mistake or your delaying their product or service. If you promise something on Friday, and you deliver it the next Tuesday, they will tell the world about you…in reverse referral. They will tell the whole city that you were late, and there won't be one thing you can do to reverse the negative publicity around your delay. Do not make promises that you cannot fulfill. Let the customer know that you will get them their product or service beyond the time that you know you can actually make it happen. When they receive it early, they will be pleasantly surprised, and will tell the world how wonderful and quick you are!

6. People want you to help them…they don't want to be sold.
Hey folks…people do not like pushy people. Your job as a business owner is to continue to add value to the lives of your clients without pushing a new product, service, or extra fee on them before they are ready. The bottom line: Don't be a pushy pest! It will drive folks away in a heartbeat.

7. People want to hear you say, “Yes, I can do that.”
People don't want to hear dumb excuses. Customers and clients of today are smart and savvy, and when they call for help, the last thing they want to hear is:
“That's not my job.”
“I can't answer that, because I don't know the answer.”
“Can I put you on hold?”
“My policy does not allow for that.”
“I'm sorry...that is the best I can do. I am only human.”
And the frustration begins to build.
People don't want to hear your problems. They want their problems fixed. There is always some sort of solution, even if you cannot fix the problem! You will win points forever with comments like:
“You are absolutely right. I will get the answer to your problem by the end of the day.”
“I thank you for your concerns. I am going to incorporate your idea as a way so that it works for us all.”
“This is Sally Jones. How may I help you today?”
“I do not provide that service, but I have 15 people on my team who do work with that. May I refer you to one of these men or women?”

8. People want to know that you are highly trained and skilled.
Are you continuing your training? Are you working with a coach? If not, your customers will know it in a heartbeat. Your clients want to know that you are on the cutting edge and that you are constantly devoted to the highest level of learning and training made available. To begin with, get the training…incorporate training monthly, then let your clients know what you are learning. You can show your clients how you continue your training through monthly announcements in your newsletter, e-mails about your schedule, and through blogging.

9. People want you to drop the “nit picking.”
If you are charging nickels and dimes for added extras such as an additional ten minutes on the phone or for each document you send a client, you will be viewed as “cheap,” and this will leave a bad taste in the mouths of your clients. Remember…these nickel and dime expenses can add value to the lives of your clients and will create walking billboards for your business.

10. People want to hear the magic words “Thank-you.”
This is music to a client's ears. Say it with sincerity, and say it often. Your clients are allowing you to own and operate and business and to earn money doing it, so thank them again and again for what they add to your life.


© Copyright 2004 Alicia Smith

Customer Service Skills Training and ROI

Statistics consistently reinforce that the biggest challenge in today’s contact center environment is agent training. Turnover continues to be high; new hire costs are on the rise—I’ve seen anywhere from $6500 to $10,000 quoted per agent! At the same time, losing customers because of bad call experiences negatively impacts your bottom line. What can you do? How do you justify the training expenditure?

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customer service

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Statistics consistently reinforce that the biggest challenge in today’s contact center environment is agent training. Turnover continues to be high; new hire costs are on the rise—I’ve seen anywhere from $6500 to $10,000 quoted per agent! At the same time, losing customers because of bad call experiences negatively impacts your bottom line. What can you do? How do you justify the training expenditure?
Research has been making a case for how spending in human performance areas such as training, translates into bottom line growth. Accenture's study on the impact of training on ROI has some interesting results. (Smith, David. Y. and Waddington, Ted. Running Training Like a Business: Determining the Return on Investment of Your Learning Programs, Outlook Point of View, March 2003.)
First, in the area of recruitment, training opportunities were among the top three criteria people considered when deciding where they want to work (the others are the opportunity for advancement and a good benefits package).
In the area of productivity, as a result of training, employees were:
17% more productive
20% higher performance levels relative to their peer group
Stayed with the company 14% longer
In the area of retention, employees who had access to the training were:
More than 2 times more likely to expect to be with the company in 2 years
More than 6 times more likely to think the company is a 'great place to work'
More likely to think they are fairly compensated
Dollar figures associated with their statistics for a fiscal year report the annual per person net benefit or $25,324. They multiplied this number by their 50,000 employees yielding a companywide benefit of training of $1.26 million. By dividing the benefit by the cost of one year of training ($358 million), researchers concluded that the ROI (at Accenture) is 353%.
Negative Customer Service Experiences?
How many of you know (and track) what percentage of your calls are bad experiences? Hopefully, you do know the number, and they’re in the low single digits.
In a recent study, in answer to (1) did the agent satisfy your needs in the call, and (2) based on any negative experience, would you stop using this company and go to the competition? the results were:

Ages Would Stop Using the Company in the Future
18 - 25 100%
26 - 35 97
36 - 45 53
46-55 50
56-65 33
Over 65 63
Source: 2003 Purdue University/BenchmarkPortal.com
As you can see, there is a strong correlation between participant's age and his/her tendency to stop using the company after a bad experience. Notice that younger participants were less tolerant, more likely to go to the competition, and those over 65 are more demanding that those in middle age.
Therefore, it's very important to take great care of your younger callers so as to maintain their loyalty. Callers above 36 have more of an 'emotional bank account' with the company they're dealing with-probably had some good experiences and are more willing to 'forgive' a bad one.
If you know your percentage of bad experiences, put a dollar amount on that call and then total it out for the year. I think you'll be very surprised at the amount of lost revenue. Now if you have a 1% improvement, as a result of a training initiative for example, the amount of recovered revenue (and customers) is very encouraging.
This is just another means to tie soft skills to ROI, and to include your front lines as part and parcel of the revenue-producing operation of your companies.
Customer Satisfaction Driver #1

We all know first call resolution (one and done) is the #1 driver for customer satisfaction with best practices reported at 86%. However, if your center is at 86%, this means that 14% of your customers are contacting you more than once to resolve their issues! This not only frustrates your CSRs and yourselves, but your customers as well. Repeat calls are costly not only to operations and the bottom line, but they negatively impact customer satisfaction, and ultimately, customer loyalty.

How do you define first call resolution? And how do you—if you do—calculate it? Research shows that there is no common measuring method. However, what gets measured gets managed, and what gets managed gets better.

In a recent study (Ascent Group) more than 90% of companies measuring first call resolution reported improvement in their performance. Another study (callcentres.com) reported a dramatic fall in call volume—identifying that a minimum of 20% of all calls were repeat calls from customers needing an answer or help they didn’t get. Further, that the absence of first call resolution was found to account for a minimum of 30% of a call center’s operational costs!

The bottom line: Invest in your people—give them the training, the tools, and the authority to get their job done right the first time. After all, CSRs are the interface who handle customer issues. One of the foremost methods to boost customer satisfaction—and improve first call resolution—is to consistently and ongoingly train, train, train your CSRs in world class customer service skills.

Exceptional eCustomer Service - In 4 Simple Tips

How would your customers rate their experience on your “Contact Us” page? Here are 4 tips to help you create an e-commerce experience that keeps customers in love with you after a service mishap.

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customer service

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Two weeks ago I scribed a note of praise for Office Depot on PlanetFeedback.Com. Two hours later I got a personal response from Office Depot’s executive office. Last Friday I logged a complex complaint via email to my wireless phone company. Less than 3 hours later a researched response landed in my email box. It wasn’t the response I hoped for, but it was a timely response. Both companies exceeded my expectations of timeliness and personalization of response. How would your customers rate their experience on your “Contact Us” page? Here are 4 tips to help you create an e-commerce experience that keeps customers in love with you after a service mishap.

1. Prominently display phone number. Many customers visit your “Contact Us” page for the sole purpose of locating a phone number. Don’t force your customers to fill out a form or contact you via email if they want to personally talk with you. Your phone number, preferably toll-free, should be prominently displayed on your home page and on your “Contact Us” page.

2. Create a list of Frequently Asked Questions. Identify the top 5 – 10 questions or complaints logged on your website and post them with answers. This will be a time saving convenience for customers and reduces your email/call volume. Amazon.com has one of the best FAQ sections I’ve seen on the web. When visitors click Help on www.amazon.com, they are soon viewing a page of more than 50 frequently asked questions and answers. Visitors almost never have to contact Amazon.com directly for assistance.

3. Develop response standards. In 1998 I conducted an informal survey by shopping customer service departments on the Internet. In my survey, in which I logged complaints or posed questions, 60% of the companies didn’t even bother to respond. Of those that did respond, the average response time was 4.5 days. Today, e-commerce customers will not give you days to respond. They expect a response within hours. Determine your response targets and then line up systems and processes to deliver your goal. Keep in mind that your initial e-response should never be delivered more than 24 hours after the customer contacts you.

4. Dedicate staff to email response. Well-intentioned companies are failing customers miserably because their representatives are juggling too many tasks. Customer Care staff cannot effectively respond to high volumes of phone calls, postal mail and email complaints and maintain quality service standards. If your Customer Care Department is receiving at least 400 email inquiries/complaints monthly, you need at least one person dedicated to reviewing, researching and responding to email complaints and this needs to be their primary job.

Choose The Right Autoresponder Service For Your Web Based Business

Does your business find itself lacking a little in the service department? Are you getting complaints about not getting back to people or do you think that you need to use a newer fresher style of marketing? If so then perhaps it is time that you started looking into one of the many different autoresponder services that are out there. These autoresponder services can change the face of your business and help you to pull in many more sales than you have ever seen in the past. ...

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autoresponder, email follow up, internet, marketing

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Does your business find itself lacking a little in the service department? Are you getting complaints about not getting back to people or do you think that you need to use a newer fresher style of marketing? If so then perhaps it is time that you started looking into one of the many different autoresponder services that are out there. These autoresponder services can change the face of your business and help you to pull in many more sales than you have ever seen in the past. In fact, with a good autoresponder service on your side you could up your business as quickly as in one week.

When it comes to an autoresponder service you need decide on what kind you want. You can get an autoresponder service that will be a software program or one that is an actual autoresponder service. If you choose to purchase autoresponder service programs you will only have to make a one time payment to them. This is usually affordable and simple to do, you will be able to use your autoresponder service programs or scripts as many times as you want and you will never have to pay more than your initial investment.

You can also choose to get an actual autoresponder service. This autoresponder service will save you time and energy in a big way. It is so simple and easy to use an autoresponder service that there is a very good chance that you will never look back. Many people have switched form an autoresponder service to a script and then regretted it.

When you are using a script and something goes wrong you have to figure out where the problem lies and how to fix it. When you are using an autoresponder service they do all of this hard work for you. They find the problem and they fix it for free. This is a great selling point on the part of an autoresponder service, especially if you are new to the entire concept.

When you choose an autoresponder service you will also have the peace of mind knowing that they are keeping on top of all the newest and hottest developments in this industry. Bulk mailing is a growing industry and it is changing all of the time. When you have signed on to an autoresponder service you will have the benefits of getting all of the latest technology. If you are running your own script it will never change on its own and you could be missing out on some powerful autoresponder service features. Features that could change your business for the better.

An autoresponder service is a simple and affordable way for you to keep in touch with potential clients. When you are using an autoresponder service you will always know you are getting your messages out to the public and that you are making a splash, a big one. So find out more about the many great autoresponder services online today.

Customer Relationship Management For A Higher Level Of Customer Service

For businesses large and small, their profitability and success depends upon customer retention, customer relationship enhancements and customer acquisition. This is often known as Customer Relationship Management or CRM. CRM is the managing of all business and interactions with customers. The main purpose of Customer Relationship Management is to allow businesses to better manage their customers through the introduction of reliable systems, processes and procedures for inter...

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customer relationship management,crm,crm software,crm solution,small business crm,online crm

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For businesses large and small, their profitability and success depends upon customer retention, customer relationship enhancements and customer acquisition. This is often known as Customer Relationship Management or CRM. CRM is the managing of all business and interactions with customers. The main purpose of Customer Relationship Management is to allow businesses to better manage their customers through the introduction of reliable systems, processes and procedures for interacting with those customers. A good CRM program helps the business acquire customers and service the customers. Good CRM also helps retain good customers, and identify which customers can be given a higher level of service.

CRM is a complex mix of business processes, enterprise strategies and information technologies, which are used to study customers' needs and behaviors to help businesses develop more substantial relationships with them in order to get greater results.

In the late 90's, customer relationship management mainly consisted of just an index file, an answering machine and a telephone. Today, an advanced CRM system has evolved into an Excel spreadsheet and more. CRM systems normally consist of email and/or snail mail, marketing campaigns, contact manager programs, sales tracking program, and multi-media contact center or voice mail system.

A successful CRM strategy doesn't just mean simply installing and integrating a software package; it also involves a wider approach including modifying business processes based on the needs of customer, training of employees, adopting relevant IT systems and software, and IT services that allows firms to track their CRM strategies.

Good CRM software can help run an entire business by allowing companies to maintain all customer records in one centralized location that is accessible to the whole organization. Front line offices have systems that are set up to collect data from the customers for processing at the data warehouse where data is stored, orders are filled and tracked, and sales data analyzed.

One of the most common causes for customer relationship management system failure is poor data quality, which can be easily avoided. CRM systems are as useful as the information it provides. The old saying "garbage in, garbage out" can be applied to CRM data quality. To ensure good CRM data quality, be sure to input the data accurately; check data entries twice to minimize the possibility of duplication; if there is an error in the provided information or if the information is not complete, then re-establish contact with the customer to recheck the data. Customers generally do not get annoyed at this; instead it makes them more appreciative of the extra customer service.

Easy and free unlimited file hosting service

Maintaining and running a business takes a lot of effort and in today's competitive world, if one does not have an online presence this becomes very difficult. In order to get a website created and functioning, the owner of the business needs to invest a lot of money and time. Everything from hosting the site, to domain name costs money. But for people who are looking for free file hosting, there are many options available today. There are sites which are into offering of free storage space that

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fast download, fast upload, multiple uploads, upload any file types, simultaneously file upload, get file, download free, free downloads, free upload,

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Maintaining and running a business takes a lot of effort and in today's competitive world, if one does not have an online presence this becomes very difficult. In order to get a website created and functioning, the owner of the business needs to invest a lot of money and time. Everything from hosting the site, to domain name costs money. But for people who are looking for free file hosting, there are many options available today. There are sites which are into offering of free storage space that will help in hosting video or music files of any size and format, mp3 or otherwise. Free web storage services are very interesting, it means the user does not have to worry about carrying the files, uploaded software on them, as everything is uploaded and can be downloaded from the web space itself.

Since the uploaded mp3 files, and video hosting files are accessible form everywhere, and that too at any time. This works very well for music file hosting and for data backup as well. Apart from the usual word, music and video files, people can even upload softwares, Adobe PDF formatted files and carry out free software hosting too. Hosting a file means having a space to put your files in, and making it visible to all who access the sit. Almost all the free file hosting services offer unlimited uploads and downloads facility as well. They do however have a policy that says files that have been hosted but not been accessed for over a month or two will get deleted. This again is not followed by all, but most leading hosting sites follow this pattern. This is just to make sure junk files are not taking up space that can be used for other purposes.

The mp3, video and flash files uploaded could be up to 100mb in size, which means even the largest file can be accommodated. They also allow fast web hosting thanks to the bandwidth allotted to the sites, through which the users can access and download the files in no time. For people who are not very comfortable with the computer, they can get a professional or someone they know to do free upload files and store all their movies and images on the web.

Earlier, people used to go in search of Floppy disks and CD's to store their favorite songs and movies, but today thanks to such free hosting facilities, life has become far easier. A person just needs to either remember the site's address or have it mailed to their own account and can access the data from anywhere in the world. They can simultaneously upload multiple files, which means they save time on upload and download. These also give them the flexibility to multi- task and complete numerous tasks within the shortest period of time. Thus, the free and unlimited web hosting services helps out not only businesses but also individuals who have tones of data and other files.

Check Out Your Safety When Looking for Limousine Service

Definitely, you want everybody to notice your arrival at the party you will attend to, so you hire a limousine service. But of course, you have to make sure that the limousine service that you will hire is reliable and dependable.

Keywords:

rental service, limousine, cars autos, vehicles, occassion, events, party,

Article Body:

Definitely, you want everybody to notice your arrival at the party you will attend to, so you hire a limousine service. But of course, you have to make sure that the limousine service that you will hire is reliable and dependable.

If you think that inexpensive and unlicensed service provider can be a convenient and better limo service to hire but then you are wrong. Maybe you are asking why. If in case, there is an accident occur, do that company have contingency plan? Are you sure that this company can be trusted in this kind of situation?

Of course, you have to make sure to pick up the right limousine service, so read on, this article will provide you some tips.

Yes, traveling in style and having a luxury ride are the main reasons why you want to hire a limousine service. There are many types of limousines such as stretched, sedan, SUVs and so on. So you absolutely, need to pick the type and size you need according to the event or party that you are going to attend.

It is not that easy to know that the limousine company is insured and licensed, but of course, you need to know by having the necessary information about the company, you can do this by asking other people who regularly use limousine in your area. Asking for recommendation is one way of having a reliable and dependable limousine company.

You have to contact or visit few limousine companies and ask about their contingency plans, if they have any and ask about the services and rates that they provide for their customers. You also have to ask about the limousines they offer, make sure that the limousines that they have are in good condition. Ask about the driver as well; make sure the driver is professional enough. You also have to check out about their cancellation policies and other policies in order to make sure that there will be no cause of delay or problem in the specific date itself.

You have to make sure that you ask all the valuable information and details, like for instance the payments, if they are accepting credit cards, ask about the down payments, and so on. Prices vary depending on the limousine type and size that you need, so you have to know these things as well. Be an alert and well-informed customer, in order to make sure that you will be having the best out of your money.

You have to check out that you will be having the limousine that you asked for. Check it out beforehand in order to make sure that it is clean and in good condition. Make sure to ask all the necessary questions to the management to avoid any problem and conflict with the limousine company. All of these tips mentioned are helpful to you in order to make sure to have the right limousine service provider that can give you satisfaction and convenience.

Customer Service Done Right

Do you provide a service to your customers? You do, if you do any type of work. Are you interested in setting yourself apart from the pack? If so, you can make more money as long as you are committed to providing service that goes above and beyond what is expected.

Keywords:

customer service, marketing, business development, business marketing, motivational speaking, work

Article Body:

Are you a stickler about receiving top notch customer service? Do you routinely "come through" as a provider of exemplary services to your customers? Chances are you have been greatly disappointed at one time or another regarding the service you received from a salesperson, an internet hosting company, a hair colorist, or any one of thousands of different service providers. Frankly, customer service in many areas -- retail, for one -- isn't what it used to be. However, where there is poor customer service there is also a great opportunity. Read on and I will explain.

Let's say you are in a field that routinely provides so-so service to customers. It could be that customer expectations are low and no one expects top notch service. Maybe most customers are simply "price sensitive" and could care less about how fast or how well you deliver. However, you can bet that there are a percentage of customers out there who appreciate service that goes above and beyond the industry standard. These same customers typically will pay a little extra for service that really serves them. If you can tap into this customer base, you can create a niche, raise your prices, and make more money in the long run.

Depending on your industry, you could command a price premium of 10-25% over the average provider. That may not sound like a lot, but it could spell the difference between eating hamburger or eating steak. I don't know about you, but I would prefer eating steak!

Naturally, providing a high level of customer service means you will have to break a sweat. You may have to happily redo [its all in the attitude, baby!] or improve on an existing project in order to satisfy a good paying customer. This is what sets you apart from the pack.

If you are satisfied with the "status quo" then that's okay too. Just don't expect to have customers beat down your doors for work. At least the better customers will not!

Customer Service in Business

This article gives an overview of the positive effects of having good customer service in the food industry. Return customers, word-of-mouth advertising, and being unique as there has been a decrease of good customer service will be the reward.

Keywords:

concession trailers, concession trucks, concession business, vending

Article Body:

When you begin any business, one of the most important things to remember is that good customer service is a necessity. The food concession business is no different. If anything, it’s more important to be friendly and have a good relationship with your customers because it’s even more difficult to build up a loyal clientele as a mobile food vending business. There are three major reasons to make sure that your employees know how important customer service is. The first is the very simple fact that if customers are treated kindly, they will return. The second is the awesome fact that if they like the customer service, they will recommend your business to others. The final reason to be great in the customer service department is that since good customer service has almost become a thing of the past and your business will stand out for it.

Customer service is a very important aspect of any business and one of the effects of great customer service is that you will have repeat customers. Repeat customers are a commodity that should be valued and catered to. Doing this will make it very easy for the people to want to come back to your establishment. The opposite side is that while many customers are very loyal when a business pleases them, they are also very reluctant to come back if they have a bad experience. You will likely never see the customer again if they have such a bad experience. Even if you make a mistake with an order, if you are quick to cater to the customer, you will see them again, most likely.

Another effect of great customer service is that satisfied customers make for great advertisement. They will be loyal, but they will also tell their friends about your business. This is great because a truly happy customer will find ways to make sure their friends try you too. Once the friends have tried your food and service, the cycle continues. They will return and tell their friends as well. The down side of this is that if your customer service is poor, that will travel even more quickly than a good report. This, in turn, will effect how other potential customers will view your business. Once you have this bad reputation, it’s an uphill battle to get people to stop and try your food.

One final reason to have excellent customer service is because there is hardly any good customer service out there anymore and your business will stand out. If you can do anything to make your business stand out, do it. This is a way to stand out in a good way. For years now, good customer service has been sadly reducing in all kinds of industries. A chance to be a leading customer service business in any industry is a great one and you should take it.

There will always be that one customer that you can’t please. That one person, that no matter what you do, you can’t do the right thing by them. Move on from this customer. Take care of your loyal return customers and try to give them as memorable of an experience that you can. With good customer service and good food, there is no limit to what type of business you can build or the amount of money that you can make.

Computer Consulting: Excellent Customer Service Inspires Growth

Computer consulting clients should have their needs anticipated by your staff. Spend some time evaluating your clients service tickets and consider how you can improve business by doing more computer consulting.

Keywords:

computer consulting, small business computer consulting, IT consulting

Article Body:

From a customer service perspective, what can you do to sell more monitoring and managed services? What would it be worth to a computer consulting client if you could predict and prevent a major problem before it occurred?

For example, if someone incurred $1,700 in billing last quarter due to some virus-related problems, is there something that you could offer them, a solution that you could give them going forward that could have prevented this?

What's The Best Service Choice?

Is it a matter of upgrading them to more complete virus protection? Is it a matter of giving them more thorough end user or internal guru training?

You should be looking at your service tickets and your invoices proactively so you can make some of those suggestions. That’s phenomenal customer service because you’re anticipating your computer consulting clients' needs.

You and Your Computer Consulting Staff Should Be Proactive

The same way that when people are married for a long time, they start anticipating their spouse’s needs, these client relationships evolve over time. You should be able to spot these a mile away as long as you know what you’re looking for.

Also, reward your technical staff for spotting and passing along some of these additional opportunities for you to follow up on. Also compensate your account managers and your technical staff based on their customer satisfaction ratings. These essentially become their report cards.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Customer Service - A Lost Art?

Customer service is a very important part of any business. It can be the determining factor when some one is considering a return visit to your business.

Keywords:

customer service, business, home business, sales, customers

Article Body:

Copyright 2006 Craig Binkley

Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that question, take a moment and think about the last few times you have gone shopping or out to dinner. Okay, now that you have really thought about it, is your answer any different?

Why is it that when we actually DO receive excellent customer service that it makes such an impression on us that we usually choose to go back? Why - because the occurrences are so few and far between!!!

As a home business owner, it is imperative to my business that customer service is ALWAYS a top priority. Remember the saying: “If you don’t take care of your customer, somebody else will”. I’m sure you have read or heard it somewhere before.....and how true it is.

Here are a few ways to improve customer service at your business:

1) SMILE - Sounds too simple, right? As a customer, would you prefer to be serviced by a smiling face, or a scowl that would befit a guard dog?

2) LISTEN - Always be slow to speak and quick to listen. Let customers express themselves without you trying to do it for them. Nobody likes being interrupted.

3) DON’T BE TOO PUSHY - Yeah, I know - the bottom line is sales, right?

There is a fine line between suggesting products/services and pushing them down a customer’s throat. If you are too pushy, your customer will probably walk away and take their business elsewhere.

4) PHONE ETTIQUETTE - Whether you are answering or initiating a call, always remember who the customer is. Be polite. Try “Yes sir/ma’am” instead of “yeah” and “nope”. If you don’t have an answer for your customer - offer to do some research to find what they are inquiring about.

5) THANK YOU - ALWAYS thank your customers. Even if you could not help them or they decided not to purchase from you. Leave them with a positive impression of your business before they leave.

6) TRAINING - Train your employees. Don’t let an untrained employee ruin your track record of excellent customer service. Train your employees on-the-job for as long as necessary to teach them good customer service.

“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” Luke 6:31

In conclusion: Customer service may be THE most important aspect of your business plan. I know of many people who are willing to pay a little more for a product or service in order receive excellent customer care. Price, advertising, and location are all vital to a business---- but whatever you do, don’t overlook the all-important “Good Customer Service”.

Five Customer Service Points for a Credentialing Service

A credentialing verification organization with good customer service responds quickly to questions; has trained staff that is assigned to a particular client; can streamline the credentialing process; has good technology resources; and offers extra support, such as internal audits and tracking license renewals.

Keywords:

physician credentialing,doctors credentials,credentialing process

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Quality credentialing verification organizations (CVO’s) create an environment beyond simply generating credentialing reports for medical providers. A CVO with good customer service responds quickly to questions; has trained staff that is assigned to a particular client; can streamline the credentialing process; has good technology resources; and offers extra support, such as internal audits and tracking license renewals. An emphasis on customer service means that the CVO can supply substantive information and support to establish a true working relationship with a medical organization.

There are five areas of a CVO’s customer service to consider: flexible credentialing processes which can be adapted in response to client needs; a range of quality services; quick responses to clients; individual support; and solid technology practices. Although some service points, such as a fast response to questions, can seem small, these areas display the quality of the CVO, which will define the long-term relationship between the CVO and its clients.

Adapting credentialing services to client needs.
CVOs should be responsive to their clients’ needs. The CVO should be accredited by either accrediting organization: National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) or the Utilization Review Accreditation Councile (URAC) or comply with their credentialing standards. In addition, the CVO should add new credentialing standards for their clients and should also be able to adapt their credentialing processes by adding special criteria or using a subset of criteria. This flexibility includes making recommendations to streamline processes and working with clients to determine what they need rather than following a preset checklist.

Individualized support and quality controls.
Individualized service means that there is a dedicated representative for each client. There should be a known manager to handle difficult situations and an established route to lodge complaints. All personnel should be trained to perform credentialing reports according to the accrediting organization’s standards.

There should also be an established quality control system and regular internal audits for managing feedback, rewarding good service, and evaluating bad practice. The CVO should be able to supply a copy of their quality control policies and practices documentation. If they are accredited by NCQA or URAC, then there is a guarantee that these practices have been reviewed and audited and that their service meets industry standards.

High quality services.
Two attributes of quality work are timeliness and thoroughness. Good CVOs will return credentialing reports as quick as industry norms, meaning around 60 days for hospital standards (JCAHO) and 30 days for managed care standards (NCQA and URAC). The credentialing reports will also be complete – no missing data or criteria and with full supporting documentation. CVOs should have an established maximum number of requests they make to organizations for information and other avenues of finding information. Problem files should be brought immediately to the review committee’s attention. All of these practices work together to make a thorough credentialing report.

Additionally, good CVOs offer services such as tracking licensing dates and requirements (expirables) and disciplinary actions by various organizations (surveillance); consulting and training classes about credentialing processes; and support during internal audits.

Quick response to client contact.
Good CVOs respond to questions within 24 hours. They should answer any questions fully and as quickly and directly as possible rather than postponing or transferring them.

Technology resources.
CVOs should be using the most recent technology, such as databases, paperless credentialing, and web access with adequate security and access control.

Customer service is key to creating a good relationship between CVOs and medical organizations. Quality control policies, flexible credentialing processes and criteria, quick response time, good technology use, and responsiveness to questions and requests are five major areas where a CVO develops good customer relations. All these areas mean the CVO is responsive – that the CVO is paying attention to individual customer needs and consistently doing its best to meet them.

Customer Service for Business Phone Systems

Working in a law office often means long hours and late nights, especially doing probate work. Getting in before seven A.M. and staying until well past business hours, I assumed that I would always be available for whoever might call me. Recently, my office switched our business phone system and I started to notice a drop in the number of calls I was receiving each day.

Keywords:

Telephone, telephones, phone, phones, telephone systems, telephone system

Article Body:

Working in a law office often means long hours and late nights, especially doing probate work. Getting in before seven A.M. and staying until well past business hours, I assumed that I would always be available for whoever might call me. Recently, my office switched our business phone system and I started to notice a drop in the number of calls I was receiving each day. It was such a change, in fact, that I was able to get my work finished much earlier than usual. I never considered that it could be our phone system and simply chalked it up to good luck. Little did I know that I was missing several calls from important clients who had almost all left voicemail messages that I hadn't been receiving. A couple of weeks after he new phone system was installed, I ran into one of these clients while in court, who kidded me about being too busy to get back to her. It was then that I realized there must have been a problem.

The next day when I returned to the office, I asked my associates if they had experienced similar problems. They hadn't, but they suggested I call the company who sold us our phones and equipment to see what could be done. I called, and within twenty minutes, the problem was fixed. Apparently, my voicemail was being sent to another place. The service representative explained in detail how to do a simple diagnostic to see if my messages were going where they were supposed to. When I found that they weren't, he explained how to change the settings to solve the problem. While I now have a lot of calls to catch up on, I am grateful that the company we went with for our new phone system provides such competent customer service. I think that in the phone business, as in any business, it is paramount to success.

Butchering Customer Service

It’s one thing to be attentive and meet customers’ needs; it’s another to be so present and "in their face" that customers think you want them to adopt you. This article will help you understand the difference so that your customers will continue to reward you with loyalty.

Keywords:

customer service training

Article Body:

All businesses strive to provide excellent customer service, but there’s a fine line between service and servility. Extreme servility is called obsequiousness. Now there’s a word for you to know. Even if you don’t know what it means, you’ve experienced it—maybe in a restaurant, a clothing store, a car dealership, anywhere where employees hope that by virtue of their attention they will make sales or garner large tips. It’s one thing to be attentive and meet customers’ needs; it’s another to be so present and “in their face” that customers think you want them to adopt you.

A few months ago, I ordered a gift of steaks and roasts from a meat mail order business for some family members. When no acknowledgement came, I called to find out if they had gotten their present. As it turned out, the parcel delivery service had left the package at the wrong address, but the people who had received it in error were honest enough to immediately call the intended recipients to let them know about the mix up.

The only person who had made a mistake was the delivery man who’d misread the mailing label, and no one ever heard a word out of him or his company. The same can’t be said for the meat company. In its relentless pursuit to keep customers satisfied, company representatives started calling me—daily—to make sure I was still happy and to see if I didn’t want to order more meat.

After the umpteenth call that resulted in no additional purchases from me, I asked to have my name and number removed from the calling list. Being nice hadn’t worked. Maybe some force would be more effective. Keep in mind I had had absolutely no beef with the mail order company until now. It was at this point, however, that customer service attention turned into customer obsession.

I thought I’d gotten the point across, but about a week later I started receiving calls at my work number. When I would take advantage of the caller ID feature on my phone, I saw an area code and number I didn’t recognize. I answered in my usual way, but each time the caller said nothing and simply hung up. This happened several times until I checked the number and discovered it was the cattle crew. This was out of control. I’d said no from my home number. The answer wasn’t going to be any different on my business line. Now they were intruding on my work day without saying a word.

One final call (and I emphasize the word final) came at 9:17 p.m. last week. Dinner was long over, and no one in the house was thinking about food, especially not about T-bones. No one was consciously thinking about anything since we were all asleep. It had taken almost an hour to get the three-year-old to quit fussing about having to go to bed, but at last he’d drifted off. That is, until the phone rang. I was roused from a very deep sleep by the phone ringing and our child yelling for Mommy.

Too unawake to check the caller ID, I answered. To my utter amazement, it was another company rep wanting to know if I was ready to order more filets. It was time to take this bull by the horns. “No,” I said, “not now, not ever again!” I can’t remember exactly, but I’m sure I pointed out that I’d asked to have my name and number removed from their list. That he had had the audacity to call so late in the evening was absolutely beyond my comprehension.

This experience is a clear illustration of how customer service can go terribly wrong. Probably part of this was due to someone misreading the data and assuming that since I had placed a substantial order, I would likely do so again. Who knows? Maybe I would have at a later time, but the “overkill” from the sales staff turned out to be a deal breaker as far as I’m concerned.

Let this be a cautionary tale for any businesses out there that think “hard selling” is going to work every time. In many cases it will backfire and have just the opposite effect from the one you want.

I’ve recently conducted a less-than-statistically-valid study polling people (my office manager, my aunt, and a very nice woman behind me in a line at Safeway) about customer disservice. Although not all the results are in, here are ten tips to take to heart to keep your customers truly satisfied:

1. Just because your business model says customers should, in all probability, be interested in buying something, don’t assume they’re kidding when they tell you no.

2. Limit unsolicited calls to the same person.

3. Call at a reasonable time.

4. After you hear “Hello,” really listen to what the other person says to you.

5. Don’t argue when the customer says “no.”

6. Honor the customer’s wishes.

7. If you are offering service to someone in person, be available, but don’t hover.

8. An internet order does not give you authorization to call someone at home or work to offer add-on purchases or services.

9. Know that a lot of people have caller ID, so don’t call and hang up without saying something.

10. Ask yourself: Would you want to get the call you’re getting ready to make?

This is just a starting point. Maybe you have some pet peeves of your own. If so, send them to our website. There are plenty of people we like to hear from. Just don’t contact me about buying anything that was standing on four legs and had a pulse until recently. I’m now a vegetarian thanks to the last person who did!

For San Diego, North County Residents: How to Choose the Right Carpet Cleaning Service

Tips for San Diego residents on how to choose the right carpet cleaning service...

Keywords:

carpet, cleaning, cleaner, san diego, north county, encinitas, carlsbad, rancho santa fe, solana beach, cardiff, del mar

Article Body:

Having a clean, fresh smelling home or office can be achieved with something as simple as having the carpet cleaned occasionally. By keeping the carpet clean, you're also reducing dust, dust mites, and harmful allergens. The air is fresher because the carpet will no longer have a huge amount of built-up dust particles. When dust is built-up in the carpet, it's being released in the air as you walk on it - even if you can't see it. Persons with allergies will benefit tremendously from a professional carpet cleaning.

How to Clean Your Carpet

There are two ways to clean the carpet. One, you can rent a steam cleaner and do it yourself. Two, you can hire a professional carpet cleaning service in the San Diego area. Cleaning the carpet yourself can take many hours, so it might be best to hire a professional carpet cleaner if you have a busy schedule.

If you live in the San Diego, North County area and want to find a reliable carpet cleaning service, here are some important facts you should know.

Not All Carpet Cleaners are Created Equal

Check with the cleaning service to see what type of carpet cleaners they use. There are several ways to clean carpet. One is the dry-chem method in which a cleaning chemical is sprayed onto the carpet, and then removed with a machine. No water is used so the soapy residue remains after the cleaning. The disadvantage of this method is the machine does not rinse with water and it does not clean deep into the carpet - it only cleans the surface.

Another popular method is steam cleaning. There are several types of steam cleaning: portable machine method, truck-mounted unit method, and the Dri-Steam method. With a portable machine, the carpet can stay wet for days after the cleaning. Also, the machine runs off an outlet plug-in in your home.

With the truck-mounted method, a very powerful unit is used and powered by the truck. In this method, cleaning chemicals are washed out of the carpet using soft hot water. The carpet dries much faster than with portable machines, and it doesn't leave a residue behind after the cleaning. This is the preferred method of professional carpet cleaners.

There's also the more recent Dri-Steam method, which also uses a truck-mounted unit, but with a jet-less rotary cleaning tool. With this method the carpet dries faster than any other - in one to three hours!

Be sure to choose a professional carpet cleaning service that understands these methods and chooses to use only the best. Your carpet will be with you for a long while, so handle cleaning it with care.

Maintaining the Carpet after a Cleaning

Be sure the carpet is completely dry before vacuuming or even walking on the carpet if possible. To keep dust particles down, vacuum the carpet often and change the vacuum cleaner bag often as well. Dust can settle in the bag and release particles into the air as you are vacuuming - defeating the whole purpose of cleaning your carpet!

To keep allergens to a minimum, spray allergen removal chemicals on the carpet and upholstery occasionally. Leave them for a day or two, and then vacuum the carpet. Also, cover heavy traffic areas with rugs to protect the carpet.

While vacuuming the carpet, don't forget to vacuum the furniture and around the windowsills and room corners. Dust and cobwebs accumulate in these areas also.

Choosing a Carpet Cleaner in San Diego

Finding a carpet cleaning service is easier once you understand the types of carpet cleaning available. Wherever you live - San Diego, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Del Mar, San Marcos, La Jolla, Vista, Oceanside, Escondido - there are reliable carpet cleaning services who offer the type of cleanings mentioned above.

Give your carpet a great cleaning and enjoy the fresh, clean air once again!

Customer Service – the Real Estate Revolution

Traditionally, real estate has been viewed as a sales industry. But perceptions are changing. Agents around the country are coming to believe that the key to real estate success is service – not sales.

Keywords:

real estate service, real estate tips

Article Body:

Traditionally, real estate has been viewed as a sales industry. But perceptions are changing. Agents around the country are coming to believe that the key to real estate success is service – not sales.

Competition and technology now give customers almost unlimited choices, so agents are having to work harder and spend more to win listings. They’re discovering that business success comes from repeat business and word-of-mouth.

And customer service is the key.

Loyalty and good-will can’t be bought – not even with the sale of a house. Customers like to be treated with honesty, respect, and integrity. They want a realistic and accurate property appraisal. They want an agent who commits to action. They want to be able to speak to someone who can help them when they call. They want to feel welcome when they walk into the office. They don’t want their intelligence insulted by advertising. They don’t want to be fed a line (even if it is what they’d like to hear…).

Agents with business sense know that if they can provide this customer service – if they can pioneer great customer service in real estate – they’ll have a real edge on their competitors. Far from being an impediment to success, they see today’s marketplace as an opportunity to flourish.

Obviously, the sale is still critical, but it’s part of a greater whole – almost like a critical KPI (Key Performance Indicator). It’s based on the simple premise – serve and you will sell. The premise holds true because all the pre-requisites of a sale are intrinsic to good customer service: The price is realistic, the marketing is intelligent, the advertising appropriate, and commitments are made and kept. Vendors, buyers, landlords, and tenants alike receive the same high level of customer service.

5 Quick Tips for Finding a Service Oriented Agent

1) Ask to see references – It’s not that much different from a job interview. Think of the agent as the job seeker, and encourage them to prove their customer service qualifications. The right agent will be only too happy to provide as many references as you’d care to see.

2) Analyse their business growth – Assuming their references are in order, ask after their business growth. References provide you with qualitative evidence of customer focus. You should supplement this with something quantitative. If the agent is still growing rapidly in today’s environment, then they must be doing something right.

3) Analyse their market share – Like growth, market share can be an indicator of customer focus. Ask what their share of the target market is.

4) Observe their behaviour – Do they return phone calls? Do they commit to action? Do they meet their commitments? Are the punctual? Do they keep you informed? Do they remember important details you provide them?

5) Gauge access to staff – When you first called, did you get to speak to someone who could help you? If not – if they took your name and number and told you they’d get someone to call you back, this might be indicative of their customer service approach.