Daily Biz Solutions

On a recent Saturday afternoon, I received an unexpected call from American Express, notifying me of a past due account, a demand of payment on the spot, and a freeze they had put on my other AMEX accounts. Because I’d had this card since 1984, and had never missed a payment, you can imagine my shock (and anger) at getting this call, two days after payment was due.

After going round-and-round with the first operator, I asked to speak to a supervisor. Twenty minutes later, an “account manager” came on the phone; it was clear that he didn’t give a rip about me, my concerns, or my 24-year history with American Express. “If someone with an account with you for 24 years gets treated like this,” I said, “I can’t even imagine how you treat the guy who’s been with you a year.”

Silence.

Then he started up. Telling me how many million card holders American Express had, and how they weren’t required to even call me, but instead COULD HAVE let this go even more delinquent and trash my credit. “Instead of telling me how much worse it could have been,” I said, “how about telling me how much better customer service you could have shown me?”

Silence.

There is no “happy ending” to this story -

But jumping a few days . . . I took my car to a new mechanic who had come highly recommended through word-of-mouth. Not only did he do excellent work at a reasonable price, when I paid he said “Thank you, I really appreciate your business.”

Two days later, I got a postcard from his wife, again thanking me for my business, and reminding me that anytime I needed car work, they’d be happy to assist. They also let me know that they specialize in restoring old cars.

AMEX … the car guy. Hmm … any guesses who’ll continue to get my business? Good customer service –whether online or brick and mortar–only takes a few minutes.

What Are 3 Simple Things You Can Do to Keep Loyal Customers?

1. Like the car mechanic’s wife, send a thank you note or postcard. What’s it going to cost you? A buck at most? Getting a handwritten postcard in this Internet era is almost like the “may we wash your windows” gas station service back in the day. Few do it … and yet taking that extra minute will bring you a loyal client for years to come.

2. Keep in touch–and I don’t mean continuous autoresponder letters to sell something. A real estate agent I know sends a monthly newsletter – not about which property you should buy from her, but tips for things like weatherproofing your windows, or how your house can have better curb appeal. When I’m ready to buy or sell a house, who do you think is going to get my call?

3. Go the extra mile. If you know that an extra 5 or 10 minutes of your time will make a real difference with your client’s success, why not Just Do It! The personal time you give to someone who needs your help will mean more than all the products in the world.

What Next, Marketer?
Go forth and make a customer happy!

Nancy Hendrickson, The Web 2.0 Writing Strategist, helps entrepreneurs grow their business to its fullest potential. If you’re ready to flip your success switch, visit Nancy at http://www.nancyhendrickson.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Hendrickson

Does your organization participate in trade shows? Is this type of event marketing a major component of your lead generation strategy? If so, you know just how important trade show exhibits are to your company’s success at these types of events. At trade shows, there are so many vendors vying for consumer attention that it’s essential to make sure that your display makes you stand out in a positive way. There’s no sense in investing time, energy, and financial resources in trade show marketing if you aren’t going to utilize a top notch display.

When selecting your exhibit, keep in mind that the table covers you choose are just as important as the actual exhibit. Even when covers are included in the vendor fee, you should really consider selecting your own to use instead of or in addition to the ones that come with your exhibit. After all, the covering for your table forms the basis for your exhibit and can lead to a display that stands out, or one that makes you blend in with the rest of the exhibitors.

Your table top display is, of course, also very important. Select a unit that sends the right message about your company. Make sure it is eye catching, but in good taste. Also ensure that it tells the story that you are trying to get across to the attendees. The table top display must catch the attention of the right people, drawing them to you so that you have an opportunity to introduce your company’s products or services and begin forming a relationship.

Does your job involve purchasing industrial supplies and materials? If so, there’s a good chance that you’re always on the lookout for quality materials at an affordable price, available from a reliable source that has a great reputation. No matter what kinds of materials, fittings, valves, or flanges you have a need for, there’s a good chance that Advanced Global Materials has the capability to meet your demands.

It’s hare to beat the quality, responsiveness, and pricing that Advanced Global Materials can provide. With global capabilities, this company is a global leader in meeting the needs of industrial fabrication and repair clients. If you’re looking for quality, pricing, dependability in a one stop resource, you aren’t likely to find a better solution that what Advanced Global Materials can provide. Before you source your next project, be sure to check out what the company has to offer. Your likely to find that there’s no better resource for finding the raw materials that you need to fill your orders and complete your projects.

Stress is recognized as the number one killer today. The American Medical Association has stated that stress is the cause of 80-85% of all human illness and disease. The good news is we can do something about it.

Stress sends our bodies into an alarm reaction also called fight or flight response, and the body releases adrenaline, causing muscle tension, raised heart beat, increased breathing and perspiration, eyes dilate and the stomach may clench.

If the cause of the stress is not removed the body runs our of its reserve of body energy and immunity, and the body experiences “adrenal exhaustion”. This leads to decreased stress tolerance, progressive mental and physical exhaustion, illness and collapse.

Running on Adrenaline

Adrenaline is designed to give us the energy necessary to survive life-threatening situations. When we are in a state of constant anxiety, the adrenal glands work overtime. Many of us are so tired out by our busy lives that we maintain an anxious state just to get the extra boost. We may even become dependent on adrenaline as our primary source of energy.

The problem is that our bodies are designed to use adrenaline only occasionally, for short periods of time. Overusing it stresses the adrenal glands, causing a variety of health problems — some of them serious.

Some of the ways we keep our adrenaline pumping are:

Rushing from one task to another
Living with a constant hum of anxiety – the feeling that there is something we should be doing.
Tolerating poor sleep patterns.
Constantly checking voice or e-mail.
Consuming junk food, caffeine and sugar.
There are several tangible steps you can take to slow down:
Get a physical that includes an adrenal stress index saliva test.
Slow down in everything you do: walking, talking, writing, etc.
Practice deep breathing.
Take a warm bath.
Use relaxation tapes.
Remove distractions (such as ringing phones, TV, etc.)
Clear away clutter to create visual clarity.
Shut the office door.
Check your voice/e-mail only at appointed times.
Do not schedule appointments back to back.
Stop juggling tasks – do complete work.
Maintain boundaries — start saying no.

Challenge

Pick two items from the above list to experiment over the next 7 days and of course if they help put them into daily practice.

Purchase a journal to record your experiences.
Set aside time for yourself. Use your calendar to block out “time” for yourself every week for the next three months. An hour a week that you do not allow yourself now will turn into sacred time that you truly look forward to.

Donna Amos
Business Coach and Strategist
Infinite Possibilities Coaching

http://www.donnaamos.com

[email protected]

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Donna supports solopreneurs while they create incredible profitable businesses while maintaining balance in their lives. Email her to learn how she can help you create a successful business.

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