Customer Comments Your Key To Business Success

The unasked question is an opportunity
missed...

Have you ever asked yourself just why
your customers keep coming back to
your business when there are so many
other sources and services providers
available to them?

An even better question to ask would
be, Why do some customers not come
back?

Knowing the answers to these two
questions tells a lot about your business
and it's success potential. Many of us
trudge along, however, with no clue
whatsoever as to why we're able to
keep the customers we do nor why we
lose the customers we lose. We're
happy for what we've got and we're
willing to "keep on keeping on" as the
saying goes.

Business success requires awareness
on many levels. The most important
levels are those gut-wrenching, mind-
numbing, fear-inducing ones that force
us to face facts with the cold, hard
truth about just how good or bad our
business -- or level of service or quality
of work -- really is. So if you don't
know what your customers really think
about you, now is the time to go out
there and ask them!

That's right, ASK THEM!

Many business owners and managers
don't take the time to really
communicate with their clients once
the business transaction is over, but it's
time well spent. That vital step can
rapidly accelerate your business
growth and expansion.

Don't just put a few customer
comment cards on a counter and wait
for them to be stuffed into a suggestion
box. Go out of your way to get your
clients' feedback! Pick up the phone
and call them. Speak with them one-
on-one; get direct feedback. Tell them
you want any comments or ideas they
have about the service you're
providing.

Start with your bread-and-butter
clients first then work your way down.
Every client is important, but if you
lose the "angels" that keep your
business afloat, it won't really matter
what the smaller clients think either
way.

You'll find that it only takes a few
phone calls to understand just what
your clients perceive as your
company's strengths and weaknesses.
You'll also find that, in addition to

some surprising criticisms you were
unaware of, your clients have
wonderful ideas about how you can
become even more successful than
you already are! They know that
valuable suppliers and service
organizations like yours are difficult to
find and worth supporting.

Decide today to be proactive in
creating a service-driven organization.
Get your customers' input on the
work that you're doing. It takes some
courage, to be sure, but the payoff
directly affects your bottom line.