Don’t Sacrifice the Training Budget!

In a recession, correction, down economy, whatever you want to call it, training budgets are always the first to go. This is a very very bad idea for a number of reasons, not the least of all is that the knowledge of your staff is your bread and butter. And, depending on your field, it could make the difference between a big check and a big lawsuit.

I heard recently about a city building department that needed to make some budget cuts, so the director of the department decided to deny all staff requests for training. Keep in mind that building codes and laws change every year. And these people were being kept from knowing the latest laws regarding how they did their jobs!

When the director was asked why he felt this was a good idea, he said that he thought all training was “useless.” remind me never to buy a house in his town.

For another example, look at Circuit City. Remember Circuit City? A few years back times were hard, so they fired all of their “Senior” staff. these just happened to be the people who knew the most about the merchandise they were selling. In my personal experience, the knowledge of the CC staff was the only thing that separated them from other electronics stores. In fact, I recently heard a comment that a good definition of a “big box” store was one in which, if the answer wasn’t on the “big box” on the shelf, the staff didn’t know. Maybe yes, maybe no, but I have had good and bad experiences in these retailers. Your thoughts?

The purest form of marketing…

The purest form of marketing is your service: http://budurl.com/cxpq

Lowe’s probably hates me…

..but a deal is a deal. When the Pergo flooring I bought the day before for $2.38/sf suddenly went down to $1.97/sf, I had to ask for the adjustment. For some reason, they rang it up some crazy way, but kudos to the fabulous Kiana (head cashier at West Sac, CA) for staying patient with us, even though we had no receipt and it was time for her to go home. Awesome!!

How to Lose Customers #1

From my mechanic, who just made 1200 bucks off me: Don’t call me when my car is ready, even though you said you would.

Six Words and a Name

The director in the Billing Department passed through the office and noticed that the font office staff answered the phone with one word: “Billing.”

Well, this drove her nuts. She went to her Office Manager and asked if maybe they could make a small change to the greeting, like maybe, “Billing department, how can I help you?” And maybe say their name?

Can’t do it,” the manager said. “Takes too much time.”

Well, the director finally got her way, and now that office gets more compliments for customer services than the entire rest of the company.

For six words and a name.

How can you make your greeting more friendly?

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Rob Wallis is an author, speaker and trainer specializing in success training and personal development. He is founder and CEO of The Wallis Group, a productivity firm located in California. Contact him at rob@thewallisgroup.com.

Creating the Experience

Recently the love of my life asked me which of my two favorite restaurants I would pick, if I had to:

1. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
2. Yank Sing (San Francisco)

Now, there’s not much similarity in these two places, except that I like the food there a lot, and they are both considered pretty pricey. But the difference in experience is what sets them apart in my mind.

At Yank Sing, it’s dim sum. Not downtown so-so dim sum, the REAL DEAL. Steamed buns and fried this and that and the occasional chicken feet. It’s all tasty, and they are constantly rolling up carts to your table, offering you more tasty morsels, when your table and your stomach are already so full you could burst. It’s fast-paced and hectic. There’s nothing wrong with that, you just need to be in the right mood.

Ruth’s, on the other hand, is clubby steakhouse, where the waiters know the menu backwards and are always there to attend to your needs. The food is beyond fabulous.

Out of the two, if I had to choose, I’d pick Ruth’s. They have gone out of their way to make it more than just about the food;it’s about the EXPERIENCE. This should be in every business owner’s mind: creating an experience for your customer. Frankly, there are plenty of places I can go and get hustle and bustle, but very few places where I can go and be served in quiet enjoyment.

Are you creating an experience for your customers?

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Rob Wallis, with the Wallis Group, works with organizations that want to become known in their community and in the world. Contact him at rob(at)thewallisgroup.com

Customer Service is the New Marketing, Indeed.

Check out Customer Service is the New Marketing, by Brad Burnham. This is exactly where we at Visibility stand. If you have to convince someone you rock, you have already lost.
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Rob Wallis, with the Wallis Group, works with organizations that want to become known in their community and in the world. Contact him at rob(at)thewallisgroup.com

Visibility Marketing Tips – Introduction

Here we venture into the realm of Visibility, and the Laws of Marketing that have been used for generations on end. You can find more descriptions of these principles in the book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini. In a marketers nutshell, here they are:

1. The Law of Scarcity
2. The Law of Reciprocity
3. The Law of Consistency
4. The Law of Social Proof
5. The Law of Liking
6. The Law of Authority

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Rob Wallis, with the Wallis Group, works with organizations that want to become known in their community and in the world. Contact him at rob(at)thewallisgroup.com

Notes On Advertising

Advertising = education
Advertising, like education, is not expensive, it’s priceless

3 marketing mistakes business owners make:
1. They don’t let people know they exist.
2. They don’t collect names of current customers.
3. They don’t actively pursue repeat business.

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Tig Wallis helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their marketing, technology, and customer service processes. He is founder of The Wallis Group, a business and marketing consulting firm located in California.

Contact Tig at tigwallis@thewallisgroup.com

Customer Service Principles From The Ritz

Great Article Here about what every company needs to know about customer service. And judging from the fantastic service we received recently at the Ritz in San Francisco, this writer knows what he’s talking about.

How does your company measure up?

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Rob Wallis works with entrepreneurs who want to become known in their community and in the world. Contact him at The Wallis Group