September 15, 2009

Over the years I've realized that Mary K, from Mary K Cosmetics, actually got it right.

Hire good people with a great attitude and you can teach them anything.

Stadia/Byrne Partners Group is primarily in the hospitality business, servicing our customers with enthusiasm and a desire to make it happen. Now, not later...

The philosophy is quite simple.  Give customer care the same way you want it...... Being a critic about the way you're being treated when you’re not treating people the way you want to be treated... Is an oxymoron, stupid......

Some rules to live by in a service company include:

• Never procrastinate: delays cause rushes, and rushes cause delays....

• When you call a customer, remember there is a high p they won't call you back, because it's not their job....Sort of like a waitress coming to your table at a restaurant once and saying "if you need me, I'll be in the kitchen". It's our job to call the customer, not the customer’s job to call us... Simple....Make your customer look good!

• First thing you gotta do is figure out how to do that ... Usually asking them is the simplest way......

• Be attentive!

• Always show up!

• See a customer often.  If you don't, you won't get the work.

Relationship selling works the best. People love a good "brand" but love dealing with a person they can connect with more.

Give advice. Give solutions. Give alternatives.

Sales people today need to be consultants, not just product pushers.....

• Don't let anyone go to voicemail....

• Answer your phone every time it rings.....be accessible.....And if you don't have to, don't use email..... No emotion, no sense of attitude and people can often be seen as indifferent.

• Care, care and CARE about your customer being happy.

• Set expectations and manage them well.

• Don't let people down.

• Don't over promise and under deliver......

• Always say Thank you. "THANK YOU for trusting me with your work...."Thank you.... And say it like you really mean it, which you do.... We seem to forget in our day to day business that it’s a big deal when some one gives us a job that puts food on our table, even if it is Kraft Dinner..... It's still food that I wouldn't have unless my customers gave me the job.

Next,

• Be HUMBLE.... Nothing comes without hard work.... Expect nothing and you receive a lot... Expect everything and it's not enough....

Next,

•Say SORRY..... People can only forgive you if you say sorry; making a mistake is OK... Not taking ownership and responsibility of the mistake is egocentric..... And people eventually only really want acknowledgment of the mistake you made.....don't be so arrogant that you can't even say sorry.....( Jack)

• Have confidence in who you are, but don't be arrogant! If you have to flaunt your good efforts to get people to recognize them, then you might not be as good as you think..... (Humility)

Stadia and Byrne Partners are run by managers that share in this same philosophy I have written above....Which, by the way, is a very COOL thing for me to be a part of....We have been around for a long time, with a lot of long term customers and friends who have supported us.....And yes, we've lost a few customers along the way as well.  To those we've lost.... I'm sorry.... Really sorry..... I hope in your hearts you will find an opportunity to try us again for the first time. We've grown up a lot, we've learned a lot, a lot about customer care... We are not the same as we were.... We are better, stronger, smarter and a little more humble.

As we head into the fall of 2009 and reflect on how hard this year has been.... Weather, economy, business, job security, family..... Take stock my friend, as it is at these times through adversity we learn the most.......What does not kill us makes us stronger!

When Thanksgiving comes around..... Stop!  Reflect on how lucky we are to be Canadian, to live in North America, to have family and friends who've supported us through thick and thin.....

THANK YOU.....

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Oh yeah, by the way.... The delay in my writings is directly caused by a couple of magazines that have asked me to write editorials base on my blog, thus we have been gearing up to publish first, then post on this site.... This opportunity caused me to slow down a little to get in line with publishers...sorry.... It will be steadier....