Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

Customer service is the cornerstone of any business. If your customers aren’t happy, then you don’t have any customers. Your employees should be trained on the best ways to resolve all different types of complaints or problems your customers could have. And, your employees need to know how important that customer resolution really is. In the past, one unresolved complaint could go unnoticed and not have a large effect. Now, one unresolved complaint can turn into an online rant that can reach all of your customers and potential customers.

Customers Require Resolution

When customers have problems with your company, their shopping experience, their purchase, etc., they want a resolution to it. In fact, they expect a resolution. No matter what, a customer wants to be satisfied with your company, and they will usually give you a chance to make it up to them if they aren’t satisfied right away. Without a resolution to their problem, customers will be unhappy with your company, and you could very well lose them as a customer for good. If you want to hang onto customers, you need to be able to resolve their problems.

Image via CrunchBase

Dissatisfied Customers Will Vent

It’s extremely important to resolve customers’ problems because dissatisfied customers will want to vent. When people are unhappy with the products or services they purchase, they usually don’t keep quiet about it, especially if they tried to get a resolution from the company itself and weren’t pleased with the response. Many dissatisfied customers will vent to a friend, family member, or coworker, and this alone is enough to make you lose another customer. Now, dissatisfied customers can go a step further; they can vent online, where they can share their experience with everyone and get your attention to remind you how dissatisfied they are.

Negative Reviews Matter – A Lot

It’s no secret that negative reviews can make a huge difference in the success of a company. If a restaurant has a few bad reviews on Yelp, they could go out of business, and that’s not an exaggeration. When you resolve your customers’ problems, you can catch negative reviews before they even start. At the very least, if a customer still wants to complain online, they will hopefully include the fact that your company did do something to resolve the issue. People don’t want to give their business to companies that don’t do everything they can in the way of customer service. Mistakes or issues are forgivable, as long as you address them properly.

Make sure all of your employees – even those that don’t typically interact with customers or address their complaints – know proper ways to resolve customers’ complaints. Hold regular training sessions, and be sure to monitor and assess the way your employees handle complaints. The best way to prevent negative reviews from appearing online is to make sure there is nothing negative anyone can say about the way you treat your customers or handle your business.

Joshua Reynolds is an expert reviews tracker and avid blogger.  He is currently teaching others about proper online reviews management and customer service.

Related articles

• Customer Service is Changing the Social Media Monitoring Industry
• Complaints
• How to Effectively Address a Negative Facebook Post
• 3 Ethical Ways to Boost Positive Online Reviews

Guest Post Published By Thomas Ballantyne

Going Out of Business (Photo credit: reinvented)

In tough economic times, many people are turned off by the idea of starting a small business. Statistics it may seem are not in their favor. Even when someone does get a business off the ground, keeping it running smoothly and successfully requires more energy than some may be willing to muster.

While situations vary depending on the product or service you sell, there are certain practices to keep in mind if you are trying to keep a small business afloat. Consider the following five points.

1. Maintain the Strengths You Already Have

This usually means maintaining those employees your company would be crippled without. There are likely certain people in the company that are masters in their particular skill. Do everything you can to make sure you don’t lose them. If the possibility exists to do so, consider hiring a backup. Then train that person in the same work. It may be a financial investment, but think of what would happen to your company if that person were suddenly gone.

2. Keep the Workers Happy

Workers are of course the lifeblood of the company. In addition to having backups for particular skills, make sure everyone is working at their optimum level. Address the needs of the employees directly. Sit down and talk with them. Ask them how they are doing and what you can do to help them succeed. Send out emails with helpful tips, encouragement, or praise for good work. When employees know they are appreciated and that their opinion matters, they are more likely to provide quality work.

3. Address Customer Needs

If the customers aren’t happy, the business fails. Recognize and let them know that you know times are tough. Use advertising that appeals to the tough economic times. Offer deals and promotions, as well as products and services that people will want even in a financial crisis. Almost everyone seems to be cutting back on consumption. People are only buying what’s necessary and cutting out the luxury items. Convey to the customer that your product is something they really need, even if they don’t have excess money to spend.

4. Cut Down on Expenses

Many business owners focus only on how much they are selling. While this is certainly the most important thing to consider, don’t forget that a company can save money by cutting back on their own expenses. If your business is small enough, allow employees to work from home. This will save office rental money as well as things like paper, desks, etc. If this isn’t possible make sure all the office supplies are in good shape. Get frequent tune-ups on things like printers.

5. Learn to Delegate

When a small business starts out there may only be a few employees. At that stage there will likely be one person who calls all the shots. As the company begins to grow however, that becomes less and less effective. To increase productivity, learn to delegate responsibilities throughout the company. This will save both time and energy.

About the Author: Robert Cordray is a freelance writer and expert in business and finances. He has received many accolades for his work in teaching small business news.

Related articles

• Corporate skills can help make your small business a winner
• The 5 Employees Every Small Business Needs
• Meeting technology needs for small businesses
• How to work well with your customers to get the best results

Thomas Ballantyne

Inventory-Control-Q-IC da (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Four Points of Inventory Control

Do you operate a business where products must be stored and distributed in multiple locations? If so, then you are aware of how important it is to keep an updated inventory control system. Several factors function within this system, wherein each transition and distribution point must be supervised and documented. Keeping management connected with each division of the company is key. Here are four points to discuss at your next managerial meeting, to help tighten inventory data and maximize efficiency.

• Product Analysis: A crucial part of strong inventory management is a thorough knowledge and documentation of the services and goods at hand. Make sure that each division of the company knows how to evaluate and input product information into your system so that information remains current. If you are operating a small business, you may overlook smaller details related to product data. This can be easily remedied. Small business must keep records of product data, even if the information does not seem to directly affect sales. The statistics of your business will increase your knowledge about sales trends and enlighten you about possible overhead that may have an impact on your budget.
• Site Representation: If your products are traveling to multiple locations or distributed among warehouses and store sites, it is essential to keep close contact with personnel at these locations. This may seem like an obvious point to address, but many key players are easily overlooked. Communication with those in control of the items that create your business should be frequent. On a basic level, your factory, showroom and warehouse
  representatives handle your materials, which you rely upon for business growth.
• System Cohesion: All positions of management should be familiar with your inventory control providers and be able to navigate within the system with ease. A firm command of data entry protocol is necessary. In addition to this, management must have the ability to translate a body of information, including thorough product evaluation, into the data system. This way, all areas of the company will be abreast of new developments and all progress. Making data cohesive throughout your organization will serve to eliminate many financial errors.
• Employee Training: Some inventory companies provide on-site employee training for businesses with fast-growing product and client bases. Inventory system companies can bring each element of your business together to function as a better whole. The most successful businesses put an emphasis on the importance of each employee being familiar with the system. This means understanding each person’s tasks within the system, but more importantly, the system as a whole. The team of people that comprises your business is only as intelligent as the most ignorant individual. Make inventory knowledge and management a priority.

Gabriella only writes about topics that interest her and one of those happens to be moving. If you would like more info regarding inventory system companies, please visit http://www.unigrouplogistics.com/

Related articles

• How to Take Control of Your Company’s Inventory Management
• Five Ideas to Improve Your Business’s Stock Management
• The Breakdown of Warehousing