Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce

The Women’s Forum met on July 3 and discussed customer service in a friendly and lively setting.We defined customer service as an integral part of the sales process. Vivette mentioned that customer service keeps your customer base solid, and continuing to cultivate those relationships which means less “selling” of new clients. “Your Golden Rolodex” tips were mentioned, including touching base on a regular schedule with clients via telephone (not just e-mail!) just to say hello and see how things are going - not to try and sell anything. We also discussed how good customer service - admitting there was a mistake and resolving it positively, whether with a discount or free services - gives you a great reputation and furthers those ever-important testimonials and referrals. Handling problems and shortcomings honestly, quickly and diplomatically and providing clear and prompt communication were seen as keys to creating a perception of quality and shaping customer satisfaction. The concept of doing special things - thank you notes, customer appreciation gifts - was discussed. Disney was mentioned and we discovered that Disney doesn’t think there’s magic. There is “only thousands of details that we execute flawlessly every day.” What a concept! The perception of seamlessness - from initial meeting and proposal through the completion of the project and final billing - was illuminated. This is a concept that we all could understand, but was made sharper and clearer by discussion. Your customer should have a terrific experience the entire way through the complete process - no hiccups along the way. Everyone agreed that when dissatisfaction is acknowledged, it is a better first step than trying immediately to fix it. People want their feelings to be heard. Listening is better than talking.  We talked about how the customer is not always right and exchanged ideas about “firing” customers in a polite way so as not to damage your reputation. For those in the services area, a great idea was to just make scheduling services very difficult - “my schedule is just booked until next month” so to discourage unpleasant customers. It is okay to tell a customer that “I don’t think this relationship is working for you. I would suggest you find another vendor who can better meet your expectations.”Our next meeting is August 7th at 11:30 am (THIS IS A LUNCH) at Vito and Nick’s at 7020 - 183rd Street. We will be doing a Unisex Forum - both women and men will meet to discuss ways to deal with stress. On September 4th, the women’s forum will be back at 7:30 am, but in a new home. Please watch for details and please join us!