Charlie Cook's MArketing for Success Insider's Club

Customer Service

Make Business Fun

By Tom Borg   |   March 15th, 2010

One of my favorite places to go is my printer. Tony Grech and Paul Degrazia, co-owners of Grecko Printing in Plymouth, MI make it a point to create an upbeat and energetic atmosphere for their clients and their employees.

When you walk into their lobby, it is alive with activity, sound and eye popping color displays. Everything from the mascot, a live gecko by the name of “Grecko”, to their clients laughter that echoes throughout the building.  Tony, Paul and crew do their best to make it an enjoyable experience to do business with Grecko Printing. » (Read More)


Focus on Your Prospect’s Experience

By Dan DeGreef   |   March 6th, 2010

As long as you follow this one tip, you will never make a mistake that will cost you your business.

Focus on the Lead’s Experience

Make it obvious that you are there for them. It is good to know that you are the best in the business and that you offer spectacular value, but if the customer does not feel you are out for their best interest, they will not care about the other things. » (Read More)


Why All Employees Should Have Their Own Business Cards

By Tom Borg   |   March 1st, 2010

One of the best ways to help everyone in your company do a better job of serving your clients is to make sure they have their own business cards (not the kind they have to write their name on). What I mean by everyone, is everyone, from the owner to the managers, down to the front line employees.

A personal friend of mine who at the time was the vice-president of a construction company, (He now is the president of his own construction company) made it a point to order all of his truck drivers business cards. » (Read More)


Word of Mouth is Great – Except When It’s Not

By Kim Sheehan   |   February 7th, 2010

We all love it when a customer raves about our business. But what about when customers don’t rave about our business…or when they have a bad experience? What happens if they talk about this bad experience?

This idea scares so many businesspeople that they won’t even start a word of mouth campaign. Losing control of the message is a disincentive for some. However, in recent conversations with a few great small businesspeople, some great tips on dealing with negative word of mouth have come to light. » (Read More)


The Optimist Who Is Also The Optometrist

By Tom Borg   |   February 1st, 2010

Several years ago I was doing a talk for my local Kiwanis Club and met a most delightful individual by the name of Greg Ferman. He was courteous and upbeat and happened to be an optometrist. I mentioned to him that I was looking for a new optometrist since mine had unfortunately passed away. He gave me his business card and invited me to set up an appointment to come in for a checkup.

A few weeks later I made an appointment to see Dr. Ferman and was totally impressed by this man’s very helpful and pleasant staff and office ambiance. » (Read More)


Why Knowing Your Customers’ Names Is Important

By Tom Borg   |   January 15th, 2010

Last week I walked into my credit union, Community Financial, in Canton, MI. As I waited in line, I noticed one of the tellers was new. Whenever there is a new teller it makes me aware that there will be a short period of time for them to get to know me. Once this young lady got my account number, she wasted no time using my name.

On my next visit, the same thing happened. On my third visit she called me by name as I walked up to the window. She did not even need to look at my account number. This kind of treatment made me feel important and respected and is one of the reasons I have been a member of this credit union since 1983.

Do you know the names of most of your customers? » (Read More)


The Simple Way To Attract The Most Customers This Year

By Tom Borg   |   January 1st, 2010

There is a man from my hometown by the name of Joe Slaga, owner of PJ’s, a baseball card shop. When customers enter his store, he makes them feel comfortable by his easy manner. He is a good people person. He realizes that people don’t want to be badgered into buying anything.

By joking and exchanging stories with them about their favorite sports celebrity, he devel­ops a friendly relationship with all the adults and children who come into the store. He has made it a favorite stopping place for many children to bring their parents to browse and buy. » (Read More)


The Easy Way To Cut Costs and Increase Sales

By Tom Hopkins   |   December 23rd, 2009

The average business loses 15% of their clients on an annual basis. It’s safe to assume that some clients move away or sadly, pass away. If you sell to businesses, some of them may close. But, many simply stop coming. That’s because you haven’t established relationships with those clients. The clients feel no loyalty…no obligation to return.

With the cost of gaining new business five times that of keeping current clients, it’s wise to do all you can to keep those people coming back for more. » (Read More)


3 Steps To Turn Customers Into Fans

By Eric Garner   |   December 17th, 2009

The other day I had a really nice email from a customer who wanted to thank me for the products they had bought.

As I started reading the email, I thought, “hey, that’s kind of nice” but then, when they ended their email with the words, “I just love your stuff!”, I thought, “Wow, that’s amazing!”

That was when I knew that this person was a bit more than a customer and even a bit more than a regular. They were a Fan! » (Read More)


One Of The Easiest Ways To Get Free Publicity

By Shakira Brown   |   December 4th, 2009

There have been many times that I stopped patroning a store or service company because of horrendous customer service. Whether your small business is part of a large franchise or you run your own business – your customer service is a major part of your small businesses brand and public relations strategy.

I drive to a dry cleaner in the next town because my dry cleaner goes the extra mile with my order (no pun intended). » (Read More)


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