Charlie Cook's MArketing for Success Insider's Club

Customer Service

The Easiest Way To Profit From Negative Feedback

By Tom Borg   |   July 5, 2011

The other day I called a local charity organization to schedule a pickup of some of our household goods we wanted to donate.

The person I talked with was rude and condescending.  He used statements like, “If your TV gets wet we won’t take it!” and “If you want to know whether we will be there in the morning or afternoon you must call our office at 9 a.m.” Read More »


3 Instant Ways to Increase Sales

By Tom Borg   |   June 24, 2011

The other day I walked into a dollar store and quite frankly… I was disappointed. The place looked messy and the checkout clerk just didn’t seem to care.

After I left the store I vowed I would never go back and spend my money there again… Read More »


What Clydesdales Can Teach You About Customer Service

By Tom Borg   |   April 8, 2011

You’ve heard the saying before: There is no “I” in the word team. And as cliche as it may  be, there’s a certain amount of truth to it that keeps it relevant.

In other words, it takes more than one person to make a successful team. If your company or organization is going to be successful, it’s got to harness the power of a team effort.  When everyone works together… Read More »


1 Easy Way To Motivate Your Employees

By Tom Borg   |   February 18, 2011

I remember one manager telling me that he once had worked for a different company, and was to receive a special award at the annual banquet.

He finished his shift earlier that evening and hurriedly drove over to the hotel where the banquet was being held. By the time he arrived… Read More »


How To Score Big With Customer Service

By Tom Borg   |   January 17, 2011

A football team can execute a well orchestrated drive down the field toward the goal line.

A combination of plays, that result in perfect passes, and effective runs, can bring them to the five yard line. The goal is just fifteen feet away.

Yet, even so, the team somehow can’t seem to move the ball into the end zone.

Read More »


Why Bother With Employee Motivation?

By Tom Borg   |   November 5, 2010

How many times have you walked into a store and had to put up with a bored or even rude sales clerk? Did you want to do business there again? The salesclerk had probably grown tired of his job. And a bored or unhappy employee can send customers away and drive your sales down.

How can you motivate your employees to give your customers the kind of service that leads to repeat sales? It’s extremely important Read More »


The Easy Way to Generate More Customer Referrals

By Tom Hopkins   |   October 30, 2010

Building long-term relationships with clients is very similar to building long-term friendships. In kindergarten, children are encouraged to make new friends by talking with others, inviting them to play, and being “nice.” They’re often told: “To have a friend, you have to be a friend.” Read More »


Service Contract Anyone?

By Tom Borg   |   September 15, 2010

The other day I was in my local electronics store and during the transaction the salesperson asked me if I wanted to purchase a service contract. I politely declined.

Have you noticed the many companies selling service contracts for their products or service?

Some of the companies using service contracts are automobile dealerships, appliance stores, heating and cooling contractors. These are just a few of the companies that offer service contracts. There are many more. Read More »


9 Customer Service Tips on Handling an Angry Client

By Tom Hopkins   |   September 9, 2010

Too many people, when faced with clients who range from dissatisfied to downright angry, choose the loser’s path by trying to avoid the situation. Worse yet, they handle it inappropriately. Postponement doesn’t make the problem go away.

It results in one of two things. Either the angry client decides the problem isn’t worth the aggravation and cools down. Or, the client gets so angry that the next time you hear from him or her is through some sort of official (and possibly legal) contact. Worse yet, you could see your company named on the local news channel in one of those consumer protection segments. Read More »


How to Write a Customer Satisfaction Survey

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   September 5, 2010

Customer surveys are useful for gathering all kinds of marketing data, and when they’re completed they make great bird cage liners.

Oh, did you want your customer survey to provide you with useful data?  Forget it… that’s not what they’re good for.  Unless you mail a bajillion of them survey results are unreliable. What?  Hell yes! Bajillion is a number – ask my 6 year old daughter.

Most customer satisfaction surveys don’t work because Read More »