It happens all the time: A full-page ad is placed in a major monthly publication. The ad touts the service excellence of their product. Catchy phrases. Great promises. Major dollars are spent to create an implied image in the mind of the consumer. And it can vanish in a heartbeat if promises made are not promises kept-if the derived image cancels out the implied image!

Perhaps this has been your experience: You have been standing in line at the bank looking at a sign hanging on the wall that says “Our Customers Are Our #1 Priority” while the customer in front of you is yelled at by a teller for not having the proper forms needed for the transaction. Or perhaps you’ve had the interaction with a clerk who rolls her eyes when you ask one too many questions about the product. The point is: we will all talk about the derived image-not the glossy ad. Couple this “talk” with chat on the Internet and you’ve exponentially reached thousands.

Why should you care what your customers are saying?

* It costs 6 to 8 times more to get a new customer than to keep an old one.

* There is a 12% higher profit margin with your existing customers.

* Companies that keep their existing customers enjoy a 9% higher growth rate than ones who don’t.

* When each customer leaves they tell at least ten people they know and with e-mail and Internet they may potentially tell thousands or millions. Just look at the power of City Search and Yelp! to make or break a company.

It doesn’t take much to make a negative impression. Here are some of the most common customer complaints: unprofessional staff; disinterested staff; bad attitudes matched with a sense of boredom; more enthusiasm for chatting with co-workers than with the customer and a lack of an ability to solve problems.

Your employees have probably had customer service training but perhaps you are still seeing customers leave. Why is this you ask? It’s because leadership didn’t take the time to find out how the customer service “rules” affect the actual customer. Here are ten tips to take your customer service from drab to fab:

1. The single most important thing you can do to increase customer satisfaction is to treat your employees well. One disgruntled employee can easily alienate dozens of customers. Find out what is wrong and fix it.

2. Keep employees in the loop so that they are in the know and FEEL like valued insiders. With the power of the Internet your employees can find out corporate news before you do. Don’t let this happen to your company. Talk to employees often and in-person.

3. Teach employees to think of themselves as business consultants rather than employees. Empower them to make customer-pleasing decisions without having to call a supervisor.

4. Ask employees to change their viewpoint. Have them look at all customers as multi-million dollar businesses and treat them accordingly.

5. Embrace new ideas and reward innovation. Seek and act on advice from your frontline because most of the time they are the only contact a customer has with your company.

6. Recognize and reward each other. Think in 360 directions. A manager needs praise from a subordinate a much as from her boss. Encourage peer-to-peer recognition for helping each other resolve customer issues.

7. Constantly seek innovation. Ask everyone to study the competition and find out what they do that makes them better. The frontline will see what a higher-level manager will not.

8. Seek and act on customer feedback. Don’t bother with customer surveys. Assign an employee or employees to scour the Internet for both positive and negative conversations about your company.

9. Make your current customers feel important. Offer them price cuts or coupons, make every transaction with them pleasant, communicate transparently and have a live person answer your phones, thanking the customer for his business .

10. Seek and reward referrals from current customers. One local chiropractor provides a free adjustment to any patient who refers someone else. She gets dozens of referrals every week and her practice thrives even during economic turmoil.

Don’t just pay lip service to improving customer service. Good customer service is the linchpin to survival at any time but especially during difficult times. Start by treating your employees well, keeping them in the loop, and releasing them to do what it takes to send each customer away happy.

© 2009, McDargh Communications. Publication rights granted to all venues so long as article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are made live.

Since 1980, Hall of Fame speaker Eileen McDargh has helped Fortune 100 companies as well as individuals create connections that count and conversations that matter. Executive Excellence ranks her among the top 100 thought-leaders in leadership development. Looking for help with work and life challenges? Visit http://www.eileenmcdargh.com/shop.html today!

The article below was contributed by Leah Grant. I hope you find it motivational and useful!

Top Five Reasons Why Now Is The Perfect Time To Start A Business

Turn on the TV and all you’ll hear is how the stock market still hasn’t fully recovered and how unemployment is still rising, so you might think I’m out of my mind to suggest that now is the perfect time to start a business.  But I stand by my statement.

If we look at history, more millionaires were made during The Great Depression than any other time in US history and during our last recession in the early 90s many companies still thriving today were born, like Clif Bar.

There are numerous reasons why starting a business now is advantageous, but these are the top five.

1. Increased Opportunities
Anytime the economy changes or a new technology is introduced it creates opportunities in different fields.  While some industries are shrinking, others are exploding.  For example, while Chrysler is claiming bankruptcy because their gas-guzzling vehicles have become irrelevant, a San Diego-based company, Jitterbug, who produces simplistic cell phones with extra large numbers on them designed for the elderly is hiring and growing at breakneck speed.

2. Less Competition
In the first two months of 2009 the Department of Labor reported that over 800,000 small businesses closed.  I can guarantee that these were businesses that may have been barely making it when the economy was flush and when the recession began they realized they did not have the proper infrastructure, their overhead was too high or their business model was flawed.  These closures create a lot of space for smart new business owners to open and serve their customers.

In addition, many companies have cut their advertising budgets to lower costs which can give the public the perception of fewer businesses offering the same products and services as yours.  The perception of less competition allows you to stand out and strongly establish your brand.

3. Decreased Trust
Let’s face it, the big companies melting down faster than Chernobyl this past year have withered the public’s trust.  It’s become obvious that large corporations are not looking out for their employees and many didn’t even look ahead enough to protect themselves.  Whenever the big businesses that people have equated with security go belly up, it creates a fear-based marketplace.  First, people contract and don’t buy at all.  Then they start wanting to buy, but look to do business with people they know and trust.

People who purchased their lotions and body wash at the mall are now more open to purchasing from their Mary Kay consultant.  It feels good to them to know that the money they spend with someone they know helps out that family.

4. Discounted Resources
With many companies cutting back, businesses want to maintain cash flow so they are often willing to discount their services or products or offer longer payment terms than in the past.  These options help a new business owner’s startup funds go farther.

One area these discounted resources should definitely be capitalized on is in the advertising market.  Several larger companies that ate up available ad space have lowered their ad budgets, not only creating space for smaller companies to come in, but creating open ad space that publications, radio and TV stations need to sell.  Many of these outlets will negotiate if asked.  One of my clients got two ads for the price of one.  These bargains allow business owners to make more of an impact for less money and to stand out while others are fading back.

5. Control of Your Future
Having a job is like putting all your eggs in one basket and then handing it over to a clumsy kid to carry.  You have no control over whether you will get laid off, have your pay cut, have benefits taken away, have your hours lowered, etc.  You have one line of revenue and if the powers you report to decide to cut that off, there’s nothing you can do.  No matter how many hours or how hard you work, in most cases your salary stays the same.

None of the above has to be true if you own your own business.  You can build a business model that allows for multiple streams of income so if one dries up, you still have the others.  You control the amount of income you make because you are in charge of pricing and how much and how hard you work.  You create your eggs and then you carry the basket yourself.

(c) 2009, Leah Grant Enterprises LLC.  Publication rights granted so long as article and byline are reprinted intact with all links made live.

Will you be one of the millionaires who create their success during this recession?  You could be!  The timing is right.  Get the info you need to launch a profitable venture in the New Business Mentor Leah Grant’s free success kit including a timely special report and audio Secrets of Successful Business Owners at http://www.leahgrant.com

On twitter too: @leahgrantbiz

I never thought of myself as a stay-at-home mom. I liked the direction my career was going and always thought that I would work outside the home, even after my children were born. And that’s exactly what happened . . . until my son Sean was 3 years old. That’s when little sister Melissa joined her big brother Sean.
After the birth of Melissa, my husband and I decided that with the stress of both of us working full time, never spending any time with our children, and the rising cost of daycare, it was time for me to come home. The question was, “Is working from home really a viable option?” Would it be possible for me to be a stay-at-home mom to my children, and have an income from a job that I enjoy and that is beneficial to our family, both personally and financially?

And so I began my search. We’ve all seen offers promising us loads of easy money with minimal investments of time and capital. Unfortunately, we don’t as often seem to personally know anyone who has succeeded at these schemes. No, the fact is, that you really can’t get something for nothing. However, that doesn’t mean that working from home will not work. In fact, we’re seeing trends of more and more people choosing to work from home.

The benefits of working from home are clear: ability to have quality family time, to be available for your children and spouse, the flexibility to arrange and re-arrange schedules, not to mention commuting and daycare cost savings. There are many benefits of having your own business, the key is to find something that you are passionate about. I have found a company that I believe in and stand behind.

So how do people do this successfully? According to a 2004 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics*, there are nearly seven million people in the United States who are currently self-employed and are successfully working from home. What is their secret? The answer is setting goals and being disciplined.

Working from home has its challenges. When you work for yourself, the term “self-motivation” takes on a whole new meaning. Suddenly you are both boss and employee. There is no supervisor handing out projects or offering reviews. It is up to you to see the work, and to make sure it gets finished. On the other hand, you never leave your office. The computer and the phone are always right there, calling you to just finish “one more thing.” The trick is to find balance. For many people, that means setting up “office hours” and sticking to them. If you decide you will work from 8am until noon, Monday through Friday, that means that you sit down and begin work at 8am and when the clock strikes noon, you stop, knowing that you will continue again tomorrow at 8am. For other people a less rigid schedule may be a better choice, where they discipline themselves to work a set number of hours each day, but are not as concerned about when they work those hours. The common denominator is that in each case, a successful work-at-home story begins with work. Just like a traditional job, you must work to be successful.

And, working from home offers its own challenges to office hours as well. You have other family commitments that require attention. Children need lunches, help with projects, etc. Not to mention friends and family who see you at home so think you will always be available for them. It takes discipline to continue to work the hours necessary.

The other secret of success…….setting goals. It is extremely important to have a specific, realistic, measurable goal, and then work to achieve it. In some industries, these goals take the form of deadlines, in others it’s sales quotas. Sometimes, it comes down to a personal goal you are working to achieve. The important thing is to continue to work toward that goal and keep going until you achieve it. This is not the time for New Year’s Resolutions that are tossed aside within a few weeks. Your goal must be something specific you are working toward, and there must be a reward for achieving it. Sometimes that reward is money (payment), other times it might be as simple as splurging on something special or taking a day off.

Soon you’ll find the benefits of being able to integrate both personal and professional goals while working from home. For example, after the birth of my children, I was determined to lose the weight I gained during pregnancy. While I worked a 9-5 job, I did not have the time or energy to focus on this goal. However, within the last six months, I have reached my objective. Working from home gave me both the motivation, and the time to achieve what I set out to do. I’ve learned both discipline in time management as well as enjoying the flexibility and extra free time provided by working from home to work out and focus on our eating habits as a family.

Of course, the most important key to being a success is making the commitment and then taking the next step to just do it. It is always scary to take the first step on a new adventure, but the rewards can far outweigh the risks. And, before long you’ll find that you really are making money from home. You have time for your children and their needs, while still bringing in a paycheck. And, you are growing and developing both personally and professionally as you continue to grow a business where you are the boss.

Since starting my own business, my family’s lives have changed. We spend quality time together as a family, and my husband and I are growing our relationship because of the time that we spend together as a couple. We are focused on our health and are teaching our children the importance of a healthy diet and exercise. And, I have the ability to show other career-oriented moms that they can have a professional career where they can not only contribute financially, but also be home with their children and enjoy the important things in life. It is not always about money, but building relationships and helping others. So the answer is an unqualified, yes. Working from home is a very realistic and viable option, and could be the secret to improving the quality of your life along with the lives of those around you.

* “Work at Home in 2004” released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://www.bls.gov/cps

Authored by: Barbara Murtaugh. Barbara is an independent consultant with Work at Home United where she is dedicated to improving the lives of those around her by teaching them about non-toxic (green) products and mentoring others who want to work from home. She can be reached through her website at Loving Work From Home.

A big thank you to Matisse and Jacks for taking the plunge and becoming an advertiser on a Mom Ad Network I joined just a couple of days ago!

They offer healthy, nutritious, natural and junk-free, bake-at-home snacks. No doubt they’re scrumptious!

I’d link to them, but it’s better if you click one of their ads (over that way —>>>) so they know we love them for supporting Moms and WAHMs!

Here are some of the highlights:

- 89% of moms surveyed use the internet at least twice a day

- 86% said search engines were the best way to find information

- 70% use search engines before making an ONLINE purchase

- 57% use search engines before making an OFFLINE purchase

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eBiz News: Moms Fuel Search Engine Marketing, Dynamic Reviews
By Michelle Megna
August 30, 2007

This week in Web commerce news, research shows that moms are super-searchers when it comes to online shopping and are spending more than men, while two companies partner up to provide user-review technology to e-tailers and a third announces the release of shipping and tax updates to its e-commerce platform.

DoubleClick Performics recently released data resulting from a usage study targeting “moms.” The study, completed in cooperation with Microsoft and ROI Research, showed that of the nearly 1,000 moms surveyed, 89 percent use the Internet at least twice a day, and 90 percent have been using it for more than seven years. Eighty-six percent of respondents said search engines are the most efficient way to find information.

Market to Moms to Make More Money
The study also revealed that moms are heavy search engine users when it comes to both online and offline purchases, coordinating travel and many other planning activities. Stuart Larkins, vice president of search for DoubleClick Performics, said in a statement, “We gained a much better understanding of just how much moms rely on search engines to accomplish a wide range of tasks, literally on a daily basis.”

To that end, the survey showed that:

• Seventy percent use search engines to gather information before making any online purchase
• Fifty-seven percent use search engines to gather information before making any offline purchase
• Sixty-four percent use search engines to find out where to purchase products offline
• Seventy-six percent spend one hour or more per day using the Internet, and 36 percent spend three or more hours per day
• Respondents are heavy Internet users: 89 percent are online twice a day or more, and over two-thirds (69 percent) say their average online session lasts 16 minutes or more
• Eighty-six percent feel that search engines are the best way to find information, and 89 percent always start with the same search engine
• Eighty-two percent will modify and search again if the initial results do not provide what they are looking for, and nearly two-thirds will view multiple results pages before abandoning a search
• Fifty-seven percent primarily search using a browser toolbar
• Forty percent say they will try a different search engine if their first search is unsuccessful

With regard to purchases made in the eight product categories under study, 92 percent of respondents say search engines were helpful in providing valuable information prior to purchasing, and 79 percent say the same for the offline purchases they made. Seventy-two percent compared prices on consumer goods, while seventy-one percent used search engines to find retail locations.

The demographics of the respondents were as follows: participants are highly educated and affluent, between the ages of 35 and 49, with 60 percent having college or higher education and about one-third having household incomes of $100,000 or more; 46 percent of the moms are employed, with 26 percent employed full-time and 20 percent working part-time; a third have a single child, while 40 percent have two children.

In other online shopper demographic profiling, the coupon site Gogoshopper revealed that women are now spending more than men, with overall online spend increasing significantly over the past two years. According to the site, beauty and jewelery merchants have also seen strong growth, with analysts attributing this trend toward increased confidence among consumers in completing more expensive transactions online.

Next Generation Storefront: Dynamic User Reviews
In social commerce news, PowerReviews and Endeca Technologies, Inc., have entered into a partnership to enhance the online shopping experience by updating the latter’s Guided Navigation technology.

The joint venture now allows shoppers to narrow product selection based on their specific lifestyles, intended uses and desired pros and cons in the product. The resulting experience, according to the companies, offers a preview of the “next generation storefront,” and is designed to boost conversion rates, increase customer satisfaction and provide competitive differentiation compared to sites that simply offer product page level reviews.

Customer reviews and ratings have become an integral part of online shopping decisions — 71 percent of online shoppers read reviews before they purchase a product online, based on a recent Forrester Research study. In addition, customer reviews and ratings are rated the No.1 most helpful Web site feature in making informed product decisions, with 92 percent of customers finding them extremely or very helpful in making online shopping decisions, according to an April 2006 study by the eTailing group and J.C. Williams Consultancy.

With that in mind, the partner companies say social navigation is an emerging capability that leverages user-generated content reviews, opinions, recommendations and posts to create new ways to explore, find and analyze information. In the case of Endeca and PowerReviews, this is achieved by leveraging user-generated tags (pros, cons and best uses of products reviewed using PowerReviews) combined with product characteristics (price, brand, specifications) to present a cohesive and comprehensive collection of refinements and navigation options. This is made possible using Endeca’s core MDEX Engine technology, which takes PowerReviews’ ever-changing user-review content and displays dynamic refinements with the speed and flexibility to allow shoppers to choose the path that suits them best, according to the two firms.

The first live example of this tag-based approach to social navigation can be seen on PowerReviews’ shopping research portal Buzzillions.com. The portal demonstrates customer-guided shopping, utilizing the combined capabilities of PowerReviews and Endeca. For instance, the Digital Camera page on Buzzillions.com illustrates how shoppers can find a digital camera that is ideally suited to them based on their photography lifestyle, interests and intended camera uses. With just a few clicks, the consumer answers questions relating to his affinity group (people like him), intended uses, pros he is seeking and cons he would like to avoid, and narrows the product selection from 536 digital cameras to a handful to look at more closely.

Quick Release Features with RAD
Finally this week in e-commerce news, MarketLive introduced its Rapid Application Development (RAD) technology, which enables e-tailers to quickly upgrade features at their sites. The company just released a “quick view” roll-over feature, en estimated tax and shipping calculator and a global shopping cart using the RAD system.

“Before, under the old process, it took a long time to develop and customize features,” said Ken Burke, founder and chairman of MarketLive, “but now we can release modules for new functionality every two to four weeks, and our clients can install it in 20 minutes, test it, and they’re good to go.”

Michelle Megna is managing editor of ECommerce-Guide.com.

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