Reputation COUNTS

Last week I went to a diner for a morning meeting.  I had called ahead to make certain the restaurant could accommodate 10 people and the manager said it would be no problem.

When I arrived, another committee member was waiting outside so we decided to check on the tables.  We were greeted by a hostess who was clearly unhappy.  Both of us thought we were to follow her, but she turned and said in an annoyed tone to wait up front.

My fellow committee member and I exchanged our perceptions of her.  They were not good.  We felt like an irritation to her.

This is not the kind of impression any restaurant or other company wants to convey to the people who keep them in business.

Tags: Customer Service by Marcia Hall
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I enjoy going on vacations and love it when the hotel my husband and I have chosen is first-rate.  But on occasion, we’ve experienced little irritations such as bed linens that won’t stay tucked in, no soap in the bathroom, or a box of tissues that is empty.

While these may seem like small annoyances, they cause people to form an impression about their experience and therefore the hotel.  This is true for any industry.  Complaints, both large and small, can hurt the reputations of businesses and employees alike.

Thinking about your own situation, what gripes might your customers or clients have about the service you provide?

Tags: Customer Service by Marcia Hall
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The beauty of face-to-face interactions is that people can hear how words are said.  You can tell so much from listening to the tone a person uses.

That is not always the case with e-mail communications.  Consider the following message:

“There were several errors in your e-mail so I corrected them.”

Do you think this message sounds critical or was the intent to be helpful?  Is it clear or are you uncertain? 

Since the person reading your e-mail will not be able to hear your voice, the words you choose become even more important so that your intended meaning is easy to understand.

Tags: Communication Skills by Marcia Hall
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