“I love games and I love recreation. …We are in the fun business, and there’s no reason we shouldn’t smile.” Those were some of Cook County businessman Mike Prom’s opening words at customer service training at Cook County Higher Education in December.
Not only does Prom own and operate (with his wife Sue) both Voyageur Canoe Outfitters (VCO) and a side marketing business as well as serve as board chair of the Cook County Visitors Bureau, he speaks around the country on how to increase profits by increasing customer satisfaction.
With Cook County’s economy based largely on tourism, Jim Boyd of Cook County Higher Education said as he introduced Prom, “It is critical that we are able to treat people well and get them to come back.”
Prom works hard to train his staff at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters on the fine art of customer service, which starts with a customer’s first visit to a website. Customers have a lot of power these days, with many of them putting reviews of their experiences onto online sites like Trip Advisor. It’s “word of mouse” these days, Prom said.
Give them the pickle
“Offering good customer service opens doors for you,” said Prom, and being responsive is vital. After a couple of customer groups missed the side road off the Gunflint Trail leading to Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, the Proms had a new and more visible sign made, even though they had what they considered to be a very beautiful sign in place already.
Prom showed a video of businessman Bob Farrell, who attributes the success of his ice-cream-parlor business to pleasing the customer. One day, a customer did not get a pickle he had expected to get with his food order and complained in a letter to Farrell. Farrell took the complaint seriously and told his staff never to be stingy with customers—when in doubt, they should always “give them the pickle.” This became the company’s motto.
Prom said he and Sue went on a vacation where they hoped to go snorkeling. They found a small business owner who offered snorkeling tours, but every time they inquired, the young business owner said he didn’t have enough customers to make a trip. Finally, the man said he would take them anyway. When they were out on the boat, he told them how to signal him whenever they wanted to find out the name of a certain fish. In the water, he took lots of photos and then said he would post them on his facebook page, telling them they could download whatever they wanted. This man, said Prom, understood how to please customers.
Train your staff well
Employee training should be done by a trained trainer, and “training needs to be ongoing,” Prom said. Envision the perfect guest experience, write it down, share it with employees, and make the learning experience fun.
Prom emphasized the importance of telling staff what is expected and giving them repeated opportunities to role-play. The more employees are required to practice these skills, the more they will realize they are important to the business owners. Prom recommended having employees practice dealing with difficult customer situations as well.
Accurate communication is very important, Prom said, pointing out that asking someone to write directions down and repeat them back will greatly increase the potential that they will be followed correctly.
Prom advised employers to empower their employees to solve problems. At VCO, employees have up to $200 they can use to solve a customer problem. “Employees do a way better job protecting my money than I do,” he said. He also said recognizing employees for positive things they’ve done is a powerful motivator. This can even be done with games or contests.
Good practices
A businessperson willing to go out of his or her way to help a customer will build customer loyalty, Prom said. He told a story of a restaurant owner who would apologize to customers and give them a free meal on a slow night if their food came out in 13 minutes, because the restaurant’s policy was to get it to customers in 12 minutes. The positive word of mouth this generated was great for business.
One slow day at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, a loaf of bread was inadvertently left out of a party’s food pack and the staff discovered it a couple of hours after they had left. Someone was dispatched to deliver the bread. The clients were so impressed that one of them wrote an article in a business publication in praise of VCO. This was great free press, Prom said.
Prom advised people handling phone calls to pick up the phone within three rings, smile when talking, speak slowly, and make the caller feel like they are the business’s most important customer.
Replying promptly to emails from customers is also important, Prom said. Be brief and to the point, and pay attention to grammar and spelling.
Prom offered a wealth of other tips, including the following:
Bathroom cleanliness is essential. People will judge your business on it.
Always acknowledge the presence of a customer with both words and body language. Communicate to the customer that you have or will make time for them.
Interact positively as a staff, because you never know when customers might be watching or listening.
Avoid saying, “That’s not my job.” Instead, connect the customer to the person who can help.
Under promise and over deliver. Go the extra mile.
Treat your customers as the most important part of your job, and treat your co-workers and employees as customers.
Help solve situations customers view as problems, even if they are not your fault. According to Prom, “Perception is reality.”
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