Customer Service?

While visiting a business recently, I witnessed an employee answering the telephone. When he was asked for a certain person he replied, “Oh, he hasn’t made it in yet.”

It was 8:15. When asked by the customer why he wasn’t there, his reply was,” Oh, he’s probably in bed sleeping.” He wasn’t joking.

A customer is calling your business, trying to place an order, and instead of trying to help him, you blame and make fun of a fellow co-worker for not being able to take a phone call.

Now the customer is mad, placing the order with your competition, while you are wondering where your paycheck is.

Wake up. Customers are calling to be helped.

Have you ever witnessed your employees complaining because the phone is, “ringing too much.” Come on!! That is your paycheck calling. Paychecks come from customers, not the boss.

Recognize this one, “Oh you want to place on order; well customer service isn’t here right now can you call back after lunch?”

“Oh, that doesn’t happen at my place of business,” you say? Wanna Bet!!

Challenge yourself. Call your business and try to place an order. Ask a question that will require research from your staff. Call 15 minutes before and after closing hours and see what happens. Or call and ask for yourself (if you dare), see what your employees are telling your customers when you are not around.

These problems happen in every business, but it is not the fault of the employee. It is the fault of the employee’s manager. In small businesses, it is the fault of the owner.

Have you sat down with all of your employees to benchmark answers for the most common questions or problems that come up in a typical business day? Have you established a phone greeting that everyone uses which will grab the customer’s attention when they call?

Take the time now to sit down with all of your employees and standardize answers to all of the most common problems they face every day.

Some examples are:

Phone Greeting
Customer Greeting
How to take a message
How to take an order
Response to mad customers
Response to messed up order

Employees will know what areas and problems you face the most everyday. That is why you must have the meeting with everyone together. Make it a party. Make it fun. Serve great food. Collect real answers.

Establish and write down typical answers to these questions and problems so your employee is equipped to handle the response and not running head first into a brick wall.

Keep a book of these answers so they can be reviewed and learned. Hold your employees accountable for learning and using them.

John

My Irrigation Valve Isn’t Working. Help!!

Now that spring is here and the grass is starting to grow, making sure your irrigation system is working properly is more of a concern.

Is that pesky control valve not coming on? Here are a few things to check before you come in for repair parts.

1) The most common problem with irrigation valves is the diaphragm. This is the rubber insert inside the valve. If your valve will not come on, or will not shutoff, replacing this is the most common solution. Be sure to keep everything inside the valve clean when reassembling the valve.

2) If your valve doesn’t come on at all, you could also have a problem with the solenoid. You can check the solenoid by turning on the power to the valve and feeling of the solenoid. If you feel a slight vibration or hear a humming noise, it should be working properly.

3) If the solenoid is not working properly, replace it. If a new solenoid doesn’t do the trick, there could be a cut in your irrigation wire somewhere. Your best bet here would be to call an irrigation professional to locate the break.

4) If you just installed the valve and it won’t shut-off, chances are it was installed backwards, check the flow arrows on the valve to see if it was installed properly.

Other problems can be more complicated and specific for a particular valve. Contact us if you are still having trouble after trying the items above.

Remember, when going to an irrigation store to get parts, write down the brand name and all numbers on the valve, or bring the parts with you that need to be replaced.

Toro 20055

Are you ready to start the mowing season?

If you are looking for a new lawnmower this year, come check out the Toro 20055. It has a five year consumer warranty, is self propelled and can be changed to side discharge, bag, or mulch.

It is a very well built product from the Toro company, and will last many years with routine maintenance. Check out the link below for more information.