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TwitterYou know that old joke, “how many (insert relevant person here) does it take to screw in a light bulb?” I often ask myself that question when I’m in a business…though I don’t tend to laugh at the punch line so much. Here’s my joke: “How many staff members does it take to figure something [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Consulting’
QUALITY CHECK: Service from the Back Nine from Highland Pacific Golf
March 4th, 2011 
Russel It’s been far too long since I put a business to the The Upsell Q&A. Matt Diederichs, manager of the guest services team at Highland Pacific Golf Course said he was up for a few queries. Who am I to disappoint him? Here’s the latest Quality Check: 1) What is your definition of bad customer [...]
Sell Your Passion, Not Your Product
October 18th, 2010 Russel David Meerman Scott said it best, “No one cares about your product except you.” But dammit it’s super awesomeness in a can! Sure, sure…. I recommend not selling your product…sell yourself and why you love what you do. That kind of passion is infectious, inspiring and could instigate a relationship. And a relationship is key [...]
Posted in My Tips 
Tags: Ambrosio, Business, Business Services, Consulting, Customer Management, customer service, davidmeermanscott, James Bay, passion, Victoria 
1 Comment »FOO: A Little Engagement Goes a Long Way
October 12th, 2010 Russel I’ve had a few arguments in the past (who me, confrontational?) regarding small vs. big business and their level of customer service. But Russel, people say, bigger businesses have more money to spend on training. The more expensive the shop, the better the service. Ridonkulous! As I’ve blogged before on staff and branding, customer servicestarts from the bottom up. Cost, expense…don’t and [...]
Posted in My Reviews Tags: Asia, BC, Business, Consulting, customer service, Dale Carnegie, Dining Guides, Education and Training, FOO, Food, Recreation, street food, Victoria No Comments »What Do You Cost? The Price of Customer Loyalty
October 10th, 2010 Russel Visited GardenWorks recently, a greenhouse and pottery store, to find a couple of pots. Yes, I’m very greenthumby. I must have walked around the store for 15 minutes trying to decide which pot worked best for me. Question #1: Guess what didn’t happen in that 15 minutes? Not a single acknowledgement from staff. No “Hi, [...]
QUALITY CHECK: Icing Sugar, Fruit and Service from WannaWafel
September 18th, 2010 Russel The new, bright and shiny QUALITY CHECK – Q&A FOR BUSINESS is courtesy of Renaat with WannaWafel, an authentic Belgian waffel house in Victoria B.C. Now I’m hungry. 1) What is your definition of bad customer service? Being approached, after having paid and served, without a word or expression makes me want to turn around and [...]
“Don’t Fake Sincerity,” He Asked Sincerely
August 31st, 2010 Russel There’s the old line, “if you can’t be sincere, fake it.” Pretty please don’t. Customers can tell. I recently went to a Shoppers Drug Mart to buy some stationary. Once at the till, the cashier did all the usual things wrong: no eye contact, no smile, lack of interest. I was going to chalk it [...]
Calling for the Death of B2C & B2B
August 26th, 2010 Russel Who are you selling to? Business to Business or Business to Customer are marketing terms to describe a company’s target market. Are they trying to get the attention of another organization or the interest of customers? I propose you do neither. Try H2H instead. Human to Human. When marketing your company, you’re speaking to another [...]
Posted in My Tips Tags: b2b, b2c, branding, Business, Business Services, connecting, Consulting, customer, engagement, Human, Marketing, Marketing and Advertising, service, Strategic, Target market No Comments »The Line On Customer Service – Guest Post from Mike Vardy
August 12th, 2010 Russel Below is from Mike Vardy (reposted with permission) from his Eventualism website, the productivity alternative. It’s a sarcastic look at how to handle the dreaded “line up” at the customer service counter. A fun blog worth a repost. There is no better way to be Effing The Dog while shopping than to wait in some [...]
Posted in Guest Reviews, My Tips Tags: Associations, Business, Company, Consulting, Customer satisfaction, customer service, Education and Training, Website 3 Comments »No. #2 of the Top Five Things Businesses Should Do to Piss Off Their Customers
July 22nd, 2010 Russel DON’T ACKNOWLEDGE ME Effort goes a long way. Customers are very, very patient and understanding if they feel like they’re shown some respect and recognition. How best to do that? Staff needs to make sure they show their customers that they know they are there. Even if you are busy, on the phone or with [...]