Sometimes you are marketing your business and don’t even realize it. Then there are times your employees ARE your marketing team and you may not even be around. It’s true! Recently I was at the pharmacy getting a prescription filled and I saw it firsthand. The pharmacist-tech was talking with folks in line; she was telling people how long the wait was – what line they should be in – and setting expectations. Very efficient, but not very effective.
She was apparently frustrated that she was busy ‘all of a sudden’. Her exact words were ‘Wow…so everyone just decided to come all at once apparently. Great!’ (Insert grumpy face and irritated tone). Hmmm…I am no marketing expert…wait yes I am…and that is horrible marketing. She may not have realized it or cared, but horrible marketing it was. She then proceeded to talk to individuals like they were a real inconvenience. I was in line and started seeing the looks from the other folks around me, the eye rolls and then I started hearing the under the breath comments of the people in line. I was watching the definition of poor customer marketing right before my eyes.
If you talk to 10 business owners and ask them how is their customer service …most, if not all, would say ‘good’. Ask that same group how important customer service is to the growth of their business and most, if not all, would say ‘very important’.
Guess what? Most businesses say that, but very few have training, systems or monitoring processes in place. They tell a new hire WHAT they want, but not HOW to get there. If you tell someone to go to Bozeman, Montana….but without specific directions then you can’t get upset if they go a different direction than you would have liked. ‘Good’ customer service is defined differently by different people; don’t forget…it’s your company. Be sure the people who wear your brand know how YOU define “good customer service”…… give them the destination, and the directions. You are setting them up for success. Remember, you and your employees are marketing even when you may not realize it. From simply responding to a question about where the widgets are located to addressing a customer complaint. People are watching – they are listening. Your marketing should give one simple, clear message…. ‘We want your business.’ The world is very competitive…one bad experience can take a client from a brand ambassador to a brand jumper.
Take your customer service seriously, because you are marketing even if you don’t realize it.
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Clint Powell is owner of Connect Marketing, a full service advertising agency in Chattanooga. He is a graduate of Carson-Newman College. He has spent years in radio advertising sales and management, built a billboard company and works on a contract basis with other ad agencies writing ad copy and helping formulate strategies. Clint has worked with hundreds of local and regional companies over the years and helped them develop advertising campaigns. He frequently leads marketing seminars and meetings for businesses and network groups. He believes that life is all about connections and spends his time connecting businesses and business owners to solutions. He sits on the board of Y-Cap (YMCA Community Action Program) and helps with several other non-profits. Clint currently resides in East Ridge with his wife and three children.
To get in touch with Clint and his team at Connect Marketing call 423 505-1014 or email clint@connectchattanooga.com.