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Lets Talk

2009 April

2009 April

Malaga Corp. Let's Talk Newsletter header
  Contrary to Popular Opinion and Miscellaneous Snippets
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Is Time Money?

The equation should be energy = money. It's how much energy in expertise, action, and results you pack into it that makes your time valuable to your client. Here are some ways to improve the value of the time your customer is paying for:

~ Define success first: before you start, write down what you must achieve in order to be successful. This may include the "how" in addition to the "what": do you need to cook and serve a hamburger...or cook and serve a hamburger with a smile?
~ Get focused on the job before you start. Clear your mind and turn your full attention to the task or problem at hand. It's ok to multitask if all the tasks are part of the job and your attention isn't divided against your customer.
~ If you get stuck, stop. Figure out why you're stuck, address the problem, then restart the clock. Don't flounder on your customer's time.
~ Review and refine before delivery. It's not your customer's job to catch your errors.
 
 
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Customer Service Attitudes

~give personalized attention
~have a positive attitude
~smile (even on the phone. even in email)
~practice active listening
~be courteousness
~use your please and thank you's
~say your customer's favorite word: their name
~keep a sense of humor
~respect your customer's time
  
Customer Service Actions

~use your customer's preferred communication -- not yours
~provide quick follow up; quick turnaround
~get the details right
~know your product
~check yourself -- before your customer does: quality assurance
~anticipate your customer's next need or want
~be prepared to compensate for your mistakes
~match your customer service to the product's importance: if your product is critical to your customer, be available 24/7		  
 
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Manners or Marketing?

Extraordinary Customer Service

Every customer should be treated professionally, courteously, and with a smile; but we can't fix every problem our customer has. We can, however, watch for opportunities to make a difference that are out of the ordinary, or extraordinary.

Watch for special chances to provide memorable customer service. It may be when your customer least expects it -- and when you least expect it -- that the opportunity to do something special presents itself. How can you "catch" these opportunities?

~ talk to and listen to your customer
~ be open to hearing what they have to say whether it's interesting or mundane
~ put yourself in your customer's shoes
~ think creatively about how your customer's problem might be solved; what can I do to make my customer's life better
~ it's about the customer. it's not about serving your own ego;
~ if the best you can do is to be professional, fast, and effective, then do that. It may, in fact, be all your customer really needs from you
  
 
 
 

April 2009  
   
Words of Wisdom
Malaga Corp. Small Business Promotions
Customer Updates
  What do you do if your website is out of date?

Websites are like clothes -- the fashion trends change. If your website has been online for a few years and you feel like you need a "wardrobe" upgrade, a good place to start is with your current web developer. He or she may be able to provide you with a much more affordable solution than a new provider because their history with you means they understand your business and may already know what you need to go to the next level in your online marketing.

If your current developer doesn't have the skills needed to bring your site up to current design and technical standards, it's time to find a new vendor. There are two elements that make for a great referral to a web developer. The first is a referral source who is willing to take some time to talk to you about their experience. Find out why they enjoyed working with the developer, and what the pitfalls were, if any. The second is a portfolio that reflects the design and technical breadth that will accommodate your needs, and an aesthetic that speaks to you. As with clothes, everyone has a different sense of what's hot and what's not!

  
Malaga Corp. Marketing  
“It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.”

-- George William Curtis
 
 
 
S P O T L I G H T


Online marketing is more competitive than ever - can you do better business on the web?


Talk to us about our 9-point website analysis and report (starting at $250)

Find out more!

  
 
Malaga Smith
Malaga Corp. logo
 
 

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One Industrial Blvd., Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94127
By appointment only, please.
(510) 704-1777
(877) 477-7847 toll-free
(510) 295-2471 fax
malagasales@malagacorp.com

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