Masonry Magazine February 2001 Page. 22

Masonry Magazine February 2001 Page. 22

Masonry Magazine February 2001 Page. 22
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We took (what could have been) an uncomfortable situation and used it to increase customer loyalty. As soon as a problem was unearthed, we communicated immediately with the client and then followed through with a sincere and genuine attempt to remedy the situation as professionally, promptly, and responsibly as possible.

Before long, our customer grew satisfied that we weren't the kind of contractor that would leave him lying in a lurch in his time of need. He knew we were there for him. We didn't run away or avoid contact with the client when things didn't go as planned. That's all most people want. Now, certainly no one likes complaints, but these situations gave us the opportunity (in an left-handed kind of way) to prove that we were genuine in our commitment to our client. The way we handled our customer's problems and complaints told more about us as a company than any brochure.

Take a Look Around
Think about it for a moment. Think of a company or service with which you work that you're particularly fond. Chances are your reasons for liking or not liking that company have little to do with their product or pricing structure (even though that's what you seem to hear the most about) and everything to do with their attitude, abilities, and service especially in those situations where things don't go quite as planned.

The truth is, most customers understand mistakes are going to happen. They know that everyone is human. Besides, it never seems to be the mistake itself that causes hard feelings between a customer and a company. Rather, it's when that business doesn't offer (or even try to offer) a remedy to the customer's problem that causes the animosity between the parties. These types of experiences - both positive and negative - mold our feelings about a particular company. People simply want to conduct business where they know they will be treated well...and will remember forever those places where they weren't!

Turning Lemons ...
So, your simplest - yet most effective marketing tool may lie in you and your employees' ability to handle and resolve problems and conflicts in an expedient manner that won't offend. So, it pays to take a closer look. Here are a few tips for turning customer complaints into positive promotion for your company:
• Always be sure someone from your company is accessible to the customer. Yes, this sounds elementary, but I still walk into contractor offices where absolutely no one is around.
• If you have a voice-mail system - lose it! In my opinion, voice-mail is one of the most vile and ill-conceived inventions ever visited upon human society... and often only serves to infuriate existing (and potential) customers by wasting their time with endless directories and transfers that end up in hyper-space. A human-being should always answer your phone.
When faced with a customer complaint, always show genuine interest and offer up a sincere and responsive demeanor. Cavalier and casual attitudes will always further inflame the situation.
• Listen completely and calmly before offering any help. Many times, a major part of quelling anger and resolving conflict is in simply letting the customer "get it off of his chest".
• Never make excuses for a problem. Don't blame the workers in the field or the girl in accounting. The customer sees you as a company - not a group of individual personalities.

strapex USA
www.strapex.com
2601 Westinghouse Blvd.
Charlotte NC 28273
Phone: (800) 826-7913 Fax: (704) 588-8795
OR-T 241-C4F Vertical
Fully automatic vertical
and horizontal strapping
systems using plastic
or steel strapping
Strapex sets the standard
in the concrete industry.
22 MASONRY-FEBRUARY, 2001
Orgapack
◆ Endra
◆ Strapex


Masonry Magazine December 2012 Page. 45
December 2012

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Masonry Magazine December 2012 Page. 46
December 2012

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Masonry Magazine December 2012 Page. 47
December 2012

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Masonry Magazine December 2012 Page. 48
December 2012

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