Customer “No” Service

As an innkeeper, customer service is our lifeline. You never get a second chance to make a first impression

Regardless of your business. it’s the customer silly.

So I ‘m hyper sensitive when I come across someone specializing in customer “no” service..
Questions you want to ask the person who repeatedly — and boy do I mean repeatedly — keeps either delaying the completion date of your barn or keeps giving you the same pat answer… “read the fitting guide” til it sounds like a broken record?

1. Was it something I said?
2. Am I too nice?
3. Am I not nice enough?
4. Do I remind you of someone you hated as a child?
5. Do I talk too fast?
6 Are you just not as smart as you look?
7. Is your tape measure all-metric? That would explain quite a bit.
8 . Are you on medications that make it difficult to focus?
9 Am I not making myself clear
10 Is this any way to do business?
11. What happened to customer service, anyway?
12. How have you managed to stay in business this long?
13. Will I stop being annoyed once the barn is finished and who I’m still mad at three years later when the stall door sticks?

So here’s the thing.. I’m not a customer service guru but I am a thinker. What’s worked for us

Don’t pretend to be interested; rather, be seriously interested. Ask r real questions. Listen. Be courteous. Then, do something with the information. It’s amazing what relationships I’ve formed by being interested instead of interesting.

Another thing about being interested rather than interesting… and almost like a detective searching for clues I can anticipate their needs . We received an online reservation which mentioned “no particular dietary requests… we’re celebrating our anniversary). They were greeted by a bottle of bubbly and a gift certificate for a day at the Boulder Hot Springs.

Don’t be a schmuck Rather, be honorable. . Be good to your customers /guests w. Be honest and stay focused on how your business can improve your customers’ lives.Don’t ever underestimate the power of quality, convenience and customer service.

They dont call it “word of mouth” for nothing Happy guests at check out will send other ones checking inn !

Follow Up .. with feeling

I’m constantly reminded what a blessing GaZi and Alle continue to be… the endurance horse with a motor and a very well trained calmer demeanor of a western pleasure horse. I have the “yin” and “yan” of horses. Amen

A self proclaimed John Denver fan from college days, I was reminded also of followup and the example here of our vet, Dr. Layne apropos of horses.

Because he called the forest brother
Because he called the earth his mother
They drove him out into the rain

Because he spoke with fish in the creek
He tried to tell us that the animals could speak
Who knows, perhaps they do
How do you know they dont
Just because theyve never spoken to you
John Denver

Not just following up in hot pursuit of another transaction, but following up because you really care.

I saw the power of this first hand last year in a most unexpected way, but I’ll never forget it.

My first encounter with Dr Layne was two years when we were getting the standard “vet check” that folks do prior to final purchase of a horse to make sure they’re healthy. Vet checks can range from a very casual affair to full on x-rays. Depends on your point of view, cost of the horse, and your budget. While Dr Layne’s well known in these parts, for his equine expertise, he also does alot of work with cattle and other assorted critters.

He seemed a kind but distant sort and the fact that he wanted to do an x-ray on Great Picken ’s right foot thinking there might be a navicular syndrome in the making didnt leave me the best first impression. Of course we got the x-rays and fortunately she was footloose and fancy free. On subsequent visits and calls to him regarding our horses, he just got friendlier and friendlier and he really has quite the way with the animal kingdom. He’s become more like an uncle ;somewhat typical of folks here, once they know you a bit, you’re like family . I’ve also consulted him regarding another horse I was thinking of purchasing which he (fortunately in retrospect) kaiboshed and now I have my Alle.

He did the ultra sound on Whistler when we ‘d bred her last year When Whistler foaled, her filly was the spitten image of her complete with the markings, we so named her “Whistler’s Image”. but she was nt walking quite right even after two days and seemed frail. Dr. Layne immediately came out to check things out and upon putting a splint on her foot to correct and strengthen, noticed more discharge. Further examination revealed an autoimmune dysfunction typically appearing in cattle; rare in horses. Dr Layne said when it does occur in horses; it’s virtually a death sentence.

And so it was, while we ‘d thought about bringing her to an equine hospital Dr. L recommended; we couldnt really even move her although she did try to get up and move on her own. She didnt make it through the night.

The vet’s phone calls to follow up were what made me a devotee. He really, really cared. And he didn’t just follow up after her emergency. He came and sat with us and was genuinely compassionate. It’s a matter again of doing what you love and understanding the folks you come in contact with and do business with. Really “listening” to their hearts .

I’m guessing if you are doing what you love, from home no less, that you are pretty enthusiastic about your company. Carry that enthusiasm through after the sale to genuinely show that you value your customers. If you’re providing a great service, and something of value, it’s also a good way to hear some nice words. But even in the (hopefully) rare situation where you have an unhappy customer, it’s a way to make things right. It’s often said that a happy customer will tell a friend and an unhappy one will tell 10.
I’m finding that the including the ingredients of “country”, compassion and of course in our case, good cooking are key ingredients in the recipe for success.

You Never get a Second Chance

to make a first impression…

Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won’t be profitable for long.

Tis all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then send em yonder our way.

One key ingredient in running a successful bed and breakfast is the ability to get along with all types of people who will be staying at your inn. When you operate a bed and breakfast, you become the host (not an owner) who greets and welcomes guests (not clients). It’s more about hospitality service rather customer service First and foremost no matter what kinda day we’ve been having.:

1.Provide a warm, friendly welcome at the front door..

2 Take the extra step (or two) Be a “fountain of information”. As hosts, we’re called on to to answer questions about your area and mention nearby attractions and places of interest. We collect brochures and maps for the immediate area as well as other nearby areas of interest. We also have on hand. menus from local restaurants. The local restaurants love us!

3. Be helpful even if there’s no immediate $ signs involved.The other day I popped into a local watch shop because I had lost the small piece that clips the pieces of my watch band together. When I explained the problem, theowner said that he thought he might have one lying around. He found it, attached it to my watch band – and charged me nothing! Where do you think I’ll go when I need a new watch band or even a new watch? And how many people do you think I’ve told this story to?

4. Find out when guests arrive what they would prefer as a beverage in the morning, and always have coffee made early. A pot of freshly brewed coffee outside the door in the morning will be a treat for the true coffee drinker. Not to forget that overflowin’ cookie jar for the midnight munchies.

5. Throw in something extra. Whether it’s a free ticket to the rodeo in town, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting. A complimentary bottle of bubbly is standard for honeymooners .And don’t think that a gesture has to be large to be effective. Provide an umbrella stand with loan umbrellas near the door for guests who aren’t prepared for bad weather. You’d be surprised at how many folks appreciate that small but often overlooked touch.

6. Raise your hand if you havent left home without your toothbrush! We always have extra sample-size toilet articles on hand for your guests, such as shampoo, hand lotion, toothbrushes, razors and toothpaste.

7. Don’t make promises you cant or wont keep . Think before you give any promise – because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one. Nothing makes me carnkier personally than someone who doesnt keep their word. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception. If you say, “we’ll pick you up at the airport at 4:30pm”, you’d better be there by 4pm. . Otherwise, don’t say it.

8. Listen - really listen

Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone what you want or what your problem is and then discovering that that person hasn’t been paying attention and needs to have it explained again? From a customer’s point of view, I doubt it. Can the sales pitches and the product babble. Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.

No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug, saying, “You can’t please all the people all the time”. The customer is always right might be a tired old , but trust me.. it’s always true. The problem or blame may be on the customer’s side, but you should never tell this outright. Without your customers where would you be ?

In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care”

And if worse comes to worse, note to self, “smile, check-out time ’s 11Am