21 Small Business Profit Boosters For Troubled Times (#1)

http://rayedwards.com/21-small-business-profit-boosters-for-troubled-times-1/

I’ve had it with all the loser talk about the economy.

I know it’s bad.

I know people are losing money.

I have lost money, too – my retirement account is worth about two thirds what it was worth six months ago.

So I get it.

But it’s time for all of us to stop talking about it, and instead start doing something about it.

First Of All, I’m Not Suze Orman

I’m not going to pretend to advise you on what to do with your investments, or that kind of thing. There are plenty of experts who can help you with that. In fact, I recommend you listen to these audios by Tony Robbins for some guidance on your finances – and your attitude.

What I have to offer is of a different nature. Here’s my contribution…

I’m writing a series of blog posts (starting with this one) that are focused on one thing, and one thing only: helping small business owners thrive-not just survive, but thrive-in today’s economic environment.

I believe that is realistic and attainable for almost all small businesses – if they’re willing to do what it takes.

Are you?

We’ll see.

The World Series Of Small Business Profit Tactics

This will be a month-long series (give or take). Each day my goal is to post one actionable step you can take that will either get you more sales, increase the amount of profit you make on each sale, or multiply the number of sales you get from each customer… and ideally, it will do all three at the same time.

Tactic #1: Discover Your Own Acres of Diamonds

You have probably heard the classic motivational tale called Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell.

It’s the story of a poor farmer who sold his land in order to go off in search of treasure. He never found that treasure… but the new owner of the property discovered a rich diamond mine lay just beneath it. The poor farmer gave up all he had… including his “acres of diamonds”.

Dig In Your Own Back Yard

This is a perfect illustration of how most business owners run their small businesses (whether online or off-line).

The are constantly in search of some new idea, technology, or innovation… and they fail to harvest the fortune already at their feet.

If you have any kind of business at all – if you’ve been selling anything for any length of time –  you already own acres of diamonds.

Your diamonds are your past customers.

They spent money with you before. The hardest sale to make (and the most expensive sale to make) is the first one. And yet… many business owners never try to work for the second sale at all.

They seem to operate under a motto that reads: “Find ‘em, fool ‘em, and forget ‘em.”

What about you?

Have you given your past customers opportunity to do business with you again? Have you asked them for more business? Have you done it recently… persuasively… persistently?

If you’re like most business owners, the answer is “no”.

How to Harvest Your Diamonds

So how do you harvest your acres of diamonds? How do you go about reactivating old customers-in real, practical terms?

The simplest way is: contact them.

Do you have their phone number? Then call them.

Calling them is the best way-it’s the most personal (barring showing up at the front door, which might not be such a bad idea, depending on what business you’re in).

I can already hear someone saying, “But Ray, people will be offended if I show up out of nowhere… or call them on the phone… or e-mail them… and ask them to buy something.”

Well of course they will.

Especially if they haven’t heard from you for a long time. But what if you took a different approach?

What if you called (or sent a letter, or an e-mail) and said something like this: “Hi this is Bob the Remodeling Guy…  and I was just checking in to see how that new bathroom is working for you? I know it’s been a year since we installed your new fixtures, and we always like to follow up and make sure our work is living up to your expectations.”

Will you get some complaints? Probably.

You’ll find a few people who’ve been meaning to complain about that leaky faucet but never thought you’d even return a phone call. They’ll be glad to finally have your ear. But if you handle even these situations right, it will almost always result in new business.

Why is that? Because nobody calls to follow up these days. Nobody.

And you might be surprised to discover that most of your calls will not result in new complaints. Most of them will result in people being surprised that you called the begin with.
Most calls will be a pleasant shock for the customer and result in some kind of conversation about what other work, products, or services they might need.

If you can’t call your customers, send them an e-mail; if you don’t have your e-mail address, send them a postcard.

Get this: the technology you use to reopen the dialogue doesn’t matter. What matters is that you start the conversation.

And don’t start it by asking for more money; start by finding out how they felt about dealing with you in the past, how well you helped them solve their previous problem, and — if they have any thing less than a stellar report for you — how you can make things right.

If you do these things, you will get new business as a natural course of events. And you won’t have to bring it up–they will.

“But What If They Don’t?”

What if you have a pleasant conversation with your past customer, all is well, and they don’t mention buying something new? No problem. It doesn’t mean you can’t sell them something. Just be nice about it, for cryin’ out loud. Don’t be rude. Make sure they have been heard before you try to make them hear you.

And once you know they have been heard, and feel great about you because you contacted them, and because you (gasp!) listened to what they had to say… make them aware of whatever your current promotion happens to be. Just do it  without being pushy.

It can be as simple as saying, “By the way, we have a special discount available for previous customers who…”.

If they’re interested in your new offer, they’ll let you know.

If they’re not, they’ll let you know that too.

Either way, the worst thing that can happen is you will have built more goodwill for your company, its products, and services. And if you contact enough of your previous customers, taking the right approach, you will generate new business.

This tactic works because hardly anybody does it.

In fact, I predict hardly anybody reading it on this blog will do it. But don’t let that discourage you-in fact, it should excite you.

It should be exciting to know that so few of your competitors will take this simple step to increase their sales and profits.

That just leaves more for you. Now go do it!

The Seven Deadly Sins of Customer Service

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-customer-service/
By DONNA FENN


Angry cat image by Flickr user Gumuz, CC 2.0

Is customer service getting more abominable by the moment or is it my imagination? Last week, my latest service nightmare (more later), made me think of previous customer service offenses, many (but not all) by large companies. Wake up, business owners! In a world where everything eventually becomes a commodity, great service is a differentiating factor that you can hang your hat on. Avoid these seven deadly sins of customer service and you'll be well on your way to one-upping the competition. The good news: the bar is pitifully low these days. 

Keeping customers in the dark. 
Last week, Cablevision's Optimum, which is my Internet service provider, left customers in my area without access to email for almost 24 hours because of a server crash. For those of us who work at home, it was a disaster. There was no explanation, no accurate estimate on when the system would be up again, and certainly no sincere apology. In fact, when the problem was finally fixed, one of the first emails in my in-box was from Optimum, wanting to sell me additional services for $9.95 a month! Are they serious? The next day, I did receive an email from Cablevision. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused," it said. "We have corrected the situation and a $2 credit will be applied to your account automatically." Wow. Thanks. It would have been great to hear a little bit more about what happened and why it will never, ever happen again. Gmail, here I come.

Pretending to care, then dropping the ball. 
I've been a loyal Hertz customer for years but lately, the company doesn't seem to like my American Express card. Every time I make a reservation with it, it's rejected, even though my card is active and usable everywhere else. Several calls to customer service got me nowhere, so I resorted to complaining on Twitter (always my last option). That got their attention and they emailed me and called, which was nice, except that after promising to follow up and help me solve the problem, they disappeared. That actually irritated me more than if they had never contacted me at all. Be consistent and follow through, for heaven's sake.

Gouging on price. 
My son goes to school in Ithaca, NY, a lovely little city with a very limited number of hotels. So reservations for graduation must be made literally years in advance. Imagine my surprise when I called the Ithaca Holiday Inn to reserve a room for graduation in 2013 (that's right) and was told that a standard room would cost $425 a night with a three-night minimum! The explanation: "It's graduation weekend." My response: "But that's price gouging!" Their retort: "Everyone does it." I'm sure they do, but that doesn't make it right. Frankly, I'd rather dust off the tent in my attic and camp that weekend or, better yet, check out Airbnb to see who might have a room to rent.

Nickel and diming. 
Airline and hotels are the worst when it comes to this. A $6 bottle of water in my room? Charging for blankets and pillows on an airplane? Frankly, I'd rather they just increase their base rates and include everything they're making us pay for, since even the illusion of "free" is better than feeling nickel and dimed. News flash: free is good! My friend, Chris Zane at Zane's Cycles in Branford, CT knows this intuitively. He gives away anything that costs less than $1 in his store. Guess whose independent bike shop is thriving while his competitors are getting slammed by the superstores? You guessed it.

Adopting an air of superiority. 
No, the customer is not always right. But be awfully careful about how you communicate that. I recently took my border collie to be groomed and was told it would cost $75. But when I picked her up, I got a long, nasty lecture from the groomer about the difficulty of the task and a bill for $120. I believe she even called me "honey." And it wasn't in the way that nice Southern ladies call you honey; it was definitely a condescending New York honey. "Bring her in every three months and it won't cost so much next time," she said. Well I've got news for you, honey: there won't be a next time.

Playing favorites: 
Not all customers are created equal. Of course you have favorites, but that should not be apparent to your customers. If you're meeting with a smaller customer and Ms. Big calls, do you stop the meeting to take the call with a perfunctory apology? If so, the message is clear: you're not that important to me. Be as democratic as possible with your customers; you are not the Soup Nazi, after all. And you never know when the little customer will suddenly become Ms. Big.

Refusing to admit you're wrong. 
Everyone makes mistakes, but fear and arrogance often prevent CEOs from admitting they're wrong, which just serves to escalate customer rage. Former JetBlue CEO David Neeleman got it right three years ago after an ice storm at New York's John F. Kennedy airport kept hundreds of passengers stranded on the tarmac for over six hours. Neeleman apologized on a YouTube video, gave a detailed explanation of the changes he was making at JetBlue to make sure that similar problems would not happen again, and announced that the company was creating a passenger bill of rights. Say what you like about JetBlue or Neeleman, but the apology, which went far beyond the boilerplate "sorry for the inconvenience," was the right thing to do. Optimum, take note.

How I Built a 6-Figure Business from a Single Speech

http://rayedwards.com/how-i-built-a-6-figure-business-from-a-single-speech/
by Michael Hudson





Breaking the $100,000 revenue level in any business is a key milestone. For many it is the target that defines success. That’s why in the spring of 1999 I was sitting at my desk pondering how I could grow my speaking business with that number in mind.

And then the phone rang…

Little did I know that call would be the first step on the path to building a 6-figure business that would continue for over 15 years.

The Unexpected Inquiry

The call was from the president of a statewide trade association. He knew that I offered speaking, consulting, and training, and asked if I had any programs on service.

I shared that one of my current ‘best-selling’ (meaning more than one client had invested in it) programs was The 7 Deadly Sins of Customer Service. We briefly discussed the program content and he asked whether I would be willing to “make a couple of adjustments so the program would better fit his audience.”

“Absolutely,” I responded.

“Well here’s my dilemma,” he said. “Our annual convention is on Friday and our keynote speaker just cancelled. Any chance you’re available?”

The Immediate Response

Since the event was within 10 miles of my home office (and I had nothing on the calendar), I again responded: “Absolutely.”

We talked about the set-up of the program and his expectations, I secured his permission to video-tape the event, and we agreed on an appropriate investment.

The deal was done and it was time to prepare.

Based on what I had learned in our conversation it was clear I needed to learn a lot more about the people who would be in the audience. So I requested a few names and phone numbers of people I could contact.

Though the timeline was tight, I was able to connect with most of them and pick their brains a bit about how they saw the topic, what they wanted to learn, and their favorite stories related to customer service.

I leveraged what I learned, updated my presentation, and rehearsed it several times.

The Event Results

The event was a success. The stories I gathered from the audience members made it seem like I really understood their industry. The changes to the presentation based on the input of the association president were perfect. And the video came out great!

More important, the meeting planner was effusive in her praise of the event. She specifically identified three things that she felt made the presentation “perfect for their audience.”

Applying a lesson I had learned from a mentor I thanked her for her comments and asked if she would mind if I put them in writing to share with others. She said that was fine and I thanked her for the opportunity. Then I visited briefly with some of the audience members.

One CEO asked me if I did leadership training, and told me what he needed for his team. He ended by handing me his business card and telling me to call him the following week to schedule an on-site session.

Another CEO asked if I facilitated strategic planning sessions. I shared a bit about how long I had been doing it and how the process worked, then he hand me his business card and asked me to call him the following week to schedule his next planning session.

The Follow-Up

To say that it was a good day would be a bit of an understatement, but from my perspective all of the positive outcomes came from one thing: Taking the time to understand the audience and customizing the presentation based on what I learned.

But wait. There’s more…

Over the weekend I reflected a bit on the experience and realized there was an opportunity at hand. After all I had a video of a presentation that connected well with an audience served by a trade association in every state, and I had great feedback from a meeting planner who had peers in all of those organizations.

So on Monday morning I made three phone calls. I called the CEO who wanted leadership training. Then I called the CEO who wanted me to facilitate his planning session. My third call was to the education director of the trade association.

The first two calls focused on setting up meetings later that week, each of which resulted in a 5-figure contract to be delivered within the next 60-90 days.

The third call focused on getting permission from the meeting planner to share her comments in a letter from her to her colleagues recommending my services. Included in that letter was a P.S. indicating that she had asked me to send them some information about my speaking topics.

Later that week I sat with the meeting planner as she signed the letters and I stuffed them into envelopes and mailed them. One week later I sent a mailing to each of the recipients with a list of three speech topics, a bio, and a 3-minute demo video from the event. Within a month of that mailing I had 15 state trade associations booked for keynote and breakout sessions to be delivered in the next 6-9 months. And 30% of those sessions led to additional bookings for leadership and strategic planning engagements.

The net result: Within 90 days that single speech generated agreements for business over 6-figures during the next 12 months. This established the foundation for serving that market for the next 15 years.

A Replicable System

At this point, you may be thinking that this was a special situation and wondering if it can be repeated. The truth is that it can because it is based on a simple 7-step system:

1. Listen to the client — Ask questions, probe for more information, and focus more on learning about their needs than selling yourself. This creates the foundation for success.

2. Respond to their needs — Customize your program and your approach to meet (or better yet exceed) the expectations of the person hiring you. This creates shared ownership of the outcome.

3. Understand the audience — Invest time to speak with and learn about audience members. This provides a clear pathway to connection because you are sharing their stories and using them to illustrate the key points of your message.

4. Prepare judiciously — Put in the time to prepare the right presentation for that audience at that time, and rehearse it well. Ensure that you deliver it perfectly. This creates raving fans.

5. Share relevant stories — Replace your trusted stories with actual stories from the industry and from members of the audience. This makes you an insider and that leads to more opportunities.

6. Follow-up quickly — Do what you say you will do and take immediate action to follow-up. This differentiates you and secures additional business that others miss.

7. Leverage feedback — Listen to feedback and ask permission to capture and share it. This deepens your relationship and creates advocates who help you grow your business.

Approach your business using these 7 steps and it will take everything you do to the next level. These 7 steps can provide a solid foundation for building a 6-figure business in a relatively short period of time.

Dr. Michael Hudson is a member of my Elite Regency Mastermind. He is also a teacher, speaker, writer, facilitator, coach, & ideapreneur. He helps people discover their vision, write their story, and speak their vision into existence using his proven VisionSpeaker™ System.  Visit 52SpeakerSecrets.com to download your free copy of Michael’s ebook filled with practical insights you can use to increase your impact every time you speak.  ~ Ray Edwards

5 steps for dealing with aggressive people

https://brightside.me/inspiration-psychology/5-steps-for-dealing-with-aggressive-people-175755/


photo credit: Tom Conger/Flickr

It is almost certain that we will have to deal with aggressive people in our lives. Aggression arises during a conflict when one person feels the need to protect their interests or fight to gain something, often at the expense of others. So let’s be clear that aggression is something at our expense.

First of all, you can recognize an aggressive person if:

• They interrupt you or talk loudly to keep you from speaking.
• They do not allow your point of view and input.
• You often have the sense that your boundaries are being crossed.
• Interaction with the person usually leads to tension.
• You feel energetically and emotionally exhausted after interacting with them.

Unfortunately, we can’t avoid these people. So we need to find a solid balance between assertiveness and empathy to deal with them. Follow these 5 steps to master the art of dealing with aggressiveness.

Keep your cool

Fighting fire with fire will only make things worse and spur the other person’s aggression. A few tips for staying calm, even when you feel like you’re bursting with anger:

• Take a deep breath.
• Get up to get a glass of water or your phone. Doing something else diffuses the tension that is building up in the moment.
• Think of how much you will regret the things you might say out of anger.

Point them out

Call it as you see it. Don’t go along with the conversation as if nothing is bothering you. However, you need to point out that the other person is being aggressive with an empathetic statement rather than agitating them even more. Avoid using the words ’you’ or ’your,’ and try something along the lines of:

• ’There is no need to stress, we will resolve it/find a way/work it out.’
• ’Could you please lower your voice.’
• ’I’m sorry, can I say something I believe is important/might help?’
• ’I understand this can be stressful/upsetting.’

If you do this early on, it will help knock them out of the place of being unaware of themselves and be more conscious of what they are doing. As a result, it can help the person be more open to hearing whatever you say.

Empathize

Put yourself in the other person’s shoes, and try to understand the reasons why he/she is being aggressive. As we mentioned above, aggression is a natural reaction in order to protect or claim something. Try to consider:

• What does the other person have to lose? (time, money, friends and family, status, reputation, etc).
• How would you feel if you were in that situation?
• Is there something else going on in the person’s life that makes him/her generally very easily agitated and quick-tempered?

Be assertive

It might sound contradictory that you can be empathetic and assertive, but one doesn’t exclude the other. Understanding the other person’s position does not mean you will allow them to be aggressive.

• Keep your voice low and steady. This will show confidence and will not spur the other person into trying to talk more loudly than you.
• Stand your ground, and don’t allow the person to monopolize the discussion. Speak out on your opinion.
• Remain respectful, and ask for the same respect in return.
• If the level of aggression begins to increase, respond with more force and assertiveness to show that your tolerance is decreasing.

Focus

If someone is overtaken by their emotions, they lose sight of the matter at hand and how the whole argument even started! By focusing the conversation on the important things and facts, you are helping the other person revert to thinking and reasoning. For example:

• ’All that matters is that...’
• ’In a few years’ time we’ll remember this situation and laugh.’
• Try to make the other person laugh as it will completely disarm them.

PELAYANAN PRIMA / SERVICE EXCELLENCE

http://www.ciputra-uceo.net/blog/2015/7/7/pengertian-pelayanan-prima


IMAGE: ARIS/UCEO

Anda perlu mempelajari konsep pelayanan prima. Konsep ini sangat penting terlebih jika Anda adalah orang yang berhadapan dengan customer secara langsung atau disebut sebagai frontliner seperti kasir, waiters, customer service, dan sebagainya.

Keuntungan yang dapat diperoleh dari penerapan pelayanan prima (excellent service) antara lain:

• Keputusan pihak pelanggan untuk segera membeli produk yang kita tawarkan pada saat itu juga.
• Menumbuhkan kepercayaan pelanggan terhadap barang / produk produsen yang bersangkutan.
• Mempertahankan pelanggan agar tetap loyal menggunakan produk produsen yang bersangkutan
• Dapat menghindarkan terjadinya tuntutan-tuntutan terhadap penjual yang tidak perlu

Pengertian Pelayanan Prima

Secara etimologi, pelayanan bisa diartikan sebagai usaha melayani kebutuhan orang lain. Pada dasarnya melayani adalah kegiatan yang bersifat tidak berwujud yang ditawarkan kepada konsumen atau pelanggan yang dilayani. Karakteristik melayani dinyatakan sebagai berikut:

1. Sifatnya tidak bisa diraba, berlawanan sifatnya dengan produk barang jadi yang berwujud.
2. Merupakan tindakan nyata.
3. Kegiatan produksi dan konsumsi tidak dapat dipisahkan secara nyata.

Di sektor publik ada tiga fungsi pelayanan yang dilakukan pemerintah, yakni: environmental service, development service, dan protective service. Pelayanan oleh pemerintah dibedakan berdasarkan siapa yang menerima layanan tersebut, apakah pihak individu atau pihak kelompok. Kemudian konsep barang layanan terdiri dari barang privat (private goods) dan barang layanan kolektif (public goods).

Pelayanan prima adalah suatu pola layanan terbaik dalam manajemen modern yang mengutamakan kepedulian terhadap pelanggan. Layanan prima di dalam dunia bisnis disebut juga sebagai excellent service. Excellent service, customer service, dan customer care pada dasarnya adalah sama, hanya berbeda pada konsep pendekatannya saja. Namun yang paling penting dalam memberikan pelayanan kepada pelanggan, minimal harus ada tiga hal pokok, yakni: peduli pada pelanggan, melayani dengan tindakan terbaik, dan memuaskan pelanggan dengan berorientasi pada standar layanan tertentu. Jadi, keberhasilan program pelayanan prima tergantung pada penyelarasan kemampuan, sikap, penampilan, perhatian, tindakan, dan tanggungjawab dalam pelaksanaannya.

Sederhananya, pelayanan prima (excellent service) adalah pelayanan yang memenuhi standar kualitas yang sesuai dengan harapan dan kepuasan pelanggan. Sehingga dalam pelayanan prima terdapat dua elemen penting yang saling berkaitan yaitu pelayanan dan kualitas. Kualitas pelayanan sendiri memiliki beberapa definisi yang dikemukakan oleh beberapa ahli. Namun dari beberapa definisi yang dikemukakan, terdapat beberapa kesamaan, yakni:

• Kualitas merupakan usaha untuk memenuhi harapan pelanggan
• Kualitas merupakan kondisi mutu yang setiap saat mengalami perubahan
• Kualitas mencakup proses, produk, barang, jasa, manusia, dan lingkungan
• Kualitas merupakan suatu kondisi dinamis yang berhubungan dengan proses, produk, barang, jasa, manusia, dan lingkungan, yang memenuhi harapan

Menurut Vincent Gespersz, profesor bidang teknik sistem dan manajemen industri, kualitas pelayanan memiliki dimensi-dimensi seperti:

• Kecepatan waktu pelayanan
• Akurasi / ketepatan pelayanan
• Kesopanan dan keramahan pelaku usaha
• Tanggung jawab dalam menangani komplain pelanggan
• Jumlah petugas yang melayani dan fasilitas pendukung lainnya
• Kualitas pelayanan yang berkaitan dengan lokasi pelayanan, ketersediaan informasi, dan petunjuk / panduan lainnya
• Kualitas pelayanan yang berhubungan dengan kenyamanan, fasilitas, dan teknologi, dan lain-lain

Sebagai perbandingan, berikut adalah definisi layanan prima (excellent service) yang diungkapkan oleh para pelaku usaha:

• Membuat pelanggan merasa penting
• Melayani dengan ramah, tepat, dan cepat
• Pelayanan yang mengutamakan kepuasan pelanggan
• Menempatkan pelanggan sebagai mitra
• Pelayanan optimal yang menghasilkan kepuasan pelanggan

Untuk lebih jelasnya, berikut contoh definisi layanan prima (excellent service) pada beberapa bidang usaha:

1. Pada bidang usaha jasa transportasi angkutan penumpang, mungkin pengusahanya mendefinisikan layanan prima sebagai pemberian kepuasan optimal pada penumpang dengan memberikan fasilitas yang aman, nyaman, cepat, dan murah.
2. Di bidang manufaktur mungkin pengusahanya mendefinisikan layanan prima sebagai program layanan yang menjamin kualitas produk yang ditawarkan sehingga pelanggannya merasa puas.

IMAGE: IQBAL/ UC

3. Di bidang delivery mungkin pengusahanya berusaha untuk memberikan pelayanan pengiriman yang cepat dan tepat waktu serta jaminan keamanan kiriman sampai ke tempat yang dituju sebagai layanan primanya.

4. Di bidang kuliner mungkin pengusahanya mendefinisikan layanan prima dengan menjaga mutu dan kesegaran dari bahan makanan yang digunakan, penyajian tepat waktu, dengan kualitas rasa yang memuaskan pelanggannya.

Konsep Dasar Pelayanan Prima (Excellent Service)

1. Kemampuan (Ability)

Kemampuan tertentu yang meliputi kemampuan kerja di bidang kerja yang ditekuni yang dibutuhkan untuk menunjang program layanan prima (excellent service) seperti: melaksanakan komunikasi yang efektif, mengembangkan motivasi, dan menggunakan humas sebagai alat untuk membina hubungan ke dalam dan ke luar oraganisasi / perusahaan.

2. Sikap (Attitude)

Perilaku tertentu yang harus ditonjolkan ketika berhadapan dengan pelanggan

3. Penampilan (Apprearance)

Penampilan fisik ataupun non-fisik yang merefleksikan kredibilitas kepada pelanggan

4. Perhatian (Attention)

Kepedulian penuh terhadap pelanggan, yang berkaitan dengan kebutuhan dan keinginan pelanggan, maupun memahami saran dan kritiknya

5. Tindakan (Action)

Kegiatan nyata yang dilakukan dalam memberikan pelayanan kepada pelanggan

6. Tanggung jawab (Accountability)

Sikap keberpihakan kepada pelanggan sebagai bentuk kepedulian, untuk meminimalkan ketidakpuasan pelanggan

Jenis-jenis Pelayanan

IMAGE: SAM/UCEO

Pelayanan merupakan suatu proses yang menghasilkan produk berupa pelayanan yang diberikan kepada pelanggan, yang dibedakan menjadi tiga macam:

• Core Service

Pelayanan merupakan produk utama dari sebuah organisasi / perusahaan. Misalnya hotel atau perusahaan penerbangan yang menawarkan jasa sebagai produk usahanya.

• Facilitating Service

Fasilitas layanan tambahan kepada pelanggan. Misalnya fasilitas ‘check-in’ dalam penerbangan.

• Supporting Service

Pelayanan yang dimaksudkan untuk meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan atau untuk membedakannya dari pesaing. Misalnya restoran bergengsi yang bertempat di suatu hotel.

Pelayanan memiliki berbagai macam bentuk. Namun, apapun bentuknya, pelayanan ditawarkan untuk dikenal dan menarik perhatian pelanggan.

Pentingnya Pelayanan Prima

Pelayanan prima mempunyai peranan penting dalam bisnis baik dari sisi pelanggan internal maupun pelanggan eksternal, karena sangat berpengaruh pada loyalitas pelanggan kepada organisasi / perusahaan. Demikian juga jika pelayanan prima ini dilakukan oleh pihak non-komersil atau pemerintah.

Pelayanan Prima Bagi Pelanggan Internal

Pelanggan internal adalah orang-orang yang terlibat dalam proses produksi barang atau jasa yang ditawarkan perusahaan. Seperti semboyan para pelaku bisnis yang menyatakan: “Bila pegawai tidak terpuaskan, Anda tidak akan mempunyai pelanggan yang terpuaskan.” Maka dengan melaksanakan pelayanan prima di lingkungan internal, akan menunjang kelancaran proses produksi barang atau pembentukan jasa. Keberhasilan pembudayaan pelayanan prima di lingkungan internal, akan menjadi tonggak dasar dalam mewujudkan pelayanan prima di lingkungan eksternal.

Pelayanan Prima Bagi Pelanggan Eksternal

Kebutuhan dan keinginan pelanggan merupakan peluang besar bagi perusahaan untuk mendapatkan keuntungan melalui penjualan barang / jasa yang ditawarkan. Memberikan pelayanan prima kepada pelanggan eksternal diharapkan dapat meningkatkan loyalitas kepada perusahaan.

Begitu juga dengan pelayanan prima di organisasi non-komersil dan instansi pemerintahan, bagaimana mereka mengimplementasikan pola manajemen untuk memfasilitasi kebersamaan, kerjasama, dan upaya-upaya lain yang bisa diwujudkan agar pengurus dan pegawai dapat bekerja sesuai dengan tujuan organisasi tersebut. Pelayanan prima yang diberikan kepada masyarakat  diharapkan akan menimbulkan loyalitas dan kepatuhan dari masyarakat sehingga instansi yang bersangkutan dapat menarik manfaat untuk menyelesaikan misinya.

Karakteristik Pelayanan Prima

Agar pelanggan merasa puas atas produk / jasa yang kita tawarkan, pribadi yang prima ditunjukkan dengan indikator-indikator seperti berikut:

• Pelayanan yang ramah
• Bersikap sopan dan penuh hormat
• Tampil yakin
• Memberikan kesan ceria
• Berpenampilan rapi
• Senang bergaul
• Mudah memaafkan
• Senang belajar dari orang lain
• Senang pada hal-hal yang etis dan wajar
• Pandai menyenangkan orang lain

Tujuan dan Manfaat Pelayanan Prima

Tujuan dari pelayanan prima adalah memberikan pelayanan yang memuaskan pelanggan dan berfokus hanya pada pemberian layanan kepada pelanggan. Pada sektor publik, pelayanan prima didasarkan pada ‘pelayanan adalah pemberdayaan’. Pelayanan prima yang diberikan oleh sektor bisnis berorientasi pada profit, sedangkan pelayanan prima yang diberikan oleh sektor publik bertujuan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan masyarakat dengan cara yang terbaik.

Secara lebih luas, keberhasilan pelayanan prima diharapkan berujung pada hasil berikut:

• Pelanggan memutuskan untuk langsung membeli produk / jasa yang kita tawarkan pada saat itu juga
• Menciptakan kepercayaan pelanggan atas produk / jasa yang kita tawarkan
• Pelanggan tetap setia menggunakan produk / jasa kita
• Pelanggan membeli kembali produk / jasa kita
• Menghindari terjadinya tuntutan-tuntutan atau komplain yang tidak perlu dari pelanggan

Harapan Pelanggan akan Pelayanan Prima

IMAGE: HEIDY/UCEO

Menurut survei yang dilakukan, orang-orang menyatakan bahwa memperoleh kepuasan dan pengorbanan yang sebanding merupakan hal yang diharapkan dari para pelanggan. Perusahaan / organisasi memberikan layanan kepada pelanggan internal yaitu para pegawainya. Kemudian para pelanggan internal memberikan pelayanan kepada pelanggan eksternal melalui barang atau jasa yang diproduksinya. Untuk itu perusahaan / organisasi perlu memenuhi dulu harapan para pelanggan internalnya baru kemudian mendapatkan tunjungan untuk memenuhi harapan para pelanggan eksternal.

Bagi pelanggan internal, jasa berupa tenaga dan keterampilan merupakan pengorbanan yang dilakukannya secara langsung maupun tidak langsung untuk perusahaan / organisasi tempatnya bekerja. Sedangkan kepuasan bagi pelanggan internal bisa berupa imbalan yang diterima atas pengorbanan yang dilakukannya itu, atau bisa juga berupa kesenangan dan kenyamanan dalam suasana berkerja yang didapat di tempat atau lingkungan tempat kerjanya.

Bagi pelanggan eksternal, harga / biaya yang harus dikeluarkan untuk memperoleh barang atau jasa merupakan pengorbanan yang dilakukannya untuk sebuah perusahaan / organisasi yang memproduksi barang atau jasa tersebut. Sedangkan kepuasan akan diperoleh bila adanya kesesuaian antara harapan dan kenyataan yang diperoleh, yang dicerminkan dari mutu kualitas barang atau jasa yang diterimanya dari pihak yang memperoduksi barang atau jasa tersebut.

Singkatnya pelanggan mengharapkan beberapa hal berikut setelah diterapkannya pelayanan prima:

• Meningkatnya kualitas barang / jasa (better)
• Semakin cepat pelayanan yang diterima (faster)
• Adanya pembaruan dari produk / jasa yang ditawarkan (newer)
• Harga yang semakin murah (cheaper)
• Fasilitas yang semakin mudah / sederhana (more simple)

The One Thing A Boss Should Never Say When Delivering Bad News

http://fortune.com/2016/06/23/advice-how-to-deliver-bad-news/?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter_FORTUNE

by  

Kim Getty

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham in the 2009 critically acclaimed movie Up in the Air.Photograph by Dale Robinette/DW Studios LLC. — Paramount Pictures

It’s a relationship killer.

The MPW Insiders Network is an online community where the biggest names in business and beyond answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for: What’s the best way to deliver bad news to your team? is written by Kim Getty, president of Deutsch LA.

There are many things that keep me up at night, but it’s not hitting deadlines, making the numbers, or the other regular demands of running a business. The people who show up every day are what I care most about, which makes tough conversations the hardest part of my job. It makes sense that most people find delivering bad news challenging. But delivering bad news the right way can actually earn you more credibility as a leader than sharing the big wins. Some tenets for consideration:

Deliver good news fast. And bad news faster. Speed is crucial in these situations. And the best thing you can do is pick up the phone, or set up an in-person meeting right away and have that conversation. Getting out ahead of bad news allows you to control the narrative, before rumors and speculation can take hold. It’s OK if you don’t have every next step or implication figured out. Let people know that you’re working through the game plan, and that there will be updates as soon as there’s more information. The key is to let the facts, not under-informed imaginations, drive the story.

Don’t sugar coat it. This is one of the biggest mistakes we can make when delivering bad news. Don’t try to manufacture a silver lining – lay out the facts and let people do the math on their own. You’ll get more credibility by doing it this way.

Don’t make it about you. The reason delivering bad news never gets any easier is because there is a human on the other side of the conversation. A lot of people say, ‘I feel terrible about this’ or ‘This is so hard for me to do,’ but don’t make that mistake. It’s not about you – it’s about them. Of course no one likes letting people down. But your feelings are not what matters. Your job is to communicate the information in a way that people can react to in the way that works best for them.

Tell everyone at once. Whenever possible, get everyone together and have one, clear conversation. This takes away any opportunity for misinformation to spread during the time between individual conversations, and also gives everyone a chance to discuss questions in the open, creating greater transparency.

Handling difficult conversations well is crucial — not only as a means to mitigate any damaging effects and exhibit effective leadership, but because poorly delivered bad news can make or break ongoing relationships. Relationships you build at work are bigger than the building, and they’re even bigger than the company. Communicating the good and the bad in a fair and respectful way is how you build a connection that can last a lifetime. Being the bearer of bad news from a position of honesty, respect and empathy may not make the process any less painful, but it is the right way to go.