Don’t Outsmart Your Common Sense

robert    Business, Business Beware, Dealing with Customers     bad customer, businessbeware.biz, customer service expert, dealing with customers, fire customer, show customers the door, unruly customer

Okay common sense people. If a customer signs a contract and then decides not to stick with the agreement are you going to write them off? NO. If a customer tells off your employees just because they are angry and are actually the ones in the wrong with the situation are you going to say “I’m sorry.” NO.

Use your common sense when it comes to dealing with problem customers. This whole thing about apologizing to the customer when they are the ones in the wrong is horse poo. Don’t listen to all these so called “experts” about customer service. Act like a human to people and treat them right in the first place but if they “act up” on their own terms because they think they’re always right then you have to fire them. These customers are not worth your time or your employees time either AND it will save you money believe it or not.

On that note… we had a great show this past Saturday so in case you missed it make sure and pull up a chair, turn up your volume and listen in right here.

How to Manage Your Clients

robert    Business, Dealing with Customers     businessbeware.biz, how to deal with customers, how to manage clients, instructing employees, managing your clients, preparing for gameday

The most important element of managing a client is to get to know them.  This will enable you to begin to understand their needs.  Think of your client in the same realm of a new friend you meet.  To grow any relationship you must invest time.  The worst thing about having to do this is usually most of us have limited time to get to know our friends properly, much less our clients.  As with any relationship (friend or client) the more time you invest the more you get out of it.

To explain in a more simplistic way, think of being a manager of a baseball team.  Your main duty is win ball games with the players you have and “out manage” the other team.  Sound easy?  Yeah right.  To manage your team properly on game day you would have already had to practice (same as investing time in client) prior to the game.  Before the game you have to prepare a lineup (to do this you must know their strengths and weaknesses) .  Now to win the game you have to manage better than the other team’s manager (your competition).  If you do all of these steps in a orderly manner and invest the time needed, then you will be a successful manager of your team, friends and clients.

One of the toughest management practices you will deal with is the difficult client or customer.  When this happens you will have to decide whether your time investment is getting out of hand for what your returns should or could be.  As soon as a client or customer starts to demand all of your time dedicated to your other clients, trade them.

Do not be afraid to fire that bad customer!  In the long run you will be glad that you managed your clients properly.

Do Customers Understand Your Charge Rate?

robert    Business, Business Beware, Dealing with Customers     bad customers, business charge rate, businessbeware.biz, how to deal with customers, prequalify customers before a job, what to charge customer

As a business when you talk with a new customer what is the first thing you usually do? You pre-qualify them. We answered your questions about this topic on the show this past week and the second question (part 2) is “Do customers understand your charge rate?”

Don’t forget to use the best tool available to pre-qualify your customers: BusinessBeware.Biz

What is your best tip when pre-qualifying your customers?

How To Pre-Qualify Your Customers (part 1)

robert    Business, Business Beware     businessbeware.biz, customer not always right, how to deal with bad customers, how to deal with customers, prequalifying customers, report bad customers

As a business when you talk with a new customer what is the first thing you usually do?  You pre-qualify them. We answered your questions about this topic on the show this past week and the first question is: “Does the customer know what they’re looking for?”

Don’t forget to use the best tool available to pre-qualify your customers:BusinessBeware.Biz

What is your best tip when pre-qualifying your customers?

When is the Customer Not Always Right?

robert    Business, Business Beware     abusive customers, bad customer, businessbeware.biz, customer always right, dealing with customers, how to deal with problem customers, report bad customers

For some reason people like to send in questions to us about how to deal with problematic customers and we have absolutely no idea why  No really, we do get a lot of emails from business owners asking us what to do in certain situations with customers whether they should fire them or not.  We are honored to talk with fellow business owners and give them some tips and advice.  At Business Beware we definitely do not sugarcoat things, we tell it like it is…

1. When is the customer not always right?
In my experience the majority of customers are always right.  But there has never been one customer that has been right all the time.  That would be an implication that a person is perfect and we all know that is just not the case.  There is always going to be a customer that just cannot be pleased.  There are many customers that a situation can be rectified whether this means you get paid in full or partial.  And then there is always the “customonster….”

That customer that could not be pleased if you gave your services away for free.  Ever had a customer like this? Cannot be pleased no matter what you do.  The habitual complainer.  The whiner.  The bully.  The know-it-all.  And last but not least the true customonster… the customer that wants to let you know that the customer is always right. (and sometimes even quotes this to you).

2. We had a customer come in our coffee shop that has been a repeat customer for quite some time but every time he comes in he always has something to say about the coffee.  It’s too hot, it’s too cold, it’s old etc. What do you do with someone like this?
My first thought is “why is this customer returning?”  Time after time to only be in “his opinion” disappointed by the service and quality of the coffee.  If it were me as a consumer I would find a different coffee shops if this were the truth.  If I were the business owner and actually tried everything in my power to please this customer without positive results I would ask him to not come back.  It’s in the best interest for the business, their employees and the customer to not return.  In summary, I would say “you’re fired.”

3. What do you do with a customer that is rude to your employees?
It often makes me wonder why a manger or business owner would take the side of a belligerent customer.  One that continuously is confrontational and demeaning to their employees.  A customer, someone who you deal with many times or just once that does this is not worth having an employee upset.  A happy employee that you work with on a daily and hourly basis is worth much more to your business than that customer.  And a happy employee is in the right frame of mind to take care of your good customers better.  Your best investment is to fire that bad customer that cannot be pleased and keep your employees happy.  The thought of you letting that bad customer go for your employees benefit will do wonders for your business, your employees, yourself and your good customers.

4. I once tried to fire a customer and he said “you can’t fire me…”
Remember before you fire a bad customer you have to do everything within reason to please a customer.

I would simply tell them “what do you not understand about ‘you’re fired’.”  My definition of “you’re fired” is I do not need you as a customer, I do now want you as a customer, do not bother me again and I will not miss you.

Email us your questions: info[at]businessbewareradioshow.com or at info[at]businessbeware.biz

Don’t forget to join in on the “Business Beware” Challenge and tell us which side you’re on.  And of course if you need to “pre-qualify” your customers use our glorious tool:BusinessBeware.Biz

Stuck On Stupid–Obama wins it!

robert    Business, Business Beware, Entrepreneurs     Business Beware, obama, robert bodi, stuck on stupid, wlss radio

Yesterday Ashley and I had our first radio show on WLSS 930.  We are now at the 11-12 noon hour and the experience was great.  We really look forward to working with Salem Communications and the folks at WLSS.  Please check them out at Wlssradio.com.

Each week we have our “Stuck on Stupid” segment which is usually about stupid things that customers do and say.  Well I decided to expand our horizons once I heard our idiot of a president’s attempt to be funny when he poked fun at Arizona for their law they have enacted on ill-legals.  As I said on the show, what we need right now out a president is someone who has integrity, cares for everyone and protects the rights for all.  Here are the problems I have with what was said:

If the president only knew (or took the time to know) that this new Arizona law mirrors a federal law that is already in place and is used every day!  He embarrassed himself and all Americans who need him to be a president and not someone who is still looking for votes.  His presidency is in a state of decline and he is bring the democratic party with him. 

Is there anything wrong with a law enforcement officer asking a person (yes even if they do not look american) for an I.D?  I know that many americans are asked to do the same thing if they are in other countries. 

The ill-legals are killing our country.  Even the Hispanics that went through the proper channels want them to be prosecuted.  Anyone who is in the U.S. illegally is doing something that is against the law!  How do people not understand that. 

Sorry Mr. Obama, but leave the jokes to Leno, concentrate on your job and please try to not dismantle our country prior to us voting you out in 2012.  You finally did get my vote this week, but it was for the “Stuck on Stupid” contest.

God bless America and may he have mercy on our stupidity.

Some businesses get it

robert    Business, Business Beware, Entrepreneurs     bad customer, Business Beware, business radio show, difficult customers, prequalify customer, robert bodi

A few weeks ago I wrote about pre-qualifying your customers.  Last week we had to have our house re-piped due to small leaks in the pipes.  So I started to call a few plumbers for quotes.  After talking with one company and making an appointment for them to come to the house I called one more company for a second price.  What a surprise I got as I talked with a young man about my dilemma.  It was very evident that he had been trained to ask the right questions prior to wasting his or the clients time if their service was not a match for the customer.  After talking forjust a few minutes he started to tell me that he thought that his company could do a good job for me but his minimum fee was $5,000.00 and that I should be able to get the house re-piped for less than that.  His company provided a process that internally coated the old pipes instead of pipe replacement.  Great product, just not the best match for our house.  What a breath of fresh air for a young salesman to be so well equiped for business.  Now,  how much time and money will this company save themselves and their customers………………Some businesses get it……..DO YOU?

Radio show on WSRQ

robert    Business, Business Beware, Entrepreneurs     americanbridal.com, ashley bodi, bad customer, Business Beware, Diggerslist.com, HomeTalkUSA.com, lifelock.com, michael king, mike michalowitz, robert bodi, ToiletPaperEntrepreneur.com, we got your back, wsrq radio

What a great radio show this past Saturday.  We had Michael King from HomeTalkUSA.com.  Michael is a great guy and has always been very passionate about his show.  Each time I talk with him I am amazed at the amount of knowledge he has about contracting and customers.  If you want to hear a great radio show that educates you about home improvements, his is the best.  His website was selected by Google to have their search engine bar added to it.  We also had Matt and Johnnie from Diggerslist.com.  They came up with a great idea for a website that lists used and unused construction materials for sale.  If you are a contractor and have anything that you had left over from previous jobs or looking for something for a job, check their website out.  They also have workied Habitat for Humanity on helping them do fundraising for their cause.  Great job guys. 

Some of our future guests will be Shirley from Americanbridal.com , Mike from Lifelock.com and Mike from ToiletPaperEntrepreneur.com  We are really looking forward to each of these to talk to them about their experiences with customers and gleen some wisdom from their business experiences.  One thing we always try to do with our show is educate both the customer and the business about what the other wants, expects and demands.  Yes both sides can be wrong at times, but can’t we all.  It is safe to say that no one is right all of the time!!!!!!  If you think you are, you just proved yourself to be wrong…………Good try.

You can always listen to us by going to our website BusinessBeware.Biz and click on listen to radio show.  There is a live button if you are listening Saturday’s from 2-3 P.M. EST.  You can also listen to any of our recorded broadcasts there too.

At BusinessBeware we got your back.

Business Mediation for Bad Customers

robert    Business, Business Beware, Entrepreneurs     ashley bodi, bad customer service, Business Beware, businessbeware.biz, difficult customers, mediation for customers, robert bodi, sohobiztube.com, wsrq radio

Ashley had a great idea on how we could deal with bad customers on our radio show this past Saturday. It was a vision from above……or maybe just gas! Anyway her idea was to challenge that bad customer who is just hard to deal with or won’t pay their bills to a game. It could be golf, horseshoes, darts or maybe even this………………tell us what ya think.

Customer service?

robert    Business, Business Beware, Entrepreneurs     ashley bodi, bad customer service, Business Beware, business radio, customer service, difficult customers, robert bodi, wsrq radio

It’s really funny that at this date when you do a search for “bad customer” the first page comes up with blogs and experiences of the bad customer.  After the first page almost everything else is about “bad customer service.”  My point being that there are so few queries on a “bad customer” compared to “bad customer service” even when you are searching for the phrase of “bad customer”. 

This is exactly why we do what we do at Business Beware.  You see when a business does something unprofessional, it is spread all over the Internet.  The consumer base is using the power of the Internet to their benefit.  I think that it is time for businesses to do the same.  I say use the power of the Internet.  That is what it is for.  Keep it clean and to the point and help other businesses be prepared for the customer that for many years had the opportunity to take advantage of multiple business owners and their employees!