And The Survey Says...

And The Survey Says... Whenever I am asked for feedback from a hotel or restaurant, I fill it out right away and eagerly relay my experience to them. It is important for people in business to understand and appreciate the significance of customer feedback. At first, I was hesitant to consider asking our customers for feedback. After all, why would I deliberately ask someone to take their best shot at me? (I bruise easily.) There are two common mistakes companies make when asking customers for feedback. Surveys are often ignored because they are either too lengthy or worded in such a way that doesn’t allow you to honestly express your opinions. For example, I received a survey from an organization that I belong to. I had been frustrated about some things and was ready to spell it out to them in a forceful, yet polite way. To my disappointment, the survey was limited to multiple choice questions which failed to address any of the “elephant in the living room” problems that were plaguing the organization. Ugh! We have discovered a better way. Once a year, we send a survey to our customers via email and ask only one question:“On a scale from 1-10, how likely are you to recommend our company to someone else?” And then we ask them to explain their answer. It’s that simple! The first time we did this, it was like asking your mother-in-law if she sees anything in you that she would like to change. (Note: My mother-in-law did not receive a copy of the survey.) The customers who gave us a rating of 8 or above were the customers that were most likely to refer us to others whenever possible. The ones who gave us a score of 1-5 were most likely to switch to another company in the near future. We called the customers who gave us a low score and asked them to explain their reasons for doing so. After allowing them to tell us the whole story, we authorized the person making the calls to do whatever they felt was necessary to correct the situation right away. We then called the customers who gave us a high score. After thanking them, we asked for permission to use their comments on our web site and other advertising pieces: http://www.reliablepropane.com/Testimonialpage. I haven’t completely overcome my fear of customer feedback yet, but I now realize the vital role it plays in the health of any organization that wants to serve its customers in meaningful ways.

60 Minutes

"One hour of uninterrupted time is worth three hours
of time that is constantly interrupted."
-Steve Chandler

60 Minutes I was challenged recently to close my office door, eliminate all distractions and concentrate on a particular project for one hour. It just didn't make sense to me, because I was already overwhelmed with one thing after another and didn't want to waste any more precious time. Because I was desperate, I decided to try it. The first twenty minutes were the worst. I scanned my desk which was covered with unfinished tasks; people to call, memos to be forwarded, etc. I had to force myself to keep my eyes off the activity on the security monitors as well as resist the relenting desire to check e-mail. Eventually, I was able to settle down, concentrate on the project and complete it. The hour of uninterrupted time was well worth the effort. When I opened my office door and headed for the reception area, I felt as though I had already done a day's work. I had a genuine sense of accomplishment plus a renewed sense of energy. Do you find yourself working hard from morning until night but at the end of the day asking, "What have I really accomplished today?" Schedule an hour. Apply slow, steady, concentrated effort to your project and keep that appointment (with yourself) like you would with your doctor. You will discover that you will be able to look at the big picture and create solutions to big picture projects.

Christmas Bonus

Christmas Bonus For years, we have paid our employees Christmas bonuses. Each year, we felt we were obligated to increase the amount until it grew out of control. I postponed the solution because I was worried that a change would upset people. I know, I'm a chicken. One Christmas we were low on cash and had no choice but to reduce the bonuses significantly. So the following year, we made the move. We let everyone know that we were making a change so they would not be expecting the extra check. Instead, we tied financial rewards to each tank that we set for a new customer. All full time employees receive a small financial reward for each completed, new customer tank set. (Only 500 and 1000 gallons tank are counted.) The total is added to the last payment period of the month. This has removed the pressure of deciding who gets what and focuses everyone's attention on new business. At our office Christmas party, instead of handing out bonus checks, we wrap candy bars or gift certificates and pass them out to each employee as "awards" after a brief, humorous story of what we appreciate about each person. Now the only thing I have to stress about is what to get my wife for Christmas!

Dare to Be Different We went out on a limb last Fall and wrote a two-page handwritten marketing letter on a yellow legal pad to a number of potential propane customers in a three county area. The format of the letter was the idea of author, Bill Glazer, whose creativity had yielded great results when he did it for his clothing stores in New York City. Like his, our handwritten letter had words crossed out, arrows, underlined words and penmanship which hasn't improved since the 5th grade. We gained 20 new accounts from it last fall. The new customers said things like, "It shows that the owner is involved in the business...It seemed kind of hokey but I liked it...it was sincere..." One customer told us that he had called us a couple of months earlier but he didn't act until he received the letter. We sent another letter this summer and have had an overwhelming response. We knew that there were many potential customers out there that felt neglected and taken for granted by their current provider and might be willing to switch.  We offered to change out their current tank, leak test the system and do it in three hours of less or dinner would be on us. Near the end of the two page letter I invited them to call us to become a "part of the family". The majority of the people that called us echoed what we had perceived to be their dilemma; their current provider had become distant and aloof. Many of them had been with the same company 10 years or more. Price was not mentioned at all in the letter; only a description of the "pain" we could remedy for them. All of the letters were addressed by hand to continue the personal touch. Being just a little bit different often brings the best results. Above is a copy of the letter to give you an idea of its content. As always, feel free to use any of the material for your own programs or call me with any questions.

Director of First Impressions

Director of First Impressions Have you ever watched customers as they pull into your parking lot? Do they have to search for the office entrance? I have wasted precious time at warehouses when picking up parts for a service tech wondering, "How do I get in this building?" A sign that reads, "Office" in the window or over the door sounds simple but it will quickly and easily direct your customers to someone who can help them. When was the last time you saw a "welcome" sign in a hotel lobby? A welcome mat or sign at the office entrance is essential for any retail business. The word, "Closed" does not appear on any of our signage because it has a negative connotation. The sign that displays our hours reads: Open 8-5 Mon-Fri, Sat 8-12. A sign on our CSR's desk just inside the entrance reads, "Wilma Roth, Director of First Impressions" along with a stack of business cards that bear her name. The first person to greet a customer is always your Director of First Impressions! Our office has a pleasant scent due to a small device that releases a fragrance several times an hour. (Not everyone likes the smell of ethyl mercaptan as much as we do.) A small dish of old-fashioned, Double Bubble gum is on the counter for customers to enjoy. Appealing to as many of the five senses as possible creates a pleasant experience for our customers. If someone is speaking with a customer, that employee introduces them to any other company personnel who happen to walk by during the conversation which adds to the pleasant atmosphere. We're not Disney World, but we make sure by the time a customer leaves our office that we have done everything possible to make their visit a positive experience.

Yard Signs

A yard sign of a paving company appeared along the road as one of our bulk drivers was on his way to work one Monday morning. By Thursday, three more signs appeared along the same road.

When a sign goes up in someone’s yard, people notice. A yard sign implies an endorsement for a service. Many customers have hidden fears about making new purchases which need to be overcome in order for a sale to occur. When another person in the neighborhood hires a company and they place their sign in the yard, busy people assume that the person has already done their research and have chosen the best company to do the work.

We have had people tell us they hadn’t heard of us until they noticed several signs on their way to work. One or two signs create an image much larger than the actual number of new accounts in the area. We had been spending a lot of money in this area in yellow page advertising but the signs are what actually produced the results. We have since reduced our yellow page advertising dramatically over the past year.

In rural areas, customers talk amongst themselves so the signs are good conversation starters. They give a small town feel which is the way we market our company.

Some of the customers that came to us this year were already on our newsletter mailing list and were somewhat  familiar with our company. Once they saw a few signs in the neighborhood, it was the final “touch” that motivated them to call.

Your company name/logo, telephone number and web address are all that is needed to get noticed. We are very pleased with the return on such a small investment.

YOU'RE IN LUCK!!!

Everyone gets annoyed when a customer runs out of gas. The customer, the bulk driver and you. Because the well being of the customer is our first concern, we follow up the next day by mailing a note on bright, colored paper with the  following words:

YOU’RE IN LUCK!!!

(Because we messed up!)

We have made you a member of the “You’re in Luck Club” because we messed up. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience of running out of propane so we have credited your account for $xx.xx and have included a gift for you as well. Thank you for understanding.

(Sign your name in blue ink, for the personal touch)

We then enclose a $5 gift card for a popular coffee shop. It is unexpected and our customers appreciate it. We have also sent gift cards to customers when our service techs have missed an appointment, after a billing error or when a delivery error has been made. Just about any time a customer has an issue that was clearly our fault, we send them a note and card. The wording is sometimes a little different (depending on the circumstances) but the focus is always on “making it right”. After the delivery has been made and the leak test is complete and everyone has put the incident behind them, receiving your note and gift card several days later will speak volumes about your concern for your customer’s well being.