The Real Bottom Line is Customer Service

By Sarah Cocchimiglio
PROFIT Communications PR Assistant-Writer/Editor

In the wide world of business a company’s most important responsibility is to keep its customers satisfied and returning for more products and services. Nowadays, excellent customer service is often the only thing that can effectively differentiate you from your competitors. Remember: An unhappy customer will likely become your company’s loss and another competitor’s gain.

Providing quality products and services is obviously a key part of maintaining satisfied customers, but sometimes things happen. We’ve all experienced the box of six frozen fruit bars that contained only five, or the pizza delivered with all of the toppings and cheese stuck to the top of the box, rather than the pizza.

This is where great customer service comes in, because with it, you can still attempt to salvage your company’s relationship with the disappointed customer, thus positively affecting the bottom line short- and long-term

Case in point, I recently took up trail running, and invested in a fairly expensive pair of running sneakers from New Balance. I was disappointed when, after only a few months, the heels started to wear out in both shoes, giving me painful blisters nearly every time I ran. Although I felt the wear was premature, I didn’t think sneakers came with a warranty, and fully expected I’d have to fix them myself or buy a new pair.

I called New Balance’s customer service hotline, hoping they could direct me to someone who could repair the shoes. Instead, the customer service representative told me they would replace the sneakers – who knew! He suggested that the damage was likely from sliding off the sneakers without untying the laces, but that New Balance stands behind their shoes and would be happy to provide me with a comparable replacement pair.

So despite having a mediocre experience with a New Balance product, the company’s commitment to stand behind its products and its dedication to keeping me satisfied means that the next pair of sneakers I buy will probably be New Balance…go figure!

Have you had a similar experience with good customer service? PROFIT Communications would love to hear from you. Please share your story, in about 250 words or less.

An Admitted Facebook Junkie Admits There's More to Social Media Than Meets the Eye

By Sarah Cocchimiglio
PROFIT Communications PR Assistant-Writer/Editor



(L to R-Debbie Israel, Leslie Feldman, Sarah Cocchmiglio, Jody Richwagen at the workshop.)

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a social media workshop given by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) in King of Prussia. An admitted Facebook junkie, I didn’t think there was much I could learn, because clearly I already knew it all. I was mistaken.

• For example, were you aware that YouTube is the Internet’s second largest search engine? (Google, it’s no surprise, is No. 1.)
  Speaking of which, have you ever Googled yourself? Do you know that the first 10 search results make up what’s known as your “Google Reputation?” Go ahead, look yourself up. I’ll wait. If you’re not happy with the results, the panelists explained, there are a few things you can do.


• Sign up for social networks (the Big Four are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN and YouTube) using your name as the username, such as facebook.com/johnsmith. If your name is already taken try adding your middle initial, or your favorite number.


• Create your own blog, and write about what you know. Think of a blog as a place to post short ‘newsletter-oriented’ content designed to educate, provide valuable resource information and / or just sound-off. Start out with one or two posts per week. And engage conversation – if you receive a comment, reply to the poster, and do it in a timely manner. Check out WordPress and Google Blogger.


• Visit Web sites and blogs, and publish comments using your name and a link to your Web site (if you have one)…in other words – practice! This is also a great way to generate exposure for your site, as well.


• Launch a campaign to monitor your Internet presence. Set up a Google Alert for your name or business, and you can receive a daily digest of instances where you, or your business, have been mentioned in cyberspace.
  
  Social media is no longer just about networking. The workshop taught me that social media sites are tools we can use to represent ourselves and our businesses, to broadcast our messages, engage our audience and listen to their feedback and expectations.