In your business, one of the most often overlooked areas that can make-or-break your new franchise is the importance of training front-line employees in customer service.

No matter how well your business is run, the customers deal with your front-line staff. If your service company employs those with little to no social skills, it’s up to you to train them to be on time, courteous AND to clean up after themselves.

Without customers, your business is history. Although you can’t control the market or what other businesses do, you can control your business. It’s time to practice some old-fashioned HR. The following bullets are tips from Eddy Goldberg at Franchising.com:

• Customer service – This can be your most powerful marketing tool. Volumes have been written on the “customer experience,” too numerous for this article.
• Show up – Not only for training employees and monitoring the business, but also because you’re the owner. Making direct contact with customers as an ambassador for your business goes a long way in creating connections and trust.
• Upselling – Good business owners look to serve the interests of their customers (and make money). If someone orders a $1 burger special, train your staff to ask if they’d like a better deal for $1 more. If someone wants an inexpensive kitchen floor replacement, ask them to consider the long-term value of investing in a higher-quality product. Open the door to possibility, but don’t push too hard.
• Loyal customers – This is simple: reward your “frequent flyers” through discounts, special treatment, members-only offers, and the occasional giveaway. Everyone likes to be treated special, even if it’s only when buying a coffee or a couple of tacos; so treat them to specials. They’ll keep coming back … and they have friends.
• Gift cards – These have become a very popular birthday or holiday gift. They’re easy and quick to buy for the last-minute shopper. Sell them, of course, but also offer weekly or monthly gift card giveaways to new customers, loyal customers or through a random drawing.
• Charity box – If you have a store, prominently display a box on the counter to support local organizations. You can change the beneficiary each month or when a goal is reached. Instead of a tips jar, offer your customers a way to support local community groups by parting with some of their change after each transaction. You can balance the lost tips with your employees through other rewards.

At The Dwyer Group, it’s about reaching financial and personal goals while maintaining a commitment to integrity. It’s about creating businesses that communities can look to for more than just service. Through our superior franchise system and years of experience, we know how to build the best and most successful franchise businesses in the service industry. It is our mission to teach our principles and systems of personal and business success so that all people we touch will live happier, more successful lives.

We live our Code of Values by…

RESPECT
… treating others as we would like to be treated.
… listening with the intent to understand what is being said and
acknowledging that what is said is important to the speaker.
… responding in a timely fashion.
… speaking calmly and respectfully, without profanity or sarcasm.
… acknowledging everyone as right from their own perspective.

INTEGRITY
… making only agreements we are willing, able and intend to keep.
… communicating any potentially broken agreements at the first appropriate opportunity to all parties concerned.
… looking to the system for correction and proposing all possible solutions if something is not working.
… operating in a responsible manner: “above the line…”
… communicating honestly and with purpose.
… asking clarifying questions if we disagree or do not understand.
… never saying anything about anyone that we would not say to him or her.

CUSTOMER FOCUS
… continuously striving to maximize internal and external customer loyalty.
… making our best effort to understand and appreciate the customer’s needs in every situation.

HAVING FUN IN THE PROCESS!

For more information, visit www.LeadingtheServiceIndustry.com.