Why are we (in the sales and service industry) expected to negotiate our prices when most doctors, dentists, lawyers and other so-called professionals wouldn’t think of giving a patient or client a price break.
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My husband and I have been in the janitorial business for twenty years. We offer free estimates on potential jobs. We show up promptly which we are complimented for, walk through the property taking our measurements, and listen very carefully to the client’s needs. Then we return to the office, type up the estimate, Sixteen months after receiving our new business number from AT&T, we are still receiving at least a dozen calls a day for the previous “assignees ” of this number. It wouldn’t be so irritating if they didn’t owe money to almost every caller. A typical call goes something like this. “I want to speak My husband needed tires for his cargo van and called around town to get pricing. Deciding on Sears Auto Center, he arrived at the crack of dawn, to be first in line to get the job done. The price quoted on the phone turned out to be incorrect. What a surprise! (Yes, I’m being I just received my 55 th call in seven months from AT&T representatives, asking me if I would like to advertise my commercial cleaning business in their Yellow Pages. Each time, I told the representative that I’ve been advertising my business in The Yellow Pages for 18 years! Here’s the problem. When we moved When applying for a job , there is a fine line between tooting your own horn and bragging. I don’t believe it is necessary to tone yourself down when applying for a job out of fear of intimidating the interviewer. Be True To Yourself But I do think there’s a way to make a If you expect good customer service, you can set the mood for a positive experience. Imagine the following scenarios: You walk into a store to make a purchase and the salesman sees you as he’s finishing up with another customer. He walks over to you with an exhausted expression on his face. Before you Quitting a job, being laid off or fired is no picnic but beware of bringing your negativity and grudges to the next step…Interviewing for a new job. Walking in to an interview with a chip on your shoulder will not win you any brownie points with a prospective employer. No matter what the situation I love to help young people prepare for college interviews. I’ve seen the smartest, most articulate students get all tongue tied when a curve ball is thrown at them. No-one likes walking out of an interview feeling like they’d like to rewind the clock and have a second chance! The suggestions I make can I’ve come to the conclusion that most businesses could care less about a problem you encounter after a sales transaction is completed. “Just give me a call if you run into a problem,” has become almost laughable. Unfortunately, with shoddy workmanship rampant in the world of manufacturing, service calls are at an all time  |
Previously a columnist for The Asheville Citizen Times, Rapid River Magazine, and Savvy Discounts, Debi also created and hosted a radio talk show called "You've Been Caught... Being Nice!" Debi and her husband Richard have four chidren, one granddaughter, and are the owners of JDR Cleaning Service, Inc. Richard is a North Carolina Real Estate Broker.
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Copyright © 2012 Debi Drecksler - All Rights Reserved
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Debi Drecksler's passion is writing for and about the "guy on the street."
