Re: [Harp-L] Customer Service

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Ross" <robertaross@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 8:50 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Customer Service

> ........The biggest mistake that small business owners make is to believe
> they are in business to sell something. Nothing could be further from
> the truth. You may have a lifelong interest in a product or service
> so decided to start selling it - but once you enter the business
> world your love of the product is secondary to the real truth - you
> sell customer service. not products.

Amen! A couple of years ago, I solicited customers for a joint effort to buy 
metal 270 combs from a CNC machine shop.  I collected everyone's money, 
placed the order with the shop, and did not receive delivery for months!

A sure way to enrage a customer is to charge his card, fail to deliver 
promptly, AND fail to communicate.  I kept my reputation (I think) by a 
barrage of emails.  Sometimes the news was that there was no news but the 
real message was that I cared.  That experience proved that you can string a 
customer along for months if you offer him his money back and, especially, 
if you stay in touch.   Ignoring customer calls and emails is (and should 
be) fatal to a business.

Vern