Spotlight: David Cohen

I Gotta Guy! Creating Great Customer Service...


So what does it take for you to say... "I love this guy and I gotta guy"? How many of us can position ourselves as the "Guy" to go to" when someone needs us? I asked a few associates this question to get some extra viewpoints for this chapter...

My good associate Carson McKee of Direct Contact Sales, suggests, "As for my "guy", ideally-it is someone that I have worked with as a colleague, client or I have been a client of theirs. It's all about trust- and there are also some people who don't fit that description but I do trust".

Anne Martin, a local wine expert and Sommelier has some similar ideas on someone gets to be a "a guy". "It is almost always someone or a service one has personally use and found to be reliable, competitively priced, does quality work and is fairly quick",( the quality thing is more important to me). "Personality definitely come into it and I ask around for referrals too", Ann adds.

The last area are small business owners can compete in is in the area of offering stupendous customer service. It's all that's left for us. We can't compete head on with big business on price or money spent to market... but we can compete on service. So think about that for a moment... what level of service do you have to offer to get a good referral?

For me, good service is about this..DWHYSSWHYD... Doing what you say and say what you'll do. Be honest with people at all costs. Don't hide in fear of upsetting someone.. be real.. be real with yourself and be real with them.

Get your client's respect. If you have respect.. you have my recommendation as the "guy". Over deliver. Do you do the little things right? Do you over deliver and under promise? Do you check to see what the experience of working with you was like with your customers? Do you ask for feedback? Ask you clients how you're doing.. on a scale of 10.. if they answer anything less than a 10..then ask then what it would it would it take for  your service to be a 10 out of 10. 

Do you send thank you notes? Call to follow up?  Connect on a deeper level with your clients? Do you sit with them and do an annual planning session?

This is just some food for thought

Do you gotta guy?  Customer service is one of the last areas small business owners can compete head on  with big business..

Bob Conway..is my accountant.. he is Someone I TRUST to do a good job.What is a good job? According to Bob. "You know they can do it, they are fair and they are pleasant to deal with." Cate Gibson is another associate I asked about the "Guy" she'd recommend  and for Cate it's about listening and having trust too.. Cate adds, "Confidentiality is a major thing for me as well".

Finally a fellow speaker and coach. Lissa Berin-Boles.. loves someone who can  offer "Knock you socks off service" Well put Lissa!  It's a rare to find that level of service.. If you're up to the challenge.. you may want to follow some of this advice and even you can be the "Guy" unless you're a woman.. but that's another chapter altogether.

Here are things to ponder so you can become the "Guy" that people refer:

1) Do Great work
2) Show gratitude regularly
3) Have fair market pricing
4) Ask yourself.. what does it look like to offer world famous service?
5)What does our best customer think of us?
6) What can we do to totally and amaze our customer?
7) Are we in love with our business or our customer

David Cohen
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