How To Have A Positive Image

Summary

• Always make the customer your first priority!
  Your business exists because of your customers, and they should be the primary focus of your operations.  Uncaring, impersonal service can be disastrous;  most unhappy customers never complain but they won't buy again and they will tell many others.

• Make the job look easy.
  Ensure staff are well trained and competent for the job required.

• Don't complain or indicate inconvenience.
  A cheerful and efficient "can-do" attitude keeps customers happy.

• Use the creativity and experience of your staff!
  Delegate, encourage, empower, and communicate with staff.  Employees will be more productive and you will have more time to manage operations rather than putting out fires.

• Listen to requests, accept changes, and respond positively to uncertainty.
  Customers may require order changes affecting existing arrangements.  How these requests are serviced is important to the purchaser and their comfort level for making future orders.  

• Approach tasks with confidence, perform effectively and follow-up quickly on problems.

• Emphasize quality.
  Price, quality, and service are the three main areas of comparison when making a purchasing decision.  Purchasing decisions are seldom based solely upon price.

• Increase the knowledge level of your customers.
  Ensure customers know the full range of services provided in order to get sales in new areas.  Communicate with the customer regarding information affecting the purchase decision (i.e. timing/availability/freight, etc.).

• Ensure work is done in a timely and efficient manner.
  Set internal deadlines for accomplishing tasks as a standard for service.

Get involved in your community and give something back to it.
Providing time or money to worthy local charities and groups will create goodwill from fellow citizens and the community from which you profit.

• Be honest with customers and discuss difficulties frankly with them.
  Deal with people in a forthright and timely manner to eliminate potentially negative situations before they occur.  Make people aware that a problem exists.  Communicate effectively with your customers.

Prepared by: Saskatchewan Regional Economic and Co-operative Development