The Independent Voice of the Roller Skating Industry for over 50 Years!

WEB EXCLUSIVE From the Mar-Apr 2012 ISSUE of The RINKSIDER :

Do you provide world-class service?

By Michael Guld

The number of social media networks available for business owners to utilize is growing at a rapid pace, and for many it can be overwhelming choosing which will provide the best publicity for events and promotions. After weeding through dozens of social media sites, many roller rink owners find they trust Facebook�s effectiveness most.

Facebook is currently the most popular social networking site, according to Social Media Today. As the face of marketing changes quickly, rink owners, like Scott Cernik, said they realize more money needs to be put into online advertising. Facebook is one way to do this.

�Websites are a huge part of a business now,� said Cernik, owner and operator of SkateDaze in Omaha, Neb. �Every year we spend less and less on phonebook advertisements. We are spending a lot more on Internet marketing � optimizing all the search engines.�

Cernik said he believes Facebook is undoubtedly the leading social networking site, and after seeing the value social media has in business, he hired a computer-savvy employee that consistently updates their Facebook page along with other online marketing techniques.

�I spend a lot of time on the computer and learn as much as I can, but I�m definitely not as good as some other people that kind of grew up with it,� Cernik said. �It�s a huge tool and I can�t believe how much it has changed if you look at the last 20-30 years.�

To date, about 1,300 Facebook users have �liked� SkateDaze�s official page, and Cernik said he is certain the successes of some of the rink�s events are contributed to the publicity they receive on Facebook. SkateDaze hosts an Adult Night between Christmas and New Years, and Cernik said it is apparent Facebook has been a big help in bringing more people to the rink for that event.

Facebook provides a level of connection with customers that could never be achieved before, said Julie Rookard, manager for Spinning Wheels Arena in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. This connection goes two ways, though, and Rookard said she appreciates the opportunity Facebook gives customers to post feedback.

A successful tool Facebook offers is tagging, which allows a link to a business�s Facebook page to appear on a customer�s personal page, Rookard said. For instance, after a parent had their child�s birthday at Spinning Wheels Arena, she posted the party�s success on her personal page, linking the business page, she said. This familiarizes the rink to a new group of potential customers, she said.

�Facebook is something that really reaches out to the tweens and the demographic that we see come through our doors,� Rookard said, �and we have a roller derby team that we tag in our posts, and they tag us back. I think the business owners that are not using it are missing out on a great communication tool.�

In Nick Champa�s experience, he found the demographic Facebook reaches includes active skaters � predominantly kids and former skaters � as well as past and present employees. Champa, owner of Champs Entertainment Center in Lexington, Ky., said though Facebook is beneficial, it shouldn�t be the only form of advertising a rink business uses. He feels more demographics can be reached through radio, television and text advertising. He also said plagueing a Facebook page with updates is the same thing as spamming customers. After a while, customers will ignore the updates altogether.

Champs Entertainment Center�s has a Facebook group page and personal page. The personal page has more than 3,000 friends, and Champa said he makes sure to only update both pages once or twice a week.

�Facebook is a good marketing tool if treated correctly,� Champa said. �It can be a safe marketing tool, but it can be dangerous too ... you may mean something one way, and the end user�s mother or father may take it different. You have to be really careful.�
Any time a business uses social media with two-way feedback, the administrators of that site can never be too cautious about what they post, Champa said.

�Things could be misrepresented in a hurry,� Champa said. �The only thing worse than not advertising online, is being bad at being online.�
Since Facebook is free of charge for its users, Rookard said signing up for an account is a no-brainer in today�s world where the bulk of information is accessed through the Internet.

Today�s business environment is becoming increasingly complex and competitive due to globalization, new technology, increasing product proliferation, brand erosion, market segmentation, consumer skepticism and time poverty, rendering traditional business plans obsolete. For just about every product or service, there is an overwhelming number of choices to choose from, leaving consumers dazed and confused.

So how can you stand out from a sea of competitors promoting similar offerings? Become known as THE company in your field that provides world-class service.

What is world-class service? It is the talk of many but the reality of few. When a company provides a client with world-class service, it often becomes a legendary experience that the client retells to others in a form of free publicity, which can�t be bought.

What companies come to mind when you think of world-class service? What establishments do you patronize whose service exceeds your expectations on a continual basis? Typically, these are not the places that have the lowest prices. They do not have to � their value is created by elevating the customer experience to a point where paying a premium is not an issue.

First of all, companies should understand the difference between �the product� � the commodity or service being delivered � and �the process� � the method by which that product is delivered. Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, Wash., has become world famous for this differentiation. While their product is fish, their word-of-mouth fame was created by the process in which that product is delivered; throwing fish.

The product of a doctor is clinical expertise, whereas most people would agree that the process by which that product is delivered (bedside manner) may be just as important. Since Realtors do not have exclusives on the homes (product) they show and sell, their sole value is created by the service they provide (process). Here�s the point: Your reputation in your field may be created more by the customer experience you deliver than the product or service you sell.

There are six simple actions that will determine your level of customer service (from the customer�s perspective). When a realistic and objective assessment is made in each coupled with systems and strategies to improve (with training), it can result in immediate and transformational changes in your business. They are�

How well you listen � Do you clearly understand the needs of your customers? As Mark Twain once said, �We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� You do not need to start out offering all the answers � first begin by asking all the right questions. What do your customers really want and how can you better serve them?
What you say � How well do you answer questions, provide information, guidance or direction? Helping your customers understand the range of offerings available (pros and cons) and what best fits their unique needs will build loyalty. Helping them all along the way and being available for service after the sale will build customers for life.
How you say it � Have you evaluated your non-verbal communication such as body language, tone and inflection? In his book, �Silent Messages,� Dr. Albert Merhabian found that communication is 57 percent non verbal � body language, eye contact, a warm smile and open gestures � 38 percent voice quality � volume, tone and inflection � and only 7 percent the words you say. Yet most people tend to focus their time, energy and training on the words they say.
What you do � Do you consider your actions taken or not taken? The only thing worse than doing nothing is saying you are going to do something and you don�t. It creates disappointment and a loss of trust. Taking the time upfront to address your customer�s every need, want and desire will keep them coming back.
How you do it � Are you there to please or appease? Do you find that it�s just a job for some people as they are going through the motions while others take pride in their company, their work and truly care about the well-being of their customers? Making customers feel special and appreciated creates an emotional bond that is not easily broken.
When you do it � Do you consider your response times? Immediate response times that exceed expectations create a positive perception, while long wait and response times create frustrations leading to a negative perception. We are now living in a �drive-thru� world where communication expectations are now greater than ever before with the advent of emails, cell phones, PDAs and text messaging.

Most service experiences are unremarkable. We tend to remember only those experiences on the extremes of either side. Poor customer service tends to leave consumers frustrated and disappointed. In the restaurant business there is famous saying: �You are only as good as your last visit.� An exceptionally long delay in receiving food may be as damaging to a restaurant�s reputation as a bad meal.

Why is it important to create a world-class service culture? Because not only are the products or services in most categories being commoditized by your competitors � where the lowest price wins � but more and more often the service component is playing a greater role in your customers� buying decision. For example, if you look in the Yellow Pages under �Automobile Repair and Service� you will find pages of ads with every company communicating basically the same message. Since most people don�t truly understand what is being done underneath the hood, their loyalties lie with the way they are greeted, on the phone or first meeting, and the way they are treated.

And finally, when talking about world-class service, it all comes down to people. When asked, �Why everyone working at Disney seemed so happy�� Michael Eisner replied, �Easy � we don�t hire grumpy people.� Robert Spector, author of, �The Nordstrom Way� relays that Bruce Nordstrom�s hiring philosophy was to, �Hire the smile and train the skill,� noting that he could teach anyone to sell shoes, but he couldn�t teach everyone to smile. If you look at the organizations that provide world-class service, you will usually find they hire the best people and then provide a supportive culture where those employees can flourish.

Now is a time to stand up and provide a WOW factor that will create customers for life.

Michael Guld is an author, speaker, entrepreneur and radio commentator whose business development expertise lies in increasing sales performance, marketing exposure, employee productivity and creating a world-class service experience. He is the president of The Guld Resource Group and creator of �Talking Business with Michael Guld,� airing on Central Virginia�s Public Radio. He can be reached at (804) 360-3122 or at michael.guld@guldresource.com.