Jason said:

“Lesson learned here...so, I am wondering if people are putting their customers into the Customer section of Integritas Group and following up with them. That is a value we can add. I phone call to follow-up to see how things are going moves us far and above everyone else out there.”

Betsy said:

“I loved this post. It was such a good reminder that every customer is a good customer. They deserve to be treated as if their money matters. Unfortunately, I'm often lax about how I treat my customers - I let them order and check on them occasionally. They deserve a "thanks for your business" on a regular basis. That's one thing I can easily incorporate into my business to improve my customer service.”

Deborah said:

“Great post, Chris. This past year a customer emailed me to ask a question about a condition he had, which I was unfamiliar with. Though I didn't feel competent to answer his question, I went and found some info about it that I emailed him. Several months later, I emailed him to follow-up, and he said he was doing so well he wanted to start a business. So, he has now become an associate. A very worthwhile return for the time I spent on researching and responding to his question.”

Carol Denning said:

“This is very pertinent to me right now. Before reading it I was thinking that its been some time since I contacted my customers. It's easy for me to take it for granted that they WILL be customers for life --- because I know I am. I will be getting in touch with them now ASAP! Thanks for the nudge, Chris!”

Joann said:

“WOW great article about customer service. Customer service skills are essential. Everyone likes to be treated with courtesy & respect. Training is key for value-added customer service.”

Integritas Group said:

“@Deborah, you bring up a great point. People don't care if you know everything or are an expert. A simple, "I'm not sure about that, let me do some research and get back to you..." works well. ”

Integritas Group said:

“@Carol, You're welcome! ”

Lloyd Davis, President Viansa Winery said:

“You made some valuable points. I value my members and always address their concerns and opinions. You are correct. We could have done better. This is an email that I sent out after the event. Dear Friends, I am very excited that over 200 of you, each month, come to our Member Party. I am also very disappointed, that as a result of capacity limitations, that many of you have not been able to enjoy this fantastic event. To address this and insure that all of you can attend, I will be closing the Tasting Room to the general public so that you can have exclusive access to the entire winery for this monthly event! I will start this in February and continue it during March and April. I am also going to limit the number of guests that you can bring. Each member will be allowed to bring up to 3 guests and unfortunately, children will not be allowed. I still need you to RSVP so that I can make sure that we can plan accordingly. In May through October, I will open the Tasting Room to the general public but move the party to our upper lawn where, in addition to the Tent, I can accommodate all of you. This is just another way for me to thank you for your membership and to continue to offer you benefits that you will not find anywhere else! I deeply appreciate your membership and support. Sometimes, I know, I do not meet your expectations, but please be assured, that I always attempt to exceed your expectations and when we fail, I do my best to correct the situation as soon as possible. I hope to see you at each Member Party and look forward to sharing a glass of wine with you soon! All the best, Lloyd W. Davis President”

Integritas Group said:

“@Lloyd, Thanks for taking the time to read and post to this article. The wine and experience you have created and Viansa are truly wonderful. I understand growing pains and that even sometimes there are slip ups (I've done them and will do them to customers down the road.) Last week I sent my email back requesting a cancellation of the membership and refund for the January shipment.

All I got back was:

"Thank you for your email. I have cancelled your Tuscan Club membership as of today per your request. I have also issued a credit for the January package. You will not incur any further charges."

There wasn't even at attempt in keeping my business or making up the difference. A phone call from someone or even a more personal email would have done the trick in keeping me and turning me back into a happy customer. The email blast you sent out is great for updating everyone, but there was no effort to take care of an individual like me. I'm sure there were others in my shoes as well.

Not only would it have kept me, but I would have updated this post to reflect it for the benefit of Viansa and to show my clients an example of going the extra mile.

The fact that you read the article and no one could take 10 minutes to call makes things works in my mind.

-Chris ”

Robert Hirabayashi said:

“Chris, great article! The marketplace doesn't seem to tolerate poor customer service, the way it used to. Employees and business owners alike should take note of examples like this as a "how not to conduct business".

I went to Datz restaurant in South Tampa last week to pick up some food, but they ended up keeping me on hold so long that I decided to start driving there. By the time I arrived, I was still on hold. The manager told me my meal was "on the house"!

They couldn't fix how long I was on hold, but they did make it up. I was so impressed, I bought some preserves and sauces from them I had been meaning to try, and I will definitely be going back. That's how you keep people coming!!! :)”

Integritas Group said:

“@Robert, you bring up a great point and a great example of how to make things right. Thanks for sharing. ”

Lloyd Davis said:

“I am very surprised. We have a very clear procedure to handling member request to cancel. We are supposed to do everything possible to keep them. I apologize for the way you were treated and will take immediate corrective action. I hope one day in the near future you will consider re-joining the Tuscan club.”

George Fox said:

“The market is changing at light speed! High quality high touch customer services are emerging as the primary preeminent factor for business success. Those of us with USANA Health Sciences are ideally positioned to play BIG role in this new customer centric economy. Several weeks ago I had a training call based on Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book The Thank You Economy. Consider these emerging customer statistics Gary cited in his book: - 85% of U.S consumers say they would pay 5 percent to 25 percent more to ensure a superior customer experience. - 76% of consumers say they appreciate it when companies take a personal interest in them. - 40% of consumers switch to buying from a competitor because of its reputation for great customer service. - 55% cite great service, not product or prices as their primary reason for recommending a company or product. - 66% said that a great customer service experience was their primary driver for greater spending. Learning how to give great customer service and teaching new distributors to do so is a key to creating long term residual income. Developing skills to create better and more meaningful relationships with our customers will be a focus of many of our upcoming training calls.”

JoAnn Mansfield said:

“To value the customers who were turned away from the event party, Viansa might have made a gift of the January wine package. After all, what is $150 compared to an $18,000 customer? And accompanied by an apologetic note for the reason would speak volumes to the customer of their value. Similar value can be extended to a USANA PC - maybe a gift of the Essentials periodically to show appreciation or a new product they have not tried - may even affect their future USANA order.”

Lorenzo said:

“Having run a retail business for many years I know it is very true what you stated in your in your blog post that is far easier to retain an existing customer than it is to get a new one. As it is said, people (customers) don't really care what you know, they want to know that you care. Customer relations is crucial in any business. Highlights the imortance of training!”

Joann said:

“You really shed light on the customer service issue @ Viansa. It's amazing that the Pres. responded again trying to make it right. However, Viansa's customer service or Pres. needs to pick up the phone if they think they have a chance of you ever re-joining. It's make wonder how many they have lost due to poor service.”

Integritas Group said:

“@JoAnn - very insightful!”

Integritas Group said:

“@Joann, You hit the nail on the head! I was blown away by that too.

”

Connie Tolton said:

“WOW! Love the way you shared this. Being on the customer side really hits home on what 'they' want. It really is easy to put ourselves on the other side and give them what they want - which is really all we want - to matter.”

Integritas Group said:

“@Connie, you're welcome. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.”