by Skip Cohen

I started this series to help photographers overcome the chaos that prevents them from making their businesses a greater success. While some of you may think paying attention to your phone style is outdated, replaced by texting and emails, it's anything but obsolete. The art of conversation is desperately needed more than ever in business today.​

How you handle yourself over the phone is at the top of the list of critical marketing tools. Even though email and texting drive the world, a live call is still one of the very best relationship-building techniques in business!

There was a time when "Ma Bell" used to teach classes on phone etiquette for business clients. I remember being sent to a workshop in my Customer Service days at Polaroid and thinking how stupid it was to suggest I didn't have the skill set to answer the phone. But it wasn't about answering the phone; it was about using the phone as a customer service tool.

At least once a week, I'm chasing a company to find an answer to a question. Comcast is one of the worst, but in all honesty, they're not alone. We live in a world of defaults and A.I. which rarely gets you to a live body.

Recently, it took me three transfers before I got the right department and an expert capable of answering my question at one of the most recognized companies in the world. Plus, my call was answered offshore, and only one of the four people I spoke with actually sounded sincere when empathizing with my complaint. By the time I got to the last person, I was so tired of being handed off. I was frustrated and rude, and it really wasn't the fault of the rep but the people who designed the response system of their company.

Looking for more great reminders on Customer Service overall? Check out Shep Hyken's blog. He's always sharing ideas on how to exceed client expectations!

by Skip Cohen

It's the first Marketing Monday post of the new year, and while typically my posts are more photo-centric, today's applies to EVERY business, not just professional photographers.

This is the time of year when many of you are still working to resolve customer service issues related to business left over from the holidays. Great customer service is your not-so-secret weapon for building a stronger brand and separating yourself from your competitors, and it doesn't matter what business you're in!

Too many of you think unhappy customers are a curse—the dark side of owning a business. In reality, they're an outstanding asset if treated right! Not treated right, unhappy customers have the potential to influence thousands of people through their social media and personal reach.

​It's time to stop being afraid of angry customers. Remember, you've got two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you talk!

• It all starts with a fundamental understanding of the customer: It doesn't matter if they're right or not; they believe they're right, and you need to listen. You have to accept that something happened that shouldn't have—no matter who or what caused it, you have a chance to resolve the issue.
• Fine-tune your listening skills. Don't react to anything they say until they're done saying it. This is a tough one, but it can start with a simple opener: "Hi, this is _____, and I understand you're not happy with something we did. How can I help?"

 
You can modify the opener any way you want, but the defusing line is "How can I help?" Another one to use is "Let's see if I can help fix this for you." Your goal is to demonstrate empathy, kick back, be quiet, and listen. 
​
Challenges with unhappy customers will happen as long as you're in business. Here are some suggestions to help you build a stronger brand and a reputation for integrity, empathy, and GREAT service.

1. Respond promptly – don't let things go more than a day without getting back to your client. When an upset customer doesn't hear back from you promptly, they assume you're hiding or just don't care.
2. Communicate with your client via phone or face-to-face. Email doesn't always work as well when you've got an argument on your hands. Your customers need to hear your voice; a little eye contact is much better. Pick up the phone and call them whenever possible.
3. Take the blame – seriously, even if the problem wasn't directly your fault, it's still your business.
4. Don't delegate the battles—There's nothing more frustrating to an angry customer than feeling you're hiding behind one of your employees. And when it can't be helped, if an employee is on the frontline of "battle," give them the power and tools to resolve the issue. Resolve issues quickly with solutions that are valuable to the consumer. Come up with a resolution and work towards one that your client feels is fair.

Here's a perfect example, which I know I've shared in past posts. Living in the Chicago area years ago, we tried carry-out from a new Chinese restaurant. Halfway through dinner, we found a small dead cockroach in the fried rice. I immediately packaged everything back up and stormed back to the restaurant for a refund. Instead of immediately apologizing and handling my request, the owner complained that the rice was already half-eaten! She then wanted to give me a gift certificate to come back! Obviously, we never ate there again, but to try and argue with me about the merits of their food at that point was far from realistic. 
 
Remember, one angry customer today can turn into a troll and undermine your credibility throughout the community. And the community, especially in cyberspace, goes far beyond your city limits. On the other hand, a satisfied customer who feels you've been on their side and working towards solving the problem will help build a foundation for future business.

by Skip Cohen

Great Customer Service is one of the best tools for building your business—when it's done right. That means quick response time, solutions that make sense to the customer, and an attitude that shows your sincerity, passion for the craft, and respect for the customer.

But done wrong, like Buick is currently doing with me, it undermines everything a company does. Here's the short backstory:

I took my car in for service. The check engine light was on, and it turned out to need a new turbo. It's only got 30,000 miles on it and has not been driven hard. It's a warranty repair, but the car shouldn't be driven for long distances. Buick has no idea when they'll be getting the part, and the dealer forecasted the end of September—maybe! So, I contacted General Motors.

At 8:15 pm last night, I got a call from General Motors. This was the third time I was told a call that was supposed to come to me earlier hadn't happened because they had technical phone problems! In addition, the rep from corporate told me they still have no idea when they'll have the part but promised to keep me informed!

Meanwhile, I had already heard from the dealer a couple of days ago. They found the part at one of the GM plants, and it's already been shipped. Buick at the corporate level had no idea what they're doing! 

But this saga is not without a bit of humor - the General Motors Facebook page just sent me this notification since I've been actively complaining about the terrible service. Rising fan? NOT!

Buick's corporate approach is an excellent example of  what NOT to do...but here are a few tips that are important to building your business:

• Response Time: Do you check your email and phone messages multiple times each day? You need to respond quickly to set yourself apart from your competitors.
• Get Your Facts Right: You'll accomplish nothing if you don't take the time to listen and understand the customer's problem. 
• Finding Solutions: Whether it's you or a member of your team, work to find solutions to challenges quickly. And when there is a problem, NEVER hide from an angry/frustrated customer.
• Don't Over Delegate: I'm on my third "advisor" from General Motors. This new person is from another group, the Part Delay Department. Apparently, I'm supposed to feel good that my complaint has been escalated up a level of importance. What good is escalating it if nobody takes responsibility and is always pointing the finger at somebody else?
• Exceeding Expectations: Every customer interaction is an opportunity. From the quality of the products and services you offer to each inquiry and interaction with the public - never walk away saying, "That's good enough!" 
• Simplicity: Too many of you have policies and disclaimers on your website that would scare an IRS auditor. Keep things simple in your policies. For example, I still don't understand the purpose of Buick having Customer Service at the corporate level if nobody has any power to do anything!

Here's my point in today's post: Customer Service should be one of your greatest assets—make your word mean something. Don't "buick" people (yes, I did just make it a verb!). When there's a problem, confront it quickly and contact the customer with solutions, not excuses. ​

Customer service is the experience we deliver to our customer.
​It's the promise we keep to the customer.
It's how we follow through for the customer.
It's how we make them feel when they do business with us.
Shep Hyken

by Skip Cohen

I found the quote above using Google, searching under Customer Service and shared it on Twitter six years ago. Shep Hyken retweeted my post. It's rare that the author of any quote I share retweets what I write, and here comes one of the amazing attributes of the Internet. I looked up Shep Hyken to find out more about him. Then, I called him to say thanks and learn about his role as a leader in the business community and his focus on Customer Service. He couldn't have been more accessible and immediately took my call.

A few months later, Shep joined Chamira Young and me on our podcast, and then I was a guest on his. A year or so later, we stepped out of cyberspace and grabbed breakfast together in St. Louis. That's how the friendship got started. But my respect for him, along with thousands of his fans is about his never-ending focus on customer service. Following him is fun, as he's always sharing concepts that can help build/strengthen so many different aspects of a successful business.

"Fun" is one of those words too often lost in business today. It gets buried under the stress of marketing, delivery, and follow-up. But when you're having fun, it becomes a work-hard-play-hard scenario. The more fun you're having the more room there is for your creative juices to flow.

Wandering through Shep Hyken's archives yesterday, this post caught my eye. It ties in so well to the role Customer Service plays in building your business. It's a perfect example of photographers who are recognized as "GREAT" in their communities rather than just being good. Being a great photographer, as opposed to just a good one, also opens the door to more fun in building your brand!

Years ago, I sat in on a Tim and Beverly Walden presentation. They talked about the fact that they sell the experience, NOT just finished prints. So many of you have worked your entire career to perfect your skill set. You've never slowed down in your quest to capture the ultimate image. That's admirable, but to Shep's point in his post below...your ability to be considered great goes beyond just creating beautiful images.

Shep's website is loaded with great material. He needs to be on your radar and is only a click away.

by Shep Hyken

​If you had to have surgery, would you rather go to the most skilled surgeon or the nicest surgeon?   
I was at a party the other night and someone I met shared his opinion of the difference between a good doctor and a great doctor. A good doctor makes you well. A great doctor makes you well and calls you the next day to see how you’re doing. 

I thought about that all weekend. My new friend was saying that good is doing what you are expected to do. If you’re a surgeon, you make people well. However, great is the addition of a better customer experience. In the case of the surgeon, it’s skill plus bedside manner.  

Here’s a “less critical” example. If you go to a restaurant that has the most delicious food, but the service is outright terrible, you wouldn’t refer to that as a great experience. The food could be the best, but if what surrounds it – the experience – is tainted with rude and angry employees, you would be reluctant to go back.  
So, back to my friend’s example. The doctor’s bedside manner, which included a phone call to check on the patient, is a metaphor for a good customer experience – or in this case, a patient experience.  

Sweetwater, an online retailer that sells music and audio equipment, is another excellent example of this. I bought a new microphone and mixing board from them last year, and they assigned a salesperson to my account. A week after I received the items, “my” salesperson called me to make sure they were working and confirm that I was happy with my purchase. A good experience would have been talking to a salesperson, ordering the equipment, and having it show up as expected in a day or two. What elevated it to a great experience was the less-than-one-minute phone call I received from “my guy.” 

Creating a great customer experience doesn’t mean going over the top. Occasionally, you have opportunities to do so, but if your typical experience includes a little something extra, like a phone call to check on a customer, you move beyond just being good. Our customer service research found that the top reason customers are most likely to come back is because employees are helpful and friendly.  

It is expected that a doctor has skill. If the doctor is also helpful and friendly, another way of saying the doctor has a good bedside manner, then by my friend’s definition, he or she is a great doctor.  

So, what’s your version of bedside manner? What little something can you add to the experience so that people will refer to you as great? Don’t answer me. Sit down with your team and answer these questions for yourself and your organization. Define your version of what would make you a great doctor, communicate it to your people, train them to deliver on it, and watch your customers’ reactions. They will reward you by saying, “I’ll be back!” 

Copyright © MMXXII, Shep Hyken – Used with Permission​

by Skip Cohen

If only there was a button you could push to grow your business! There's no button, but there is an outstanding conference coming up to help you achieve your goals.
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​When it comes to building our business, we're all in the same "boat." Everyone is looking for answers to the same kinds of questions: How can I increase business, as well as revenue? I need new customers, but where do I find them? How do I expand my skill set? Am I the only one with this kind of challenge? Who's out there that I could work with to develop a partnership? I need more diversified friends in my network - where can I find them? 

The list goes on and on, with so many small business owners looking for the solutions. Most of the answers to those questions are all coming up at ClickCon, July 30 - August 2. There are seven solid reasons to make sure you're there with all of us:

And one more critical reason: FUN! It's an important word, so often lost in the stress of business today. But when you're together with a group of like-minded artists with so many of the same goals, you can't help but have fun. "Fun" is the mortar that holds not only education, networking, and relationship building together, but your business!

With the two political conventions in the area this year, ClickCon had to make a move out of Chicago. But they stayed true to their core purpose in the location - accessibility. Check out the map - Detroit is a maximum of a 4-5 hour drive for everyone in the circle to the right.

I'm a big fan of ClickCon for all the reasons above, but there's one more I cherish - it's about accessibility to the attendees, including the speakers. Big conventions are great, but nothing beats being able to meet other artists and get quality time with the speakers and vendors as well.

Don't take my word for it - check out the ClickCon website and then start making plans to join us. It's a great platform with your opportunity for classes, photowalks, meeting educators, vendors, growing your business and best of all recharging your battery for the back half of the year.

GET $100 OFF YOUR CONFERENCE PASS (trade show only excluded) when you put "SKIP8586" in the discount code box at registration. Just click on the thumbnail to the right for more info - and join us in July!

​See you at ClickCon!

by Skip Cohen

One of your best marketing tools for building your business is responding quickly to customer requests. There's no such thing as getting back to a client too soon, and response time is even more important when it's with a potential customer!

Here's a great example with two different consumer companies:

I called the company that fertilizes our lawn and landscaping. I wanted somebody to come to the house and explain why they don't seem to be doing as good a job as in the past. After two weeks and multiple phone calls, I never heard back, so I went in search of a new company.

Around the same time, I contacted our "pest" company, which regularly sprays for roaches, fire ants, etc., which is part of the challenge of living in Florida. All I wanted was an estimated price for mosquito control. It was no big deal; just a ballpark price. They wouldn't do it over the phone and needed to send a manager out to review my property—even though we've been with them for at least ten years at two different homes!

There are two issues here:

• Because neither company responded quickly, I went off to search for somebody new. I found one that provides the services of BOTH companies and even saves money in the process.
• Once I terminated the relationship with both companies, nobody ever contacted me to follow up on why a long-time client would drop their services.

Here's my point: Years ago, I had a friend who was a residential realtor in Las Vegas; whenever he didn't get the listing, he always made it a point to contact the client and ask why. He always did it in a thoroughly kind and gracious way, "It was great to meet you, and I'm hoping you're comfortable sharing why you didn't choose us. We're always working to improve our business, and if we're missing something, your feedback will help us with future contacts." That's paraphrasing what he'd ask, but close enough to make my point.

A big part of the strength of your brand is built on integrity, trust, and good communication. Respond quickly to customer questions. And when you lose a job, don't be afraid to ask what was missing. Everyone knows their strengths—the challenge is understanding and building up your weaknesses!

by Skip Cohen

​I try to keep Friday posts short. Today's post is more of a reminder of what every small business owner's mantra should be: exceed expectations and make yourself habit-forming!
  
Thinking about 2024 and the challenges we all face for the new year, I couldn't be more optimistic. It won't be an easy year, but I'm hearing so many great stories about business picking up around the country. Well, I started thinking about the role Customer Service will play in the months ahead.

It's simple—your success is about going the extra steps you take and staying in touch with your clients, even when you don't have to. It's also about keeping your promises, never compromising on the quality of your images, and creating a brand/reputation known for integrity. 

Coming back from Cleveland just a few days ago, we got stuck in Charlotte for hours due to bad weather in Florida. The delay had absolutely nothing to do with American Airlines directly - just storms. But here's where American missed the boat - their computer wasn't synchronized with the announcement information they were sharing.

​Every 30 minutes, the departure monitor updated to a new time—and it was always wrong. That put the gate agents in the position of announcing the real-time data they had received. But with each update on the monitors, we'd get excited, thinking we were finally going to take off! To add to the pain, the gate agents shared an update every 15 minutes, reminding everybody our departure time was in "God's hands, not theirs."

Here's my point: Be honest with your promises. Then, deliver what you promised and more if you can. Building trust is about great communication and follow-through. Done right, working with you will become habit-forming. To paraphrase two of the industry's finest portrait artists, Tim and Beverly Walden, "It's all about creating an experience, not just the finished product!"

As we head into Spring, now is the perfect time to keep in touch with your clients and your audience. It's about giving back, being helpful, and growing your strongest marketing tool: relationship building!

​Excellent Customer Service isn't just about solving problems. It's about being proactive and creating top-of-mind-awareness with your audience - so whenever they think about photography, your name is right on top. It's about going beyond the customer's expectations.

There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.
Roger Staubach

by Skip Cohen

​My roots in Customer Service go back to when I was a kid helping my grandfather in a little hardware store in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. But my real education in consumer support started with Polaroid's introduction of the SX-70 camera - estimated to be 300% defective with those first ones off the production line. Fortunately for Polaroid back then word was slow to spread, there was no Internet - just phone calls and snail mail.

Having kicked off my first blog post fourteen years ago, while I know I've written about the topic many times in the past, there's no such thing as too many reminders about the importance of dealing with angry customers!
 
I found a couple of great quotes a while back about angry customers:

​The reality for many of you is too often completely different. You're afraid of angry customers. I've even heard a few horror stories of photographers going head-to-head in arguments with clients. You'll never win in that kind of battle.
 
Here are a few tips and suggestions you can use to help learn from angry customers and, at the same time, become your own bomb squad!

• It all starts with a fundamental understanding of the customer: It doesn't matter if they're right or not; they believe they're right. You also have to accept that something happened that shouldn't have – no matter who or what was the cause, you own it.
• Fine-tune your listening skills. Don't react to anything they say until they're done saying it. This is a tough one, but it can start with a simple opener: "Hi, this is _____, and I understand you're not happy with something we did. How can I help?"

 
Modify the opener any way you want, but the defusing line is: "How can I help?" or another one to use is "Let's see if I can help fix this for you." Your goal is to demonstrate empathy, kick back, be quiet, and listen. (This is where I get to plug in my favorite one-liner: You've got two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you talk!)
​

1. Respond promptly – don't let things go more than a day without getting back to your client.
2. Communicate with your client via phone or face-to-face. Email doesn't always work when you've got an argument on your hands. Your customers need to hear your voice, and a little eye contact is that much better.
3. Take the blame – seriously, even if the problem wasn't directly your fault, it's still your business.
4. Don't delegate the battles. There's nothing more frustrating to an angry customer than to feel you're hiding behind one of your employees. And if an employee is on the frontline of "battle," give them the power to resolve the issue.

Resolve issues quickly with solutions that have value to the consumer. Come up with a resolution fast and work towards having one that your client feels is fair.

Years ago, living in the Chicago area, we tried carry-out from a new Chinese restaurant. Halfway through dinner, there was a small dead cockroach in the fried rice. I immediately packaged everything back up and went storming back to the restaurant. Instead of immediately apologizing and doing a refund, the owner wanted to give me a gift certificate to come back! Obviously, we never ate there again, but to try and argue with me about the merits of their food at that point was far from realistic.
 
Remember, one angry customer today can turn into a troll and undermine your credibility throughout the community. And the community, especially in cyberspace, goes far beyond your city limits.

On the other hand, a satisfied customer who feels you've been on their side and working towards solving the problem will help build a foundation for future business.

“Your customers won’t love you if you give bad service, your competitors will.” 
Kate Zabiskie

by Skip Cohen

So many of you could do a better job when it comes to Customer Service basics. That quote above says it all; stop helping your competitors!

​It's Marketing Monday, and after a recent battle with an online sales company, the importance of Customer Service is fresh on my mind. The only silver lining is that each bad experience I have, becomes the foundation to remind you about one of your best marketing tools, providing outstanding service.

There's no need for this to be a long post today. The basic ingredients for providing excellent Customer Service couldn't be easier to remember:

• Listen: You've got two ears and one mouth - so listen twice as much as you talk. Along with "listen," also goes "read and comprehend" when you get an email from an existing or potential customer.
• Empathize: When the issue is something negative, let the customer know you understand their concern. Let them know, "the buck stops here." In other words, you're going to be the one to resolve their issue.
• Don't leave customers on hold any longer than you'd be willing to wait. This isn't just about the hold button but not responding in a reasonable amount of time.
• Solve problems quickly! You can't always resolve a challenge with the first contact, but make that your goal. You only fuel the customer's skepticism when things drag on and on.
• Exceed expectations!
• Always give customers more information than what they ask for. I've used this example in other posts - Disney is the best at this. If you ask any Disney staff member, "When is the electric light parade?" They'll not only answer you, but they'll give you a great suggestion on where to watch it. Be engaging!

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Obviously, the quality of the services/products you're providing has to be outstanding, but don't underestimate the power of offering a great experience for your clients as well! It's one of the most powerful tools you have to separate your business from the competition.

by Skip Cohen

​I've written a lot about this over the years, but it's Marketing Monday, and it's August. We're into that business stretch between back-to-school ramping up and the fall. And while technically it's still summer - it's the perfect time to be proactive with a little business analysis and thoughts about this year's holiday seasonality.

You want to be known as the photography/imaging expert in your community. What are you doing to make yourself different from your competitors? What are you doing to build relationships with your target audience to build stronger revenue this fall and then right into the holiday season?

• Quality: Are you the best you can be? Are you showing only your best work on your website? So many of you decided on quantity vs. quality. If any image in your gallery is no better than what "Uncle Harry" could have captured, take it down! Every photograph or video needs to be so good, you'd only need to show that one piece to get hired!
• Diversity: Do all your images look the same? If you've got the skills, you need to mix it up and include black & white, wide-angle, portraiture, groups, great lighting, and infrared.  Demonstrate you're more than a one-trick pony! And if you're a wedding photographer, put up an album and show your skills as a storyteller.
• Products: Stop showing products that could put a rock to sleep. All it takes is a call to your lab and ask, "So, what's new?" Technology is on your side, with new techniques being developed every day. For example, I'm a big fan of Bay Photo's Performance EXT metal for outdoor displays. And even though canvas isn't new to you, it's still unknown to so many of your potential clients. And check out Marathon Press and their complete line of Bella Art Albums and prints.
• Services: You're not selling a portrait, for example, but a future family heirloom. And what about a Day-in-the-Life shoot to tell the story of a family, a child, or even a pet? It allows you to offer a package with a smaller album. Then there are Legacy programs that include multi-generational family portraits. The renewed sense of family in the world is stronger than ever - what are you doing to emphasize that in your business?
• Community: Get involved! What good is creating the most incredible images of your life if nobody knows who you are? Be a volunteer and get your name out there. It doesn't matter if it's with or without a camera in your hands - just be involved in nonprofit events and associations that let people know you're giving back to your community.
• Customer Service: It's all about exceeding expectations in ALL areas.
  • Response time: Whether it's a phone call, email, or response to a contact template on your website, answer people quickly. There's no such thing as responding too early.
  • Listen! You've got two ears and one mouth - listen twice as much as you talk. Pay attention to what people are asking as well as their complaints. Work to resolve problems quickly. We all know the customer ISN'T always right, but they always deserve the respect of prompt communication and a suggested solution.
  • Build relationships: Every member of your target audience is an opportunity to build a relationship. As Scott Stratton wrote in his book "Unmarketing" - "Stop marketing and start engaging!"

Recently I shared a post about Christmas in July that was done by a local restaurant. Well, now's the time to demonstrate leadership in your area. Leadership opportunities abound for small-business owners these days.
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It's not rocket science. You need to make an effort and get yourself out there. This is about establishing a more substantial presence in your community, and the areas above are the tip of the iceberg! But you'll never have any impact with a mañana attitude - you don't have to tackle everything, just stop procrastinating and find a place to start.

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow
what should have been done the day before yesterday!
Napoleon Hill

by Skip Cohen

​Your greatest marketing tool is relationship building. You can't establish relationships if you don't engage more often. And one of the best engagement tools, second only to being face-to-face, is a phone call! Yes, I'm old school, but there's a reason - email and text messages are missing something - your voice! 

Yesterday an old friend, who many of you might know, Barbara DeMoulin, sent me two text messages. I was busy and couldn't respond right away. A few hours later, she sent me an IM on Facebook, checking to see if she was sending messages to the correct number. I started to write back and decided just to pick up the phone and call her.

The call was terrific. We hadn't caught up to each other in many years. While a text would have been shorter and faster, I would have missed a nice look in my rearview mirror with a wonderful friend with whom I'd lost touch.

Here's my point - Regarding communication, we live in a cold, instant fulfillment world. Text messages and emails have their place and get the job done, but they're minimalistic. But if your communication concerns an issue involving even the smallest amount of tension, it's tough to write an email. But with a phone call, you've got so much more expression to add, and from a Customer Service perspective especially, nothing beats direct contact.

​Just pick up the phone!

by Skip Cohen

For the last two Fridays, I've shared easy to do ideas to help you build a stronger and more efficient business. Nothing is rocket science, but it does take time and a little attention to detail.

Here's the challenge so many of you have: You simply don't respond fast enough to people who contact you! 
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• Template website email forms: They're great to have, but accomplish nothing if you don't respond. Repeatedly I've used them to contact photographers and rarely do I get a response that I'd consider timely. Potential clients who are considering hiring you and need more information won't wait very long for a call back.
• Stop hiding your phone number! There's no such thing as too much contact information, especially your phone number. I understand not sharing your address if you work out of your home, but everything else should be on your website.
• Respond in 24 hours or less!  The quote below is from SuperOffice.com, along with the data below. To read the complete article, "7 Ways to Reduce Customer Service Response Times" click here.​​

"Responding quickly to your customers will grow your business. A study of more than 500,000 interactions found that customers are willing to spend more with a business that responds quickly to their enquiry. Simply put, a fast response generates higher revenue."

Here's the bottom line: The faster you respond to customer inquiries, the greater your ability to exceed expectations and in turn, grow your business. The first step is to build the infrastructure for responding. Then, build a system so all emails and calls always get the fastest possible response time.

If you need to, bring in a backup person. It can be as simple as a family member or an associate who tracks incoming email and voicemails. The point is getting back to people quickly with a personal response, not an auto-reply. 

Nothing is rocket science, but it does take discipline - it's all about building strong relationships, and it starts with a fast response time. 

Your customers don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care!
Damon Richards

by Skip Cohen

This will be a rant, but I'm letting off steam with a purpose - If you want to build your brand and strengthen your business, pay attention to your customers. Answer their questions quickly; give them equitable solutions when there's a problem, and be accessible. You've got two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you talk...or write.

There's no single issue that got me going today. I'm just tired of being abused!

• We're dealing with La-Z-Boy on a sectional sofa we ordered back in November. At first, it was a February delivery, then March, then late June, and now it's the end of July. They're waiting for one piece - it's packed up and ready to go, but they're currently limited on delivery staff. I get the supply challenges, but nobody cared in trying to resolve this at corporate. I wrote to their CEO on LinkedIn. She handed it off to one of her staff, who called me and said she would get back to me last March. She still hasn't.
• I had a problem with Open Table. It would have been easy to resolve with a live body in their online chat. I was second in line, so I worked on some things while I waited. After half an hour, I moved to number 1...twenty minutes later, a message popped up telling me there was nobody available and to try back later.
• On Kickstarter's website earlier in the week, I needed help on a question...there's nobody to contact. They send you to their Q&A, and if the answer isn't there, you can fill out a contact form...except there is no form!
• Then there's Facebook - I get that they've grown to be one of the largest companies in the world, but shouldn't their customer service staff have grown proportionately? We've spent two years dealing with the "Concierge" group on the business side, and nobody reads what the issue is. Every contact is like the script from the movie "Fifty First Dates."
• FedEx SmartPost is a colossal mistake. They hired independent drivers who get paid by the delivery, so they stretch things out. Our daughter-in-law tracked a package for days, each day coming close to her house, but never a delivery! 

And these are just the tip of the iceberg!

Ironically, the best service I've ever had was from Comcast! Who knew? We switched from Frontier's death grip, and the Comcast tech showed up on time and finished in ninety minutes. When I asked how he did the new installation so fast, he mentioned he was independent and simply wants to work. He got the job done and went on to the next customer. It was the best installment we've ever had from any carrier over the years.

Here's my point:

If you want to stand out today, exceed expectations. I know the pandemic started this fiasco, and everyone is short on staff, but there's still a point where we've earned the right as consumers to feel the love! It's about respect and feeling like our business matters.

• Call people back as quickly as possible.
• Check your email several times each day and respond quickly. Don't forget to keep tabs on your spam folder.
• Give people solutions, not stall tactics.
• Smile when you're on the phone - you'll be surprised how it comes through on the other end of the line.
• Make your customers feel important.
• Follow-up after talking to them. Build relationships, not one-hit wonders.

I'm not sure there's ever been a time as a consumer where companies have the opportunity to be leaders in marketing and business. Best of all, it's not rocket science - just common sense. As a small business owner you've got more power than you've ever had before!

​Looking for help on how more ways to make your brand stand out and become known for great service? Shep Hyken is a NY Times best selling author, speaker and a friend. ​

Customer service is the experience we deliver to our customer. It's the promise we keep to the customer.
It's how we follow through for the customer.
It's how we make them feel when they do business with us.
Shep Hyken

Shep's website is jam-packed with great content. Everything he shares is about building a reputation for outstanding customer service...and it's all just a click away.

Intro by Skip Cohen

Nine years ago this week, Amanda from Photodex shared the blog post below. Well, it's perfect for this time of year, as well as this time in business history. To say most of the last few years were tough on business owners would be a colossal understatement. 

Photodex, who closed their doors a few years ago, was on fire back then! Thousands of photographers were not only using their products but benefitting from outstanding support and advice on how to keep building a successful business and their brand awareness.  

This post features statements from five different wedding photographers, each sharing an essential tip for success. And while it's wedding-centric, the tips by these five artists apply to just about every business! So, whatever your specialty, if nothing else, pay attention to the bold tips leading into each quote.

Remember that today with social media, one customer has the ability to influence thousands of other potential clients for your business. At the start of last year, the analysts estimated almost 300 million people were on the Internet in the United States. In fact, how many of us even know somebody who's not Internet active?

The key to building your brand is in great service, which includes EVERYTHING from the quality of your work, to the way you build a relationship with each subject. It includes keeping your promises, responding quickly to communications, and being more than just another vendor in the community. 

And in terms of Amanda from Photodex, who's been a great friend to so many of us - she always walks the talk. I catch up to her every now and then, because I love her online store, and she was so terrific to work with for so many years. Check out this post from last year about her award-winning jewelry business in Austin, TX!

Courtesy of Amanda and Photodex

We're right in the heat of wedding season! So, we reached out to a handful of seasoned pros and asked them to share what they do to go the extra mile and really ‘wow’ their wedding clients. Read their advice below!

1. Be More Than Just Photographers      

One of the ways we wow our wedding couples is to just do all the little things better, not just be photographers. We show them that we really want their day to be the best ever. That means being there for them when things don’t go as planned. Maybe the groom could use a hand with cuff links or his tie. Maybe the cake table doesn’t have dishes and forks when it’s time to cut. Maybe the bouquets could use water when they are placed at the wedding party table. Maybe we nudge the DJ to get things going when we sense the guests are getting bored. It’s all the little things that add up. The better the wedding, the better our pictures will look. As photographers, we’ve seen lots of weddings, we know when it’s time to step in and give a hand. – Stacey Chance, Discovery Bay Studios Wedding Photography

2. Under Promise and Over Deliver       

Brides are extremely excited about the work and anxious for everything. The worse thing you can do is promise something and not deliver on time. For example, we like to post a sneak peek on Facebook shortly after the wedding but when the bride’s asks about it, we always say it should be a few weeks after the event. Usually, it’s a few days! That’s the same for delivery of the proof set, products, you name it! It’s not a matter of lying or making up things – be realistic about all of the things that could go wrong with your business (or god forbid your personal life) and take that into account before making promises! – Steven Somfalvi, Artage Pictures

3. Surprise Them       

Similar to under promising and over delivering, always have some surprises ready for your client. It definitely enhances their experience with your studio and it reconfirms that they are important to you. It can be a free print, product upgrade – really anything. We advertise in a national magazine and they send us a box of them to hand out. Every bride who comes through the door gets one and they just love it! – Steven Somfalvi, Artage Pictures

4. Create Excitement at the Reception       

We produce same-day slideshows at every wedding. It’s a total surprise to the couple. The bride, groom and their guests are totally floored and I’ve booked weddings of bridal party members because of them. I use ProShow Producer to output to MP4 on to a flash drive and loop it on an LCD flat screen TV at the reception.   Joe Pulcinella Photography

5. Be Passionate       

My secret to wowing the bride and groom and the complete wedding party is being passionate about the wedding day. To me, a wedding day is the most important day in a couple’s life, just after giving birth to their child. I want the experience to be memorable. Quality of photography is very important to bring to the wedding, but your personality is the secret to making the day more memorable. I never demand anything from the wedding. I work with what I got and I make the magic happen. Ego and attitude should never be part of a wedding photographer’s personality. – David Zumaya, Weddings at California
​

by Skip Cohen

​We're down to the last month of the "slow season," and if nothing else, you should be thinking about everything you can do to make 2022 one of your best years ever. While the pandemic brought an incredible level of stress and a collection of challenges for every business owner, it also created opportunities to demonstrate leadership.

I admit it's like the expression about banging your head against the wall because it feels so good when you stop, but out of the difficulties of the last couple of years came a renewed sense of family. As a result, there's a new focus on imaging and your ability to help people capture and cherish their most important memories. As I've written so many times in the past - photographers are the magicians of the world, turning intangible moments into tangible memories people can appreciate for a lifetime.

So, here's my favorite place to start when building success into the year ahead - exceed expectations! Start with a look at your entire business, not just your skill set in creating beautiful images, but how you communicate, the functionality of your website, the strength of your brand in the community, and the experience clients have when working with you. Exceeding expectations isn't a policy but a lifestyle that should be built into everything you do!

• Don't just deliver on time - deliver early, whenever possible.
• Be a relationship-builder - your most incredible tool for marketing is relationship building with your clients and your community.
  • Keep in touch with your clients with a phone call here and there - you don't have to sell anything, just check in on how they are.
  • Follow clients and associates on social media - pay attention to birthdays and anniversaries.
  • Be involved in your community - this is about giving back. You want the community to be good to you, so you have to be good to your community.
• Make working with you a great experience.
• Return calls and emails as fast as you possibly can - not just with customers in your database, but with everyone who contacts you.
• Always follow up with questions from your clients - even when you think the challenge has already been resolved.
• Be early for appointments and meetings.
• Be helpful in person, online, and in your blog.

As I was thinking about 2022 and my optimism for this new year, I started thinking about the role excellent service will play for every business. Your success is about going the extra step and staying in touch with your clients, even when you don't have to. Excellent service isn't just about solving problems. It's about being proactive and creating top-of-mind-awareness with your audience - so whenever they think about photography, your name is right on top.

I shared this video a while back - it's from Shep Hyken. I'm a huge fan of Shep's and his focus on Customer Service. Shep's a Hall of Fame Speaker, NY Times Best Selling Author, and a Customer Service and Experience Expert. He walks the talk with his regular closing line of "Always be amazing."

The short version of our friendship is I shared a quote of his on Twitter. He responded; I called him, and he took the call. Since then, we've been on each other's podcasts and even caught breakfast together in St. Louis several years ago.

There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.
Roger Staubach

by Skip Cohen

​It's Marketing Monday and as you build the foundation for a great year ahead, pay attention to everything under the Customer Service umbrella. Customer Service isn't just about your active clients but all your interactions with your target audience. It's about building a reputation for excellence and a brand known for exceeding expectations.

Just for a second, think about your favorite restaurant. Sure, it's great food to start, but it became a favorite because of the service, atmosphere, pricing, and quality. Of course, the same applies to places you shop, whether live or online. 

Amazon is good example. We do a significant amount of shopping online through my Smile.Amazon account. Why? First, I can usually find anything we need. Second, Amazon ALWAYS delivers. At a time when USPS and FedEx have been horrible, Amazon is consistently delivering. Next, they're price competitive most of the time, and buying through their "Smile" program I'm able to direct a percentage of every sale to our favorite nonprofit.

Last but not least - their Customer Service team is pretty remarkable. I can call their 800 number, express my disappointment with an order, and have it resolved in minutes. And there are often times when I don't need to even return the defective or damaged merchandise to receive credit. THEY EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

Here's a check-off list for your business:
​

• Response Time: Do you check your email and phone messages multiple times each day? You need to respond as quickly as possible to set yourself apart from your competitors.
• Use Your Phone: Rather than always respond to emails with a written response. Have you tried calling the customer? Often there are easy to answer questions allowing you to react even faster than through the written word. Plus, email and text messages are limited in being able to inflect sincerity - whereas a phone call allows you to talk to the customer on a far more personal level.
• Finding Solutions: Whether it's you or a member of your team, work to find solutions to challenges quickly. And when there is a problem, NEVER hide from an angry/frustrated customer.
• Exceeding Expectations: Every customer interaction is an opportunity. From the quality of the products and services you offer to each inquiry and interaction with the public - never walk away saying, "That's good enough!"
• Speed Isn't Just About Your Response: Never assume your website is working the way you think it is. Check things every day on different platforms. Right now, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox are the most popular, with Chrome having a 65% market share.
• You Can't Take It Back: Remember, there are no erasers on the Internet. Don't get into arguments in the various forums on Facebook, for example. You can never really take back an angry post, and you never know who might be a member of that FB group, reading and sharing what you've written.
• Simplicity: Too many of you have policies and disclaimers on your website that would scare an IRS auditor. Keep things simple in your policies. For example, save the discussion on penalties for noncompliance when you're having a discussion about your contract/agreement. 

Here's the bottom line, and I'm paraphrasing what I've learned from good friends Tim and Beverly Walden over the years. Working with you should be an experience. You're not selling a portrait session, or for that matter, an album, prints, or video - you're selling the fun of working with you and building trust with your audience.

Tony Corbell says it best when he talks about things he did when he first started his business, "I wasn't the best photographer in town, but I was going to make sure I was the nicest!" He's never strayed from that philosophy, although today, he really is one of the best too!

"We're not happy until you're unhappy!"
​Suggested new slogan for Frontier Communications

​by Skip Cohen

I'd love to take credit for that quote above, but it's thanks to a good buddy who suggested it for one of the airlines many years ago. Here's the saga and short backstory:

• We had a small section of fence installed yesterday, and the fence company cut the fiber-optic cable. We lost all services.
• I know accidents can happen and immediately called Frontier Communications. The earliest they could schedule service was between 8 am and noon today.
• I called the fence company to comment on the mishap and was informed they contacted Frontier's location services people and had been given the "All Clear" on any lines in the way. So, the problem became Frontier's.
• I took several shots at trying to get them in earlier since the mistake turned out to be their fault.
• When the tech didn't arrive as promised this morning, I called them back and was told the service had been changed to 1-5:00 pm. Not sure why, since at 4:30 yesterday one of their reps was still trying to get us support before the end of the day!
• Okay, one last resort, call corporate in CT for help. Nope, nothing they can do to speed things up. Not only that, but it took me two calls to the president's customer service staff. I was told that the first person I spoke with had his computer die.  I also learned the location services people they use aren't Frontier employees - as if that should make a difference on the consumer level.

So, there are a few lessons here.

Lesson 1: Don't get caught without Internet access! Part of my problem has been my new computer and not being able to get online. For whatever reason, using my hot spot on my phone wasn't working, but our daughter-in-law is visiting and had a Netgear wifi base that saved a little of my sanity. But me working without a net, is like any of you shooting a wedding without backup gear. 

Lesson 2: How's your sense of Customer Service? The frontline staff at Frontier are all nice people, but they can only be as good as the team backing them up. So, how's your Customer Service set up? Even if you've only got one other person working with you, do they have the authority to make decisions and not make customers wait for a solution?

Lesson 3: Are you easy to contact? Getting to a live body at Frontier almost requires an act of God. They've become so focused on numerical defaults that you wind up going through recording after recording to get to the right person, and even then, you're likely to need to be transferred. On one call, I had at least eight numbers I had keyed in to finally get to somebody.

Lesson 4: When you've got an upset customer tell your staff what's going on. I just got a call from the technician, who should be here within thirty minutes. "Can you tell me what's wrong with your service - there's nothing here on the ticket?"

I like trying to learn from my mistakes, one of them going with Frontier Communications, but at the time they were the only choice. There's a great quote I wish this shipload of fools would learn:

 The true test of business's customer service fitness is not when things are going right-
but rather what is done when things go wrong.
Steve Ferrante

Frontier spends a lot of time doing surveys and telling us how much they care on their website, but when it really comes down to it - I'm not sure they could be more out of shape when it comes to customer service fitness!

"The professional takes that extra step - they follow up, even when they don't have to!"
Shep Hyken

by Skip Cohen
 ​
I'm a huge fan of Shep Hyken's and his focus on Customer Service. Shep's a Hall of Fame Speaker, NY Times Best Selling Author, and a Customer Service and Experience Expert. He walks the talk with his regular closing line of "Always be amazing." The short version of our friendship is, I shared a quote of his on Twitter. He responded; I called him, and he took the call. Since then, we've been on each other's podcasts, and even caught breakfast together in St. Louis two years ago.

I have so much respect for his expertise in Customer Service. Chamira Youngs and I recently had him on as a guest on the Platypod sponsored podcast Beyond Technique.

As I was thinking about 2021 and my realistic optimism for the new year, I started thinking about the role excellent service can play in the months ahead. It's simple - your success is about going the extra step and staying in touch with your clients, even when you don't have to.

As we all work to get out of the pandemic, now is the perfect time to keep in touch with your clients and your audience. It's about giving back, being helpful, and growing your strongest marketing tool, relationship building!
Excellent Customer Service isn't just about solving problems. It's about being proactive and creating top-of-mind-awareness with your audience - so whenever they think about photography, your name is right on top.

There are over 800 videos on Shep TV on YouTube. Here's the link, and it's jam-packed with content to help you rebuild your business in the new year. I wanted to share the short video below because it's so perfect for what your mindset should be right now!

Hunkering down is about your health, not about your business, skill set, relationship building, or CUSTOMER SERVICE! Start being proactive with your audience, especially your past clients.

by Skip Cohen

There was a long window of time when talking on the phone seemed to be on its way to extinction. Everyone was texting and emailing. And as a consumer, if we called any major company, we were put through a barrage of defaults, often in menus that made little or no sense. You know the drill, "Please listen closely because your menu has changed. If you're calling about ______ press 1, and I always wanted to hear, "If you'd like to talk to somebody who cares, call another company!"​

Okay, maybe it wasn't always that bad, but the pandemic came along, and today, excellent communication skills are more critical than ever. We're a word of mouth industry, and personal contact with clients will be restricted for some time. That puts how you handle yourself over the phone at the top of the list of critical marketing tools.  

I remember when the phone company, "Ma Bell," used to do classes for business clients on phone etiquette. As I look back on it today, those classes were really about how to have a conversation - so, the same way you carry yourself with somebody face to face or (mask to mask today), is a foundation for how you communicate on the phone.

And it's all just as much about Customer Service as it is verbal communication. NOW is the perfect time to strengthen your communication skills with the phone.

• Answer calls quickly, and if they leave a voicemail, return the call as fast as possible. When a client does call, make sure your system is working right, so you get the call or at least the message quickly. Call them back promptly, especially with new business inquiries, because if you don't, one of your competitors will. Remember, it's human nature to think something negative when you don't get a timely response.
• Pay attention! Don't take or make calls when you're in the middle of chaos. We all multi-task, but the key to a great phone conversation is being dedicated to listening more than talking. If you're in the middle of other things and can't give the person on the other end of the line dedicated time, wait until you can. You've got two ears and one mouth - listen twice as much as you talk!
• No matter what bizarre things are going on in your day, smile when you're talking to people on the phone. This is all about being cheerful and having a great attitude. You can tell when somebody is smiling on the other end of the line. Getting a phone call from a client is an opportunity for you to show your personality.
• Use your phone to play offense! With so many changes in the way we communicate today, it's becoming a lost art for people to use their phone for a conversation. When it comes to relationship building, talking directly to somebody is second only to an in-person conversation. I regularly answer emails with a phone call when it seems appropriate, and over and again, people are so appreciative of a fast response.
• Be proactive! Look over your database of clients and use the phone to keep in touch with those people most special to you. I'm a fan of texting, social media with Facebook and email, but calling somebody you know and have worked with is still at the top of the charts, and you don't have to be intrusive.  
• It's about what you say and how to say it. I wrote about this in a previous post - when you have an upset customer, the best way to diffuse the situation is with a call that starts with, "I understand you're not happy with our service. Well, the buck stops here. What can I do to help?" You'll be amazed at the immediate change in attitude just because you've established you're there to listen, help, and resolve the challenge.
• If you have staff answering calls, give them the authority to make decisions. Most of you are small businesses and don't have the luxury of a large staff, but you may have 1-2 people who handle Customer Service. Train them and give them the authority to make decisions and be problem-solvers. It's great when there's a challenge to handle it quickly, rather than return calls and add time to the resolution process.

The phone is one of your very best marketing tools. How you communicate is all under the umbrella of great Customer Service. Being a great communicator is just as important to build your business as meeting client expectations with the quality of your images!

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."
Steve Jobs

by Skip Cohen
 
There isn't a professional photographer on the planet who isn't struggling with what's become the new normal! Quarantines, social distancing, sheltering in place have all become a way of life, but out of chaos and the pandemic crisis have come some remarkable new extensions for business.

A month ago, I shared a short video of JP Elario at his computer doing FaceTime portraits. Channel 13 in Albany, NY, picked up the story, and I have to share it here. I wish there was a way to make every artist watch this short clip.

JP's part of a father/son business and Joe, his Dad, and I go back to my early Hasselblad days. They're both remarkable artists specializing in wedding and portraiture, and exceptional service is part of their signature. Keeping in line with their never-ending quest to meet their clients' needs, JP starting doing online headshots. 

​These are challenging times, but who knows what other new ideas will come out of the pandemic crisis?

"Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friend."
Walt Disney