I continue to read about companies large and small who are struggling in this rough economy. Even some of the titans of the American economy like Sears are struggling (See this recent article by Tiffany Hsu in the LA Times about Sears being dropped from the S&P 500). I know our economy is down, but many companies are actually thriving so what sets them apart. At Coastal Business Supplies, Inc. we have refocused our efforts to make sure that we never lose sight of our company motto “To the extent we serve… We succeed!” We have focused on customer service and truly caring for our customers. So when I recently had an issue with a purchase from Sears.com, I was shocked at the level of service (or lack thereof) that I received. I thought to myself, “no wonder Sears is struggling”. I used to view Sear as my go to place for all sorts of items, but now I have decided to never shop there again. I wonder how many other people have decided that and then I wonder if that is truly the reason that they are struggling. So let me chronicle a couple of key points of what not to do and then also give you some of my thoughts on what to do: Continue reading “How to NOT do Customer Service”
Author: Aaron Montgomery
I have been in the garment decorating industry since 1999, and have worked with many small businesses to help them make money and improve their marketing and sales. I love helping small businesses as I have been involved with or had my own small business since I was a teenager. In my free time, I enjoy volleyball, bowling and spending time with my sons. I have lived in St. Louis since 2010 by way of Boston, Colorado Springs and most major cities in Arizona. Aaron also delivers a bi-weekly Podcast called "2 Regular Guys" with industry friend Terry Combs. You can catch it at 2 Regular Guys.
Digital Printing on Vinyl
I sat in on a wonderful training session today with Michael Pettit of FDC Graphic Films. He came to Coastal Business Supplies, Inc. today to provide us more details on their product line. We are excited to help people find the right products for their needs.
The amazing part is the huge amount of potential products people can expand into when they add digital printed media to their line. Here are just a few of the things you can do:
- Removable Wall Graphics
- Temporary Point of Sales Graphics
- “Fathead” Style Graphics
- Home Decor / Sayings Continue reading “Digital Printing on Vinyl”
Technical Support – Friend or Foe?
Technical support for equipment and supplies purchased is one of the most important services we provide at Coastal Business Supplies, Inc. Given this fact, I began thinking about how customers feel when they are ‘passed/transferred’ to our Technical Support Team. We are very fortunate to have a wonderful Technical Support Team, but for many companies, they have lost sight of their service commitment to customers. Even in our relatively small industry, technical support or assistance after the purchase can be lacking. Continue reading “Technical Support – Friend or Foe?”