Why You Should Fire the PITA Customer

You can see the warning signs a mile away as they…

*  Push you on price

*  Threaten to take their business to your competitors

*  Make unreasonable demands

*  Masquerade as the decision-maker

*  Don’t return phone calls; yet expect fast, complete and reliable delivery of your service.

These clients do nothing more than create added stress that you don’t need in your life, PITA customers are never happy. They drain your energy, test your patience, and waste your time. They demoralize your entire sales team. Yet companies accept this bad business continually, thinking bad business must be better than no business.

But is it?

Dump the Hidden Costs and Start Attracting More Clients

When organizations take on bad customers, they pay a hidden cost as they leave thousands to millions of dollars on the table. By focusing on PITA clients, many business owners are losing the opportunity to use those resources going after and servicing the phenomenal clients they want and need to make money! Collect too many PITA customers and watch your profits dwindle… not a compelling scenario.

Why accept business from a few customers who drive us crazy and drain our resources? Many salespeople say they sell to “anyone who fogs a mirror”–because of a looming quota, or because their company insists on certain deals. Many sales organizations create unrealistic expectations that they can turn a bad situation into a good one.

Are you dreaming?

Bad business is bad business.

Period.

Dump the Junk and Attract More Clients Who Want Your Help – And Is Willing to Pay For It Dearly

Targeting just “anyone” often means attracting more PITA customers. Never ask a PITA to refer you.

Why?

Because PITAs hang out with other PITAs. They belong to the same organizations, play golf together, and love telling stories about how they negotiated an unprecedented deal, or whipped a salesperson into shape.

Your best sales decision: Fire the PITA. Don’t take them in the first place, and if you have one, recognize you have a PITA situation and fight back.

Yes, fight back! Don’t take their abuse. You deliver a service that boosts their business. If they push you on price, be willing to walk away. That really turns the tables.

To demonstrate this point, picture two people standing with their arms out straight, pushing on and resisting each other’s hands. No one gets anyplace. It’s a stalemate.

Now re-create the same picture: One person stops resisting. What happens?

The other person moves toward the one who ceased resisting. The same thing happens when you’re willing to walk away. Sometimes you’ll walk, but many times the PITA comes to you.

Are You Now Ready to Fire PITA Clients and Attract Even More Clients

Great! But words don’t mean anything. Take action now and fire the PITA!

We know them 90 percent of the time before we even begin to work with them. Say NO. It’s OK to walk away.

When you walk away, you have time to attract exactly the kind of clients you want. Follow my advice and you will watch your sales soar!

America’s leading authority on referral selling, professional speaker, and author of No More Cold Calling™, Joanne Black helps sales teams get more referrals and attract more business fast without increasing costs.

Discover how to turn prospects into clients more than 50 percent of the time. Visit http://www.nomorecoldcalling.com.

When you’re in a hurry, online shopping may be quick and easy, but you need to be just as aware of what you’re doing as if you were shopping in a crowded mall.

Don’t make costly mistakes as you rush to get your shopping done. The Illinois CPA Society offers these words of caution to last minute online shoppers:

1. Know who you’re buying from. Is this a legitimate business with a real address and phone number? Make sure there is a customer service contact for any problems you may experience. If this is not a company you’re familiar with or have done business with before, find out if they are a valid business; ask friends and family if they’ve shopped at the site. At this time of year, be especially careful with one-time offers or spam emails offering incredible deals that may be generated by questionable sources.

2. Watch for the “lock” security symbol. Only do business with sites displaying this symbol indicating they are a secure site. Also look in the address box for the “s” in https:// or right click anywhere on the page and select “Properties” to see the real URL and the dialog box will show if the site isn’t encrypted. Giving card numbers and personal information over a non-secure site exposes your personal information to hackers and identity thieves. Don’t give out any more personal information than is necessary to complete the purchase by answering surveys, pop-up window questions or email messages claiming to need more financial information because of a problem with your order or account. Also read the company’s privacy policy to see if they share your information.

3. Double check what you’re buying. The picture looks pretty, but is that what you’ll get? Is it as large or as small as it seems? Again, take time to read the description. What kind of quality are you getting for your money and is it what you really want – the right color, material and size? Is the item new or reconditioned? Do some comparison shopping on other sites to make sure you’re getting the best price. 

4. Read the fine print. Find out important details about hidden costs. Don’t quickly click to the next step without knowing what you’ve agreed to pay. Are there any additional handling or shipping costs – particularly with a rush delivery – that can greatly increase the cost of the item? Can you return the item or get a refund or will you be stuck with an unwanted or damaged gift? What is the policy on closeouts – are they a final sale? Do you pay to ship an item back to the supplier? Is there any reimbursement if the item is not shipped on time or doesn’t meet your expectations? 

5. Keep records. Don’t lose track of your spending. It’s easy to move from site to site and just keep buying without realizing how much you’re spending. You don’t have the same kind of store receipts as reminders of what you’ve purchased. For each purchase, copy the screen with all the details of the transaction and either create a file on your computer for it or print the page to file with your other records. Also review all the information to be sure it’s correct before you pay for it. It’s also a good idea to keep records of all your holiday shopping receipts in one place; see if they match your holiday budget and use them to plan for next year.

When shopping online, it may be best to use a credit card for your purchases because under federal law the shopper can dispute charges if an item is not received. Shoppers also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on their credit card and many cards have “zero liability” policies for charges made if someone steals your credit card number and uses it. And of course, don’t forget to protect your computer. It should have a secure firewall and the most recent updates installed for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
About the Illinois CPA Society  The Illinois CPA Society, founded in 1903, is the fifth largest state CPA Society in the nation, with more than 24,000 members. It is the premier professional organization that represents CPAs in Illinois. During its over 100 years of existence, the Society has advanced the highest ethical and financial standards of the profession, and has been a leader in educating the public on financial issues.

ABOUT THIS VIDEO:

Judy Curry is co-founder, owner and vice president of marketing for Curry’s Auto Service, which operates five facilities in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. Spearheading an innovation program to attract more women patrons, Judy was instrumental in Curry’s becoming the first auto service facility in Virginia to receive the AskPatty “female friendly facility” certification. On August 6, 2009, Judy appeared on an interview show on Washington’s News Channel 8 to explain what being “Female Friendly” means. Anchor Natasha Barrett asked Judy, “What do women want?” Judy’s response: Women want more education – to learn more about their cars. They want to build a relationship in which they feel comfortable asking all the ‘silly’ questions about their cars. Judy sees the “Female Friendly” program signaling a change in the traditionally male-run auto industry toward recognition of the fact that women make 60% of the car maintenance decisions. 

For more information on Curry’s Auto Service, visit: http://www.currysauto.com

Be sure and read the following article by Sonce Reese and then you decide.

ARE CONSUMERS WINNING OR LOSING THE BATTLE FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE?

The battle is being lost by the consumer.  No longer are they treated like the signer of the paychecks.  They are treated as if they are the date from hell. You know the ones; high maintenance, demanding something for nothing and a general pain in the rear.

So what happened?  When did retailers, airlines and the like decide that it was not worth the time of day to earn the consumer’s money or business? The time is not really clear, but there has been a slow shift in power. Gone are the days of opening the door for you or holding your hand an option.

The consumer has become a cheap buy; in search of the best deal, the deepest discount or the hottest sale.  Merchants are busy (and tired of) working to pry the dollars out of the publics tightly fisted hand.

Take for instance United.  No longer will you speak to a live person when and if you have a complaint.  United is only accepting emails for them.  Now if you decide you’re going to speak to a live person anyway about your complaint, think again.  You’ll be  directed to email. 

US Airways has made the decision to stop offering free sodas, snacks and food on the plane.  The airline will still have food, but it’s going to cost you.  Not something you care about, it will be after you pony out the dough to check your luggage and pay for the little blanket pack. (Yes, that’s right, pay for the blanket.)

So if you’re not flying, then how are you affected by this lack of customer service. Well, what used to be the norm is now a luxury.  Great or even good customer service is not what companies are striving for. Companies went to great lengths to make sure the consumer was taken care of.  It’s no longer the case and if you’re hoping to receive great service now, you’re living in the stone age or in a cave.  In fact, you’re lucky to see someone smiling at you when you walk into their establishment.  Now it’s can I help you, get what you want and get out.

Is it right?  Is it fair?  It is what it is.  The consumer is walking into a mine field.  The person behind the counter is barely making ends meet, so are they happy to serve you? Not when they’re worried about how they are going to take care of themselves. It’s difficult to care for the customer when you know the employer doesn’t care about you. Employers are cracking the whip, demanding more from their employees and paying that same employee less (or the same amount for and the employee is now performing a two person job duty).  So do they care when you walk in.  Hell no.

How the consumer is treated is an indication as to how the employee of the company is being treated.  It’s a trickle down effect. Are consumers winning?  No, it’s a daily battle that’s being lost everyday by consumers.

About the Author: Sonce Reese officially started writing in March 2008 and unofficially for as long as she can remember. According to her, “Writing is  outlet and a part of my mission – to be a blessing. I’m eclectic, adventurous and my dream is to live by the ocean, in South Carolina, as a full time writer.” 

This article first appeared in the Summer Issue of WE Magazine for Women. To read  other articles from that issue grab a copy of the Summer Issue of WE Magazine for Women in PDF Download http://wemagazineforwomen.com/WEMagazineSpringSummer09.pdf  or in turning page at http://www.rsszine.com/samples/SpringSummer2009/ (nothing to download)

What Not-So-Recognizable Actor at a movie premier or member of a celebrity’s entourage hasn’t heard those dreaded words: “Are you anybody?” These are the people who become invisible next to the intriguing, glamorous, and charismatic celebrity whom everyone wants to meet, touch, and befriend.

Ethan, an assistant to a very famous, Academy Award-winning movie star (who asked to remain anonymous) told me about the experiences he has had with some of the personnel in the shops on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, California. On a typical day, working for his celebrity boss, Ethan is dressed in his blue jeans with a baseball cap and generally looking very casual. “I walk into the store and they won’t even give me the time of day. Then, they find out who I work for and they can’t do enough for me. They’re offering me coffee, a comfortable chair, bringing out samples, and basically fawning all over me.”

Unfortunately, this behavior, which I call the “Are You Anybody?” syndrome, happens in the real world too.

Recently, I asked my office manager, Rachel Street, to call a number of public relations companies to gather information for me. Based upon the information she received, I intended to ask two or three of them to send proposals to handle publicity for this book. One of the owners of the firms that Rachel called refused to speak to her. The owner’s assistant kept going back and forth to her boss, relaying Rachel’s questions and coming back with the reply “She’d be happy to speak to Donna about that.” Needless to say, she’ll never have a chance to speak to me. We crossed her off the list of potentials.

The best service professionals work to delight the person in front of them. Joe Wood, a technician for Hub Plumbing in Boston, MA, told me, “My policy is to treat every potential customer with the same respect, using the same procedure, regardless of who I might perceive them to be. Some of my best customers have been brushed off by other plumbers because of the neighborhood they live in or the condition of their home. You can’t always judge a book by its cover.”

It’s about respect. It’s about being authentic with your customer service. It’s about genuinely liking people and wanting to serve them. What level of respect would you give Tom Hanks or Catherine Zeta Jones if they walked into your place of business right now? I’m not talking about perks or special treatment – just respect. Everyone you serve within the context of your business deserves to receive that same kind of respect. As Marilyn Monroe once said, “Everyone’s a star, and we all deserve to twinkle.”

©2008, Wiley.

Donna Cutting is the author of The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red-Carpet Customer Service and a full-time keynote speaker on the topics of customer experience and employee engagement.

Yesterday, Donna’s book was spotlighted at these blogs:
Betty Lynch / My Country Kitchen will showcase a book excerpt from Donna’s book.
Phil Gerbyshak / Make It Great who will run his own interview with Donna.
Becky Wyatt / Becky Wyatt Online where she will showcase Donna Cutting’s book.

Today, you can also visit these blogs to read more about Donna’s book:
Wendy Piersall / CEO of Sparkplugging
Carol Deckert will be interviewing Donna LIVE at 7pm on her Ladies In Business Today

And the blog tour continues tomorrow at these blogs:
Sandra De Freitas / Tech Coach for Coaches
Dawn Goldberg / Write Well Me
Pam Archer / I Do Weddings

You can purchase your own copy at Amazon

 ”I know how to do that.”  You commented.

 The goal is to sell irresistible products and services, and profit.

 Allow a trial period for your wares.  Customers pay a percentage of the total cost, to get a product or service home.  Give them, for example, thirty days to return it.

 The cost is one-hundred dollars, but forty dollars will bring the item home.  Also, include shipping and handling fees in the initial payment.

 Once a person wears it, tests,  and/or flaunts the new addition, how likely will he or she return it?  Of course, bill the customer the remaining balance.

 Products and services are made appealing though ad copy.

There are a few seconds to grab the attention of consumers, and that is the purpose of a  head-line.  It is three to five words.

The body explains how the product or service will benefit clients.   Will it enhance happiness?  Perhaps, it will help with problem solving. Life can be improved how?  Help with business matters?

Is there an emotion the product or service generates?  Spell it out for customers.

Tell a personal short story to keep people reading.  They can relate, understand, compare their  situation to it, and purchase from  you.

Answer questions in the ad copy, which inspires confidence. 

Consumers see, feel, you on the  same level as them.  It gives a  sense of familiarity.  People tend  to buy from those they are  comfortable with. 

Encourage the customer to act now.

Follow the above steps to successfully sell products and services.

Please, feel free to ask  questions, or comment. 

You can read these and other tips check out the  Summer Issue of WE Magazine for Women