cathysblog

You Can't Fix Stupid

2010-05-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

I have learned through the years that you can't fix stupid and you can't fix poor service. It seems like good service is a thing of the past. So when I do happen to stumble across a place that provides exceptional customer service, I am shocked and very pleased.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I decided to have a meal together after work at a chain restaurant. They were completely packed at 5:30 in the afternoon on a Thursday. When we asked how long the wait would be, they said around 20-25 minutes. Another surprise, but I was really expecting a 45 minute wait minimum and didn't really believe them at that time.

Sure enough, our name was called within 20 minutes and we were immediately shown to our table by a very nice young lady.

Very soon after we sat down, our waitress appeared to find out what we'd like to drink and if we'd like an appetizer. After she promptly brought back our drinks, she pleasantly took our order.

My husband and I didn't have to wait long, once again, for our salads, main courses or drink refills. Not to mention that the food was excellent.

When we were finished and ready to leave, several employees greeted us with well wishings. We felt very welcome and appreciated at this restaurant and we will definitely be back again. We have found our favorite date night restaurant.

In the advertising business, sometimes I get blamed when the marketing I recommend and implement for a client doesn't solve all the businesses' problems. I guess it's just easier to blame someone else than to take a good hard look in the mirror and find out what is really going on.

Unfortunately, you never have a second chance to make a first impression. Once a customer has a bad experience, they won't come back and will tell others their negative story.

I have wondered several times over the past couple of weeks if all locations of this restaurant chain are as exemplary as this location. I would be curious to see their business model and how they go about training their employees. One thing is for sure...if we all put more emphasis on superior customer service and training programs, our businesses would flourish!

Cathy Whitten

Rockin W Productions

http://www.rockinwproductions.com/

806-778-7911

Would You Walk A Mile In These Boots...

2009-04-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

I'm a BIG music buff and love not only listening to music, but the words mean a lot to me. One of my favorites written by Joe South in 1970 goes like this: "Walk a mile in my shoes, before you abuse, criticize and accuse. Walk a mile in my shoes. Well, your whole world you see around you is just a reflection, and the law of common says you're gonna reap just what you sow." This song was written before I was even born, but it stills holds true today.

Thinking about this song reminds me of a young cowboy, an inspiring story, and a story worth sharing. I wonder if we would walk a mile in this cowboy's shoes.

Recently, an 18 year old cowboy I know very well came home from a rodeo with cash earnings in his pocket from winning first place in his event. Mind you, he had been having a dry spell and his bank account was a little short on funds. Well, when he got home, he was in his room counting his cash from his winnings and realized they paid him $100 too much. He told his dad about the extra one hundred dollar bill he counted. His dad thought maybe first place paid more than he thought it did. The cowboy insisted that he knew what it was supposed to pay and was overpaid. He immediately got on his phone and called the person that put the rodeo on. Needless to say, the man on the other end of the phone was very surprised that someone would call about being OVERPAID. After all, there are many cowboys that win and get paid in cash, so no one would have ever known about the extra cash.

The man who put the rodeo on told this young cowboy how much he appreciated his honesty and that one in one hundred would have made that phone call. The man told the cowboy that he wanted him to keep the extra one hundred dollars and thanked him again for the character he had shown.

Not only does this story hold significance for me because it's a great story, but it also means a lot to me because the young cowboy in this story is my son. I am proud of him for winning that rodeo, but I am most proud of him for being a shining example of integrity and honesty.

If an 18 year old cowboy can show this kind of character, we could all put on his boots and learn a thing or two.

The Cowboy Creed

2009-03-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Ever since my kids were little, I have had The Cowboy Creed posted on our refrigerator door. It reads: "If it ain't right, don't do it. If it ain't true, don't say it. If it ain't yours, don't take it." I came to know this old saying from a very dear friend of mine who is a very talented bronze sculptress named Buster Jones. I recently attended a Get Motivated Seminar featuring well-known speaker and author, Zig Ziglar. One of the many bits of wisdom he encourages is that if you don't lie, you don't have to remember what you said.

I think The Cowboy Creed is a great road map for personal success as well as business success. I have seen many, many businesses in my career fail because they didn't enforce integrity in their business dealings. Practice The Cowboy Creed in your business and watch your profits soar!

Cathy Whitten

Rockin W Productions

http://www.rockinwproductions.com/

806-778-7911

Who links to my website?

Don't Drop The Ball

2009-03-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

In business, sometimes it's hard enough catching the ball. Whatever you do...once you catch it, don't drop it! In other words, TAKE CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS once you get them.

Your best prospects for doing more business are your current customers. For example, they may need your product or service again in the future. Or maybe they will send you some referrals.

However, if you don't offer quality service, quality products, and helpful, professional service, why would they continue doing business with you or tell their friends and family to do business with you?

There are way too many businesses that do not pay enough attention to customer service and customer appreciation. Make sure you're not in that category.

Happy selling and service creates happy customers!

Rockin W Productions

Cathy Whitten

806-778-7911

www.rockinwproductions.com

Customers Will Choose...Will It Be You?

2008-11-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

Customers will decide if they want to buy from you or someone else. This is something important to always keep in mind. One of the most important measures of your business success is your level of customer satisfaction.

If your focus is customer satisfaction, you will get much better results from the advertising you do. Your customers will keep coming back to you. Your customers will also tell their friends and family that they need to do business with you. There is nothing better than positive word-of-mouth advertising.

However, if you have poor customer satisfaction, no amount of advertising will fix the problem. I recently purchased a big ticket item from a local company. This company is local, but also has locations across the country. The customer service aspect of my experience was one of the worst I have ever had. Therefore, I would not recommend them to any one else nor will I do business with them again.

To summarize, advertising is very important to your business, but customer service is KEY!

If you need help with any aspect of your business advertising needs, give me a call today.

Cathy Whitten

Rockin W Productions

806-778-7911

http://www.rockinwproductions.com/

cathy@rockinwproductions.com

Good Intentions Are Great

2008-10-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Do you have a lot of good intentions? Good intentions are great with follow-through. But without the follow-through, they are really useless.

If you have a whole list of good intentions that are still not checked off of your To Do List, now is the time to implement the follow-through. One way to do this is to get organized. Write a daily list of 10 things you want to accomplish that day, starting with the most important to least important. Even if you just get the #1 thing done, you are beginning a path to following through on your good intentions.

Start today fulfilling those good intentions. Call people back. Keep your promises. Get things done that you have been putting off. Let me know if I can help.

Launch your business to new heights with CREATIVE ADVERTISING from Rockin W Productions. Don't put it off any longer.

Have a great week!

Cathy Whitten

www.rockinwproductions.com

Why Calendars? I'll Tell You Exactly Why...

2008-09-21T17:05:00.001-07:00

Here are some statistics that may surprise you:

The average person looks at a calendar 12 times per day, 84 times per week and that totals 4,380 times in the course of a year!

94% of these people can recall the advertising message on the calendar and 83% of these people will do business with the business that provided the calendar.

Calendars outperform other popular advertising mediums because of affordability, flexibility, value and recall.

Order your 2009 calendars today from Rockin W Productions. Choose the one that's right for your business.

Cathy Whitten
Rockin W Productions
Creative Advertising
(806) 778-7911
www.rockinwproductions.com

Personalized Thank You Cards Create Customer Loyalty

2008-08-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

In this age of text messaging, instant messaging, cell phones, voicemail, and email, the personal touch is even more important. If you appreciate your customers, you should let them know. Since most businesses don't do this, it will really stand out.

Order your Christmas cards now for the upcoming Holiday Season. You can see all the cards we have to offer on the promotional products page at www.rockinwproductions.com.

We also have customer-appreciation gifts you can personalize with your logo and employee recognition awards and gifts.

As the end of the year draws nearer, now is the time to show appreciation to those customers and team players who have helped you have a profitable year.

Cathy Whitten
806-778-7911

The Power Of Testimonials...

2008-08-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

Incorporating a Message-On-Hold Campaign is a very effective way to increase your sales and customer service. But have you ever thought about a TESTIMONIAL Message-On-Hold? You ask, what is that?

Here's how it works: Get 3 or 4 of your happiest customers to tell why they do business with you. Then, incorporate what they say into your Message-On-Hold Campaign so that when prospective callers and customers are placed on hold, they hear all the great reasons to do business with you.

Rockin W Productions produces these types of messages which produce results for businesses just like you. Hear a sample at www.rockinwproductions.com/moh.html.

Have a great week!

Cathy Whitten
Rockin W Productions
806-778-7911
cathy@rockinwproductions.com

Business Card tips

2008-08-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

My business cards are double-sided, 16 pt. thick with UV protection. They are colorful, have my logo, motto, and what my business is all about. My letterhead and envelopes match my business cards.

I think this is very important. The first impression of your business is usually you and your business card. Ask yourself this question: Is my business card impressive?

If someone reads your card, will they know what your company does?

Too many times I am handed a card that is cheap, boring, and doesn't tell me anything about the business.

Give me a call and I will design business cards for your business that stand out, get noticed and get results!

And you won't believe the price. Call or email 806-778-7911. cathy@rockinwproductions.com. Website: http://www.rockinwproductions.com/.

QUESTION: When you advertise...what is the one thing you ALWAYS include...

2008-08-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

ANSWER: Your phone number!

Too often, we as business owners invest much more of our advertising dollars into getting our phone ringing than handling the calls once we get them.

You've invested too much time, money, and effort getting your customers calling to lose them before you have the opportunity to SELL them.

Here's a great idea that will increase your profits:

Implement a customized message-on-hold campaign for the callers that you must place on hold. That way, while they're waiting for one of your friendly employees to get back on the line, they will hear all about your business. You can even offer testimonials from other satisfied customers.

Make the decision to increase your profits this year and give me a call. I will produce a quality, customized, effective, message on hold campaign for your business and get you the all-digital player should you need it as well. Check out a sample at www.rockinwproductions.com/moh.html or give me a call at 806-778-7911.

I'm here to help you grow your profits!

Cathy Whitten
cathy@rockinwproductions.com

Why a Message On Hold Campaign?

2008-07-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

Most businesses utilize one of three methods to handle their incoming calls when customers are placed on hold.

1) Nothing but silence
2) A staticky radio station
3) A generic, boring message that doesn't say anything interesting or unique about their business

Why not take advantage of this perfect opportunity to let your customers know all about your business. From your location, hours of operation, awards you've won, all your products and services, website, and why they should do business with you.

Unfortunately, we all sometimes must place a caller on hold. So when you do, make sure you have a quality, customized message on hold campaign in place. It will make all the difference!

Contact me today at cathy@rockinwproductions.com or visit my website to find out more at www.rockinwproductions.com.