Marketing Aquaculture Products — 1

committed; remember that client’s value attention,
use this to develop an active handson
approach to customer service. Be certain
that your passion for customer service runs
rampant, establish support systems so that the
customer can always reach an understanding
person with knowledge of your operation,
share information on customer service across
your organization. Finally, develop a system
to measure customer service, and then reward
employees who consistently practice it.
When interacting with customers, keep in
mind that customers like to hear certain reassuring
phrases. Make sure that you employees
are familiar with three of them and use them
to genuinely address the client; and absolutely
make it a point that they never use the fourth!
“How can I help?” Clients want the opportunity
to explain in detail what they want, need, or
have a problem understanding. Too oft en business
owners simply guess at the customer need
or the client’s mindset. It is far more eff ective to
listen and ask follow-up questions. Th is is how
you learn things that can be invaluable to giving
you an edge over your competition. Also, by
entering into a dialog initiated by the customer,
you are listening and not selling. By listening
and creating a positive dialog, one can oft en
turn a complaint call into a future sale.
“I can solve that problem.” Many clients have
other options, if you remain unfl ustered and
off er to help them through their problem you
demonstrate your commitment to work with
them. If you become confrontational, the end
result can easily be a lost client.
“I do not know, but I’ll fi nd out.” Th is is the
secret of almost every successful communicator
within any business structure. Th ere is nothing
more frustrating than going to a company
and not getting a straight answer to a question.
However, we all acknowledge that not everyone
has every answer on any given day. When a
customer service person, sales staff or owner
of a business says, “I do not know, but I’ll fi nd
out,” then follows up with immediate action
that includes a follow-up call back to the client;
it demonstrates professionalism and attention
to client need. Always, be sure that you state
a positive action that will be undertaken and
state a time-frame for resolving the issue, “I
have to see Mr. Smith about that, and he is away
from the offi ce until next Monday, but I’ll call
and leave him a message then immediately get
back to you. It should only be a day or so, if
for whatever reason you do not hear from me,
please call again. One way or another, we’ll get
this sorted out ASAP.” Th at is what clients want
to hear!
“No problem. Not a problem.” Perhaps the
most overused phrase in the American language
and one of the worst possible things to
say when dealing with customers. Never in
any circumstance use it during business meetings.
In studies of consumer focus groups by
professional consultants, it came out that, “Not
a problem” is a two-edged sword that most
people consciously dismiss, but subconsciously
triggers subtle distrust and resentment.
Why? It is simple. For example, if you ask for
water in a restaurant and the server says “Not
a problem,” part of the subconscious processes
the response as “Of course it’s not a problem
you lazy jerk, you work here and your job is to
serve me.” Not a problem, insinuates that you
asking for water is a problem. Humans don’t
like to create problems for other people and
when someone, particularly a stranger, even
remotely suggests that we have inadvertently
done so through an innocuous request, resentment
may develop.
Th e server may be unaware, of the implications
of the saying but oft entimes, one can sense a
hint of sarcasm in the phrase. It is better if it
is never uttered. Wouldn’t it be much better
if you asked for water in the restaurant and
Marketing Aquaculture Products — 37