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Richard Jenner is a graphic designer working from his home studio in Melbourne - he loves clever typography and well executed design in all forms. Read more

Richard Jenner, The Type Shed
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Mark Rubiolo, Bubbling With Energy Entertainment
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Marketing | Customer service

Exceptional customer service is something every business should strive towards, although good customer service skills don’t come naturally to everyone.

In this section we provide you with plenty of customer service advice to help you develop exceptional customer service skills. From how to handle customer complaints and having the right attitude to going the extra mile to provide exceptional customer service, these tips should ensure your clients keep coming back for more.


Five tips for managing client expectations

08 Mar 13 | Mary Gardam

The key to meeting client expectations is to manage them well in the first place. Make sure your clients know what to expect by focusing on these five areas. Read more

Comments: 2

Podcast: Precision marketing and customer service tips

17 Feb 13 | Tim Reid

In this podcast Richard Everson, who owns and runs a guesthouse in rural Australia, talks about the concept of precision marketing and how to over-deliver with your customer service. Read more

Comments: 0

Make the most of customer complaints

08 Feb 13 | Mary Gardam

Complaints are an inevitable part of running a business. After all, it’s impossible to please everyone all of the time. Instead of looking at complaints negatively, see them as a great opportunity to improve your business. Read more

Comments: 2

Why your gripes are good for business

16 Oct 12 | Sam Leader

What irritates you as a customer? Can you be sure that it isn’t happening in your own backyard office? Read more

Comments: 11

How to turn negatives to positives in your marketing copy

12 Oct 12 | Lucinda Lions

As a soloist, sometimes it’s impossible to get to the phone straight away or drop everything for a client meeting. But what could be seen as a negative can be turned into a positive – simply by tweaking your marketing copy. Read more

Comments: 4

Customer touch points can make or break your brand

25 Nov 11 | Danielle MacInnis

The way customers experience their journey with you, especially in service-based industries, can help or hinder brand loyalty and devotion. Here’s how one business stuffed it up by not considering their customer touch points. Read more

Comments: 0

Avoiding business burnout

17 Sep 11 | Jo Macdermott

I’m hearing more of my fellow soloists talk about business burnout lately. From what I can tell, it typically starts when we take on too much. Read more

Comments: 4

Customer expectations: You promised, now deliver...

16 Sep 11 | David Moore

I am somewhat tenacious when it comes to getting what I’ve paid for. I even once managed to get a brand new car replaced after I was sold a lemon. It comes down to customer expectations. Read more

Comments: 24

Customer service: What are you promising but not delivering?

20 Jul 11 | David Moore

What customer service messages are you sending your clients? Are you sure they’re receiving the ones you intend? Read more

Comments: 9

Shifting the vibe

26 Nov 10 | Zoe Routh

A while back I went against my intuition and bought something from a telemarketer. Read more

Comments: 6

Four ways to increase customer satisfaction

05 Nov 10 | Deb Pilgrim

Lots of businesses put energy into customer service, when they should be focusing on customer satisfaction. So what’s the difference? Read more

Comments: 6

Podcast: Creating a Customer Experience

30 Oct 10 | Tim Reid

Tim Reid and Luke Moulton talk to Callum from Espresso Elements about how he’s created a point of difference in his cafe by designing a customer experience. Read more

Comments: 1

Customer service tips learned at the hairdresser

06 Aug 10 | Maria Pantalone

During a recent trip to the hairdresser, I got into conversation with the other customers – and the customer service tips I learned will have a lasting impact on my business. Read more

Comments: 8

Poor customer service: Being treated like a criminal

09 Nov 09 | Sam Leader

Hands up who likes getting told off? I’ve had a number of interactions with businesses that have made me feel like a naughty child, and this is very poor customer service. Read more

Comments: 38

Bad business ethics or just business?

25 May 09 | Sam Leader

Regular readers will know I’m something of a customer service freak. My most recent experience has got me thinking about business ethics. Read more

Comments: 82

Service culture: Encouraging customer loyalty

19 May 09 | Jack Fraenkel

Loyal customers return more often, resulting in more sales and lower acquisition costs. Yet many businesses do nothing to encourage loyalty. Here are some simple steps to improve things. Read more

Comments: 4

The importance of customer loyalty

02 Apr 09 | Jack Fraenkel

Loyalty leaders are successful because they have designed their entire business systems around customer loyalty. Building a highly loyal customer base must be integral to your basic business strategy. Read more

Comments: 8

Examples of bad customer service

01 Dec 08 | Sam Leader

In the course of planning a tree change, I’ve been reminded of some classic no-no’s in the area of customer service. I can’t believe bad customer service still goes on. See what you think. Read more

Comments: 54

Why word of mouth advertising matters

08 Sep 08 | Sam Leader

It’s easy to think of word-of-mouth advertising as being feel-good marketing, but thanks to my contrasting experiences at two international airports, I can report that feel-bad also has its place. Read more

Comments: 27

Client feedback: Do you shy away from it?

24 Apr 08 | Linda Anderson

If you did a bad job for a client, would you be happy for them to let you know where you went wrong? Do you seek client feedback or would you prefer not to know? Read more

Comments: 12

The importance of communicating with clients

31 Mar 08 | Peter Crocker

There’s a simple email you can send to your clients or customers that they are guaranteed to love. If you want to be perceived as switched on, reliable and trustworthy, then read on to find out more about the importance of communicating with clients. Read more

Comments: 22

Managing customer expectations

28 Jan 08 | Sam Leader

Good customer service is about managing customer expectations. My recent experience with a multinational cosmetics firm provides a textbook lesson on how not to treat your customers. Read more

Comments: 17

How to handle customer complaints

20 Nov 07 | Tim Reid

How often are you pleasantly surprised by great customer service? If you’re like me, then sadly not very often. But recently, I had a good customer service experience that demonstrates the best way to handle customer complaints. Read more

Comments: 9

Good customer service tips that work

07 May 07 | Sam Leader

It's a marketing no brainer, but I was recently reminded of the remarkable effectiveness of good customer service. Read more

Comments: 15

Exceptional customer service: Having the right attitude

09 Nov 06 | Zern Liew

Every business should care about providing exceptional customer service. But what does that “service” really mean? Read more

Comments: 5

Effective customer service: Keeping your client informed

19 Oct 06 | Megan Hills

Keeping your client informed, particularly when things aren’t going so well, can save your relationship and boost your business. The secret to effective customer service is how you contact your client - and how often. Read more

Comments: 6

Customer service example: a tip on how NOT to do it

22 Jan 06 | Karen Morath

Soloists who dazzle their customers from the outset are likely to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. In this customer service example I ended up on the receiving end of an IT service provider having 'one of those days.' Read more

Comments: 11

Exceptional customer service

01 Nov 05 | John Raymond

Even if your customer service is good, there will be times when you ought to push the boat out and provide exceptional customer service. Read more

Comments: 0

Good customer service skills: Is your business a leaky bucket?

21 Aug 05 | Thomas Murrell

Are you busy welcoming new clients through the front door, only to have existing ones go out the back? Good customer service skills can overcome this problem. Read more

Comments: 2














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