employees are the make or break element of your business. Simply put, an employee can be the reason your customers come back, or stay away. Yet do your employees understand that basic concept? Have you made it clear to each employee that your business is their business?

    Do you, or they, understand that marketing your business is also a part of their job?

    Marketing means bring the customer in, bring the customer back. No one is more on the front-lines of this basic marketing concept than the employee. Not even the marketing department that creates and executes your marketing plan.

    Never should your answer be, "that's your problem, not ours"

    When you own a business, the people who represent that business are the people your customers are going to interact with, and respond to.

    In one quick motion, this bookstore lost our business because of one bad employee.

    Had that customer service representative said, "we are sorry that you've had a bad experience, I will let my supervisors know, and we'll get this fixed, please continue to trust us," we might have continued to use them.

    Yes, due to the situation, we continue to use their wi-fi service, but we now bring our own food and drinks, and all future books will be bought online.

    So, whose problem was it?

    Be the customer's answer

    Each and every member of your staff needs to understand that how they interact with the customer is the differnce between that customer coming back or not - and their having a job in the future or not.

    Whether or not we're in a bad economy, people have a choice, and while you may have more customers coming in, why give up the ones you've already earned?

    Your employees, be they housekeeping or front desk, bartender, mail room or custodian, all play a vital role in the health of the business. Each and everyone must understand and be held accountable for their role in marketing.

    Marketing is the message of "we're glad you are here. Please come again." And, mean it.

    Get the job done and get return business

    It's that simple. When a guest asks for something, and no matter why they ask gets the problem solved and job done, you earn the guests' respect and gratitude, and return business.

    Each and every employee must take ownership in the guests you have, and bringing them back.

    The best way to do that is to give the customer what they want. Be the answer. Never turn away a request. Even if it's not something your business can do, there has to be an answer given.

    And, never should the answer to a customer be, "that's your problem."


    雇員是生意場上舉足輕重的關鍵因素，淺顯地說，雇員可以導致客戶的回歸或者流失。但你的雇員是否知道這個簡單的道理呢？你有沒有清楚明了地告訴雇員公司的業務就是他們分內的職責？ 你或你的雇員是否明白營銷你的公司同樣是工作的一部分呢？所謂營銷，就是要引進新客戶，尋回老客戶。沒有人比雇員們更靠近基本營銷理念的最前線了，甚至創造和執行營銷方案的市場營銷部門都要甘拜下風。 

    不管別人問什么，你絕不能回答說："這是你們的問題，不關我們的事。" 當你擁有一家公司，那些真正代表公司的則是與客戶聯系溝通的雇員。轉眼之間，一個書店就因為一個差勁的雇員，放棄了和你公司的合作。此時客服代表會挺身而出說，"我們很抱歉讓您有這樣不愉快的經歷，我會通知我的上級主管并且解決問題，請繼續相信我們。" 好吧，或許我們能夠繼續使用這個書店，但在這種情況下，即便我們可以使用wi-fi無線上網，卻得自帶食物飲料，而所有到書只能在網上訂購。 

    此時，這一切又成了誰到問題？ 回答客戶們的問題。 你的每一個雇員都必須明白，他們與客戶如何互動是客戶是否回頭的決定因素，也是他們會不會丟掉工作的指示燈。 

    不管經濟是不是萎靡不振，人人都有選擇各種服務余地，而當你有新客戶加入時，為什么要放棄那些你已經贏得的客戶呢？ 你的雇員們，不管是清潔員、前臺客服、酒保、收發員還是守衛，都在公司的健康運作中扮演重要的角色。每一個人都需要理解這一點，并且在營銷中成為一個可靠的角色。 向顧客傳播這樣的信息："我們很高興您的光臨，歡迎您再次光臨。" 并且真心實意。 

    扎實完成工作，并且贏得回頭客。這很簡單。當客人詢問某事，不管他們發問到原因何在，解決問題完成分內到工作，你就贏得到顧客的尊敬和感激，他們必然會再次合作。 每一個雇員都應當擁有特定的客戶群，并且負責把他們變成回頭客。其最好的方法就是提供客戶所需，解答疑問，從不避開顧客的請求。即使并不是你力所能及，也要給顧客一個合理的解答。

    而且，永遠不要和客戶說："這是你的問題。"