Customer service expert Bill Drury will present a workshop on customer service on Thursday, October 9, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.
The workshop is titled “A Passion for Service” and will discuss how to win customers and reduce lost sales. It’s scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon Thursday at the Chamber.
From 1985 until 1990, Drury was the national training consultant for the Zig Ziglar Corporation. He speaks, trains, and travels extensively, and has proven to be one of the most effective and entertaining speakers in the industry, a Chamber of Commerce press release said.
Drury said customer service consistently gets poor marks from shoppers at major retailers and restaurants according to a study released by WSL Strategic Retail, a consulting firm. Only 66 percent of retail customers were satisfied with their shopping experience.
Among the top complaints are rude staffs, dirty stores, long checkout lines, and employees who aren’t familiar with merchandise.
Few of the major retailers are finding success in these areas, the study said. In other words, customer service is “falling by the wayside,” the release said.
Here are some facts Drury shared on customer service:
- 68 percent of customers who stop doing business with a company do so because of perceived indifference.
- Customers who encounter poor service tell an average of 11 other people about their bad experience.
- Courting new business can cost up to five times more than strengthening relationships with current clients.
The press release said “A Passion for Service” is an action-packed half-day workshop with proven strategies and techniques to help your business:
- get ready for turbulent change
- stay motivated
- build and maintain a positive attitude
- communicate respect to every customer
- remember and use customer names
- personalize their service
- listen effectively
- know who really signs their paycheck
- make a great first impression
- turn irate customers into the best customers
- overcome stress and burnout, and
- take pride in your job
The cost for Chamber members is $119 per person ($109 each if five or more from the organization attend). The cost for non-members is $199.
To register, visit the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.oakridgechamber.org. For more information, contact Lauren Fritts at fritts@orcc.org or (865) 483-1321. Seating is limited.
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