There is no question that almost every segment of industry is feeling the pressure of the economy. When there is less revenue, there is only one way to ride out a recession and that is to cut costs.

A book, that was written quite some time ago by the then CEO of Scandinavian Airlines, focused on customer service and building loyalty. Basically the author's premise was that most customers or clients have small initial interactions with a Company, and if those interactions went well, the customer was left with a good impression, which then carried over to repeat business. In contrast, if the customer’s first contacts were poor (i.e. the way the phone was answered, the way they were greeted when they arrived, etc.) then a bad impression was left and this would be almost impossible to erase from the customer’s memory.

I am a firm believer that business and life in general is about building relationships. This is the long term key to success. Smiling, being gracious and courteous, caring – none of these things cost money.

So, if you are going to cut expenses in a recession, do so in the ways that are behind the scenes and help ensure that the fundamental customer experience is still positive.

Posted by jenniferd at 4:31 PM | Link | 0 comments