Products & ideas for the laboratory professional.
Issue link: https://opticallabproducts.epubxp.com/i/472711
march 2015 3 ROLLINS ON MARKETING OPINIONS bonds of friendship. 2. Arrange for customer service staff to occasionally accompany sales reps on calls to strategic accounts. If possible, have the customer service rep do part of the presentation to demonstrate their knowledge of the eyecare feld and thereby enhance their reputation with the account. 3. Most importantly, train your customer service reps thoroughly and constantly. Utilize your ven- dors' resources: many are willing to bring lunch into the lab during training to enhance the value they provide. Have members of the sales staff give training to the customer service staff in areas in which they excel. Better yet, assign members of the customer service team to do training for the rest of the customer service staff. They will learn the materi- als better if they know they have to train others. Training can be a large invest- ment in time and money, but is worthwhile. In the words of a legendary motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, "The only thing worse than training employees and having them leave the company, is not training them and having them stay." Warm and Fuzzy with Customers BY ERIC ROLLINS I WAS listening to one of the pre-eminent speakers in the eyecare industry a while back who men- tioned the importance of customer service in keeping a happy and engaged customer base. Shortly afterwards, I heard another well- known business expert—someone not associated with eyecare—who also focused on the signifcance of customer service in building a successful business. Both of these experts felt that the most notewor- thy part of the "price, quality, and service" continuum was service. In the optical laboratory busi- ness, we are fortunate to have some of the best customer service agents in the world. Not only do labs' customer service departments have to keep their customers happy with a world-class response to issues, they also need to be trained in all of the various lens designs, materials, coatings, and in troubleshooting patients' issues. Customer service staff also need to be "warm and fuzzy" with the lab's customers, as they typically spend more time on the phone with them than the lab's sales representative. The better the relationship between customer service and customers, the stronger the business bond. How can a lab maximize the strengths of its customer service staff? Here are a few ideas: 1. Have customer service staff go to seminars and trade shows with a high attendance of ECPs. It is a great opportunity to share face- to-face time and strengthen the Eric Rollins is a veteran of the optical retail, frame, and lab industries. His frm, Rollins Consulting, LLC, consults with three O's to improve proftability. You can email him at: ericrollins@comcast.net.