Michael Crooks

New Year's Resolutions For Business



Posted: Tuesday, December 25, 2007

by
Crooks Advertising Alliance

About this time of year you may be thinking about some sort of personal new year's resolution.
If you are a business-owner or a manager, you may want to consider a few business new year's resolutions.
 
#1) Resolve to train your cashiers to actually say "Thank You" when I plunk down my hard-earned cash and help keep you in business. Most cashiers act like they are doing me a huge favor by taking my money. Fact is, I can find lots of people who will take my money. But I tend to spend the most of it where my purchases are appreciated. And "Have A Good One", "There Ya Go" and "Take 'er Easy" are not "Thank You".
 
#2) Resolve to leave a few parking spaces nearest the store entrance for customers. As dumb as it sounds, there are retail businesses where the staff and employees take up most of the parking spots nearest the door. Think in terms of making it easier for customers to  shop your business, let the customers park near the door.
 
#3) Resolve to not let those who phone in, cut in front of me. You wouldn't serve the person behind me first in person. That's just wrong. So why is it ok to make me stand there while you talk to some schmoe on the phone. HELLO! I'm standing right in front of you with my money! I should be your number one concern, after all, I made a much bigger effort to keep you in business than the guy who's calling.
 
#4) Resolve to stop plunking my change and the reciept in my hand at the same time. I'm just supposed to believe that you are handing me what you say you are? No way. I'm going to trust a person who has to look at the readout on the cash register no less than 4 times after they take my money because they can't remember $4.32 for :15 seconds?
 
Resolve to teach your people how to count back change properly. 
 
In 2008, resolve  to treat your customers and clients as though you appreciate their business. They'll come back and they'll tell others. And that in itself could be the resolution to a whole lot of business and marketing problems.  
Michael Merrick Crooks, is founder of Crooks Advertising Alliance a creative strike-force specializing in creative problem-solving. An internationally recognized author and speaker, Crooks writes a monthly marketing column for Brilliant Results magazine and authored the ebook, "ReThinking Trade Show Giveaways." Read Chapter 1 for free at http://www.PromoReThink.com.

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