The Chronicle’s Business blog

A client’s experience is critical for every successful business, says local business owner Emily Wright. It should never be ignored.

Think like the people who run Disney World or a 5-star restaurant. How can you make what you provide reach such high standards of customer enchantment as Mickey and his friends at Disney do?

Train your employees to ask for referrals. Everyone in your company who interacts with clients should be taught to ask for referrals.

This should NOT be a pushy, high-pressure kind of interaction. Train them to listen to your clients and ask questions about where they find value in your services.

For example, you have a service rep who goes to a client’s home to repair a problem. Once they finish and the client pays and signs off on the work, they usually say “thank you” and leave, right? You and they are leaving money on the table.

During that interaction, train your service rep to ask, “Is there anything we could have done today to give you better service?”

Whoa! That’s a dangerous question. But it’s necessary.

Here’s the key: EMPOWER that service rep to DO whatever it is the client says they would like done, within reason.

Emily explains these steps and more in a new book “Maverick Entrepreneurs’ Million Dollar Strategies.” Autographed copies are available for $20 by calling Katie and Jewel at 803-359-7633.

Copyright 2019, The Bellune Co., Inc.