The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

When Julia introduces herself to the Society members, she writes:

Since you should know something about me, I have asked the Reverend Simon Simpless, of St. Hilda’s Church near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, to write to you. He has known me since I was a child and is fond of me.

I have asked Lady Bella Taunton to provide a reference for me too. We were fire wardens together during the Blitz and she wholeheartedly dislikes me. Between the two of them, you may get a fair picture of my character.

That statement got me thinking: If someone who is not particularly fond of me wrote a reference, testimonial, or endorsement about me, what would they say?

Would the character reference from the person who dislikes me highlight the same qualities as the reference from the person who has known and loved me all my life?

In my business and in my life, I try to treat every person I meet as if she or he could become a testimonial.

That doesn’t mean I try to butter them up so I can get something from them; rather, it’s a reminder to strive for congruency in all aspects of my life. I want to be the same person when I’m chatting with a client or teaching a workshop as I am in my role as wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend.

I don’t always succeed at being congruent, but it’s an ideal I strive for every day.

What about you?

How important is being congruent to you?

Do you know people who are incongruent (please don’t share identifying information)? If so, how does their lack of congruency affect you?

If you had to ask someone who doesn’t like you to write you a character reference, what would they say?

More of my reflections on this topic:

• What’s Your Core Principle for Doing Business?

Two years ago, I did the unthinkable (at least, in my mind). I canceled my subscription to the home-delivered print edition of my daily paper. Instead, I subscribed to the online versions of several newspapers.

As a freelance journalist myself, I felt as if I was somehow betraying my profession by canceling my subscription. But I must admit that opting out was one of the best decisions I’ve made.  I now have an extra hour in my day to do things that are, frankly, more important than reading the paper.

Here are six reasons why my quality of life has improved now that I’m no longer tethered to newsprint:

1.  Reporters no longer have undue influence in shaping my opinions.

I like reading editorials and op-ed columns. But when journalists ignore facts, make no attempt to present opposing viewpoints, and accuse anyone who disagrees with their opinions of being stupid, I take exception.

I am fed up with irresponsible journalists who claim objectivity and slant stories according to their personal worldview. Journalists wield an inordinate amount of power in shaping public opinion; some of them abuse that power.

I refuse to pay for irresponsible “reporting.”

2.  I get the same news online-for free.

Because I spend all day in front of a computer, I wrongly assumed I needed tangible newsprint to leaf through during my coffee break.

I didn’t.

I now read news from a variety of media outlets, via e-mail digests, RSS feeds-even Twitter. And I don’t pay a penny.

3.  My news intake is more well-rounded.

Our large-circulation daily paper is increasingly filled with mostly bad news: violent crime, tragedy, disaster.

While I feel compelled to keep up with what’s happening in the world, the constant inundation of bad news is truly depressing.

Receiving my news online gives me the option to skim the headlines without feeling obligated to read every article.

4.  I have more time.

I used to spend upwards of an hour per day reading the paper. Now I spend 10 minutes. As a result, my workday has become more productive.

5.  I feel like Kermit the Frog….

…whose hit single was, “It’s not easy being green.”  My hubby and I have recycled our newspapers for over 20 years, and unfortunately, the daily newspaper takes up the bulk of the room in our recycling bin. Our bin is now 1/3 less full.

6.  I’m less swayed by advertising.

Until I stopped reading the paper, I didn’t realize just how many ads it contains for non-essential, spendy stuff- close to 80 percent of the paper is advertising. Sure, online newspapers contain ads, but they’re easy to ignore. Eliminating the daily bombardment of advertising has eliminated the temptation to buy, buy, buy.

What about you?

Have you abandoned the daily rag? What are your fave alternative news outlets?

David Jones, owner of Blazing Onion Burger Company

“I’m not very social,” confesses David Jones, owner of the Blazing Onion Burger Company. “But when it comes to my business, I’m an extrovert.”

A year ago, Jones created a personal Facebook account and began following “the big guys” — Starbucks, Subway, McDonald’s, Red Mango, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Red Robin.

As he lurked on their Facebook pages, Jones learned what to do — and what not to do. “Some of those restaurants only post announcements of new store openings. That’s boring. And others only post promotions. Also boring.”

Jones vowed that the Blazing Onion’s Facebook page would not be boring.

And it isn’t.

In my September Relationship Marketing column for the Snohomish County Business Journal (Washington state), I detail several innovative techniques Jones uses to keep the Blazing Onion’s business Facebook page interactive and interesting.

You can steal — er — adapt these simple techniques for your own Facebook page. Read the full article and please share one thing you learned from David Jones that you can try on your Facebook page.

Dream Dinners

My 17-year-old son and I got up early Saturday morning and headed to Dream Dinners’ Mill Creek, WA store to assemble 12 dinners for the upcoming month (you pop the uncooked dinners in your freezer and when you’re ready to eat one, you just thaw and cook).

When we walked in the door, we smelled a nauseating raw sewage odor. Their plumbing had backed up during the night, and while the store was sparkling clean, the lingering smell was stomach-churning. The staff told us they’d called us, but we had already left home.

They shooed us to the coffee shop across the street, saying, “We don’t want you to have to smell this horrible odor. We’ll assemble all your meals for you. Come back in half an hour and pick them up.”

True to their word, they did all our work for us while my son and I enjoyed bonding time over coffee and donuts. Plus, they threw in a free batch of cookie dough. Think we’ll be back next month? Definitely.

Mardini’s restaurant

My friend, Jenn, discovered a 2-year-old $50 gift certificate for a local restaurant and suggested we try to use it for our lunch date.  We asked the owners if they would honor the ancient certificate, and without hesitation, they said, “Certainly.”

In this day of “Sorry, our gift certificate expired,” it was refreshing to meet people who are willing to honor their gift certificates, no matter how outdated they are.

Boeing Employees Credit Union

One of my clients accidentally sent me an unsigned paycheck, which my business manager didn’t notice before depositing it in the automatic teller machine. The credit union didn’t cash the check and charged us $25 for insufficient funds. When we called BECU to report the mistake, they immediately reversed the charge (it “pays” to be a reliable, long-time customer).

Send Out Cards

I love this greeting card service in which I create personalized cards online and they print them, address them, stamp them, and mail them for me. But during the holiday rush, their quality control people didn’t inspect my Christmas cards, and the family photo on the front of my cards was printed wrong. Really wrong. When I informed them of the error, they apologized and instantly refunded the entire cost of the cards – including postage.

Coldwater Creek Outlet

The week before Christmas, I visited the outlet store at the Seattle Premium Outlets mall. Tried on a dozen items; purchased two items. I told them I’d asked for a gift card for Christmas, and that I’d be back to spend it. A week later, I returned, gift card in hand. When I walked in the door, a sales clerk greeted me and said, “You were in here a week or so ago, weren’t you?”

Amazed that she’d remembered me during the busy holiday shopping season, I said, “Yes, but you didn’t wait on me. How did you remember me?”

She just shrugged. “I’m not sure; I just make a point of remembering people.”

She not only remembered my face; she remembered what I had purchased AND what size I wear (yes, I purchased additional items).

Superior customer service isn’t rocket science. From my experiences alone, we can glean a few guidelines:

1. Make your customers feel important. Remember their faces. Their names. Their preferences.
2. Honor your promises.
3. Respond quickly and pleasantly to customer concerns and complaints.
4. When you make a mistake, apologize. A simple, “I’m sorry” carries a tremendous amount of weight.
5. Deliver more than you have to. Even a little bit of extra effort can reap huge dividends.
6. Practice saying “yes.” If a customer requests something reasonable, make it happen.

What about you? Share one positive customer experience you’ve had lately.

The clerk put my card on the counter, stared me in the eye, and asked, “Can you pay with cash or check? That way, we don’t have to pay expensive credit card fees.”

Taken aback by this unusual (and unexpected) request, I thought a moment. I didn’t have enough cash on me to pay for the flowers, and I only write checks when absolutely necessary. I said no.

I’m having second thoughts about patronizing this florist again, because I don’t like being put in the uncomfortable position of saying “no” to a clerk who should never have questioned my use of a credit card in the first place.

The sign on the door says they accept the usual credit cards. As a consumer, I assume that businesses who accept credit cards build credit card fees into their prices (the flowers I ordered weren’t inexpensive, which furthered my assumption).

Am I too sensitive? Have you had this experience? What would you have done in this situation?

A new Sports Authority opened in our area. To celebrate their grand opening, they sent us a “Spend $100, get $25 off” coupon.

Our sons are embarking on basketball and wrestling season and needed new shoes and equipment, so my hubby took the boys on a trip to the new store.

When they hauled their $100 in merchandise to the cashier, the grand total came to $99.99.

“Sorry, we can’t accept your coupon. The total has to be $100,” said the cashier.

My husband offered to give them a penny to make up the difference – heck, he would have given them a quarter… maybe even a dollar!

No can do. “Your merchandise has to total $100,” insisted the cashier.

I understand that the employees at Sports Authority are mainly high school and college students who’ve been threatened that if they bend the rules, they’ll get fired. I get that.

And I understand that customers try to get away with buying $95 or $98 in merchandise and they complain if the cashier doesn’t accept the coupon. But $99.99?

I’ve also heard that retail stores have people called “managers” who have the authority to bend the rules just a teensy bit. Over things like, say, ONE PENNY.

So, you’re probably wondering what my husband did. Normally, he’d leave the store, never to return, just on principle. But in this case, we really needed the equipment that day.

So he bought a piece of gum for 15 cents, which brought his total purchase to $100.14.

Coupon accepted.

And my hubby and our sons left Sports Authority, never to return.

I would think that a new store that’s trying to create a customer base during a dismal economy would build a bit of wiggle room into its coupon policies.

Was it really worth losing what could have been an extremely loyal customer over one penny?

You tell me, Sports Authority.

P.S. Read the comments. Sports Authority, did, indeed tell me.

Related articles

• Why Stellar Customer Service is Critical to Business Success
• The iPod Touch Limited Warranty Debacle

Inevitably, my client receives one (or more) calls during our meeting, which they almost always answer.

I heard on the radio that the vast majority of Americans believe it’s rude when others take calls in their presence. The majority of us claim we NEVER answer calls when we’re having a face-to-face with someone.

Fess up.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Please share why you do—or don’t—answer calls when meeting with others.

Gourmet Garlic pizza from Garlic Jim's...my fave!

“Did you just order a couple of pizzas from Garlic Jim’s?”

“Noooo… why do you ask?”

“The caller ID on my cell phone shows that Garlic Jim’s called, so I thought you might have ordered some.”

My husband, sleuth that he is, solved the pizza mystery; he returned Garlic Jim’s call. Turns out THEY had cold-called him, offering a buy-one-get-one-free pizza special. Since it was 8 p.m. on a Tuesday evening and we hadn’t eaten dinner yet, he took them up on their offer.

With the exploding popularity of social media, we sometimes forget the marketing power of a cold call via the trusty phone. Our local Garlic Jim’s was probably having a slow night, so they started dialing customers listed in their database. They hit the jackpot with us. I wonder how many other families bought pizzas based on their phone pitch?

I felt so good after inhaling a few slices of Gourmet Garlic and Hercules that I immediately visited their Web site and began following them on Twitter and Facebook.

What marketing surprises have you experienced lately?

Seemingly small things, such as the ability to exchange a watch (see John’s comment in the iPod post) are often the determining factor of whether we choose to continue giving an establishment our hard-earned dollars.

My hubby and I recently went on a dinner date to McCormick & Schmick’s Harborside on Lake Union (Seattle). We were there around 9 p.m. the the restaurant was nearly empty, yet our dinner was extraordinarily slow in coming.

We didn’t comment about the slow service to our waiter, but he probably noticed us drumming our fingers on the table and craning our necks toward the kitchen, and offered us dessert, on the house. Think we’ll dine there again? Of course we will!

McCormick & Schmick’s gets it. They know that taking a temporary loss is worth it compared to the dollars they’ll forfeit if they lose my business for good (along my friends’ business, because disgruntled customers always tell at least 10 friends).

I have made customer service bloopers that have resulted in the loss of clients. We all make those mistakes. But part of improving one’s business involves:

1. Realizing and admitting that they were indeed mistakes
2. Apologizing to the client whenever possible
3. Seeking to make things right with the customer
4. Trying not to repeat the same mistakes

…and if you work for a large company, advocating for policy changes in customer service.

Let’s end this discussion on an up note. What positive customer service experiences have you had lately?

So when our almost-17-year-old decided he “needed” an iPod touch, we researched it, discovered it cost $300, and said, “Great. Get a job and use your earnings to buy yourself one.”

For months, he saved Christmas and birthday money and his wages from refereeing youth basketball. Two months ago, the glorious day arrived: he bought his iPod touch.

And he loves it… probably more than he loves me, his dad, his brother, and his girlfriend—combined. He takes exceptionally good care of it and stores it in a safe place at night.

Yesterday, the unthinkable happened. His iPod died. Just like that. After only two months of use. My husband dug out the 1-year warranty and headed to the Apple store to exchange it.

The guys at the Apple store ran his iPod through their scanner thingy and pronounced, “Water damage.”

Water damage? Who are they kidding?

Of course, the 1-year LIMITED warranty doesn’t cover “water damage.” They offered to repair his iPod but that would cost him. A lot. Or he could get a new one for half price – $150. My son grudgingly paid for a replacement iPod (now he’s hard at work again, earning more money).

Turns out our son isn’t the only one having problems with his iPod. Several other unhappy customers were trying to return their gadgets at the same time as my son. One guy’s headphone jack had broken (a common occurrence, I’m sure). Sorry. The limited warranty doesn’t cover headphone jacks.

What does it cover?

Seems like this you-can-replace-your-broken-iPod-for-half-price-because-our-warranty-is-worthless offer is a scam to make even more money for Apple than the outrageous price tag they’re already putting on iPods.

Apple’s limited (and I mean LIMITED) warranty is an example of customer service at its worst. It doesn’t take much to convince a consumer to avoid purchasing from a company that doesn’t honor its product warranties – and to spend our hard-earned dollars with companies who do honor their warranties.

Case in point:

My overworked Bluetooth died a couple of weeks ago. I’d had it just over a year (it has a 1-year warranty). But thankfully, I’d purchased it at Costco. I took the Bluetooth and my receipt to Costco, and they took it back without batting an eye.

My laptop is about to give up the ghost. I need to replace it. Now.

Apple or PC? Which do you think I’ll choose?

You’ve got it. I’m heading to Costco right now to buy my new PC. The one with the no-questions-asked warranty.

Readers: How does good–or bad–customer service influence your buying decisions? Share your stories.