*buzz·word

an important-sounding usually technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly to impress laymen

Here at J Street, we're pretty technical, but we try to speak in plain English!

~ Armen Stein

Car Taken From Driveway Returned

It is scary when your car goes missing from your driveway.  It is even scarier when you find out WHY this happened.

This issue is a case of improper testing and has now made thousands of potential issues for Subaru owners. 

I wonder what level of customer service Subaru is going to provide to their customers?

If you have ever experienced less-than-stellar customer service (and most everyone has!) then you know how frustrated you can become.  Even if the end result is great, a bad customer service experience can spoil it for you.  On the other hand, an excellent customer service response can turn around a tough situation and make it a success.

The way you treat people is a reflection of your business integrity. Things might not always go perfectly, but your reaction defines you.  Here are a few quick suggestions for providing your customers with exemplary service:

• Listen to your customer.  Hear their requests & concerns and respond honestly.  Is the customer asking for unreasonable or ineffective services?  Discuss more effective options that would give them more benefit.  Did you fall short?  Acknowledge and apologize, and let them how you'll improve.
• Document requests.  Carefully document requirements and requests from your customer to allow both of you to know what will be included and what will not.  This clarity will help everyone when things get stressful.
• Keep your customer informed.  If your customer commits to your service, then doesn't hear from you, their confidence will be shaken.  Keep your customer informed on the project status, even when you think there isn't much to say.  They'll know they aren't forgotten and will be more understanding if there's a delay.

Sometimes even when you have tried your best to provide a positive experience for your customer, things still go south. I wrote an article about this topic several years ago because I feel strongly about providing quality customer service: Turn It Around

Bottom line:  Take the time to review and learn from the situation.  You may have done all that you could do, but maybe you can learn how to turn a problem into a positive opportunity.

Interested in learning more? Contact us today for a free consultation!

Microsoft Access News from the MVP Summit

I have attended the annual MVP Summit since I was awarded MVP status in 2006.  I think that the 2016 Summit revealed the most developments to the Access desktop application in many years. 

The Access team recognizes how important the desktop application is and is making changes using feedback from the users!