2 Little Words with a Big Meaning

I went to a restaurant the other day and said “thank you” to the hostesses as I was leaving; not one of them looked up from their conversation. You know customer service is bad when you can’t even expect a ‘thank you’ which requires next to no effort.

A local restaurant chain that I frequent has a “Five Thank You” policy that states a customer should hear “thank you” at least five times before the walk out the door; at least one from the waitress, one from the manager, one from the hostess and whoever else they pass as they walk out the door. Typically this restaurant is on the ball and I can tell that they really do appreciate my business, especially because I go so often.

The truth is these are two very simple words that mean so much. Stop and ask yourself how many times your customers hear thank you when they do business with you. One time probably isn’t enough, it probably won’t even seem heartfelt. Always keep in mind that your company would not be in business without your customers so they deserve all the thanks you can give them.

NewsFlash: We are Not in a Customer Service Recession!

I recently read somewhere that in times of economic recession customer service is one of the first things to go. All things considered, I could see how that would happen. Rising gas prices and material costs have forced businesses to reconsider their budget and flow of funds making cuts where they believe necessary or “safe.” Even subconsciously, some owners simply lose sight of their customer service as they are preoccupied with what they believe are more important situations.

Smart business owners on the other hand, realize that customer service is a non-diminishing asset. The economy will pick up again as it always does and if they’ve abandoned their customer service priorities they will realize they’ve lost more than they have saved. We believe that customer service is priority number one in any situation. We look out for our customers because they are the sole reason that we are still in business. Put simply, if you drop your customer service, your customers will drop you.

We empathize with our customer’s situations because we live here too; we’re not about to stand by and be treated poorly because our vendors are worried about gas prices and our customers shouldn’t either. We’re all in the same boat so let’s help each other out. Losing sight of customer service will hurt a business much more than any economical recession ever could.

A Much Deserved Labor Day Weekend

Each Labor Day weekend I stop and reflect on what the holiday actually means. Labor Day originally started in New York to give working class citizens a day off from their lives of hard work and long hours. Today, every state in the U.S. has made this day a state holiday.

Being a primarily B2B provider, we see the hard work and dedication that comes from each of our customers every day. We are able to see the long hours that are put into design and purchasing, and we are able to feel the relief and pride that comes at the completion of each project. We understand that sometimes the pressures of working can become almost unbearable and that’s why we are here- to allow you to breathe when those tight deadlines feel like they couldn’t be more impossible.

We want each of our customers to know that we appreciate the hard work they do and in turn we will work hard for them. 4 Color Press employees give our customers a fun, relaxed working environment when you need it most and even when you aren’t under any pressure at all.

So from all of us at 4CP, thank you for all of your hard work; we hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend.