|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7:00 a.m., the silence in the house is broken by my child's call to me, from another room, "Mom, please take care of my Opie eye!"
Huh?...
My mind is spinning trying to process this information, what sort of illness is Opie eye? Is it a variation of Pink eye? What is the cure? What is the cause? Why didn't I notice it? Why hadn't I heard of it?
I must be a terrible parent.
My mind goes back the 1960's sitcom 'The Andy Griffith Show' where Ron Howard played the sheriff's young son Opie. This must be the reference for Opie eye, I surmised. I can't think of a single thing wrong with the adorable little guy's eyes.
I'm not doing well sorting this out.
Then I hear it again, "MOM, Puh-lease take care of my Opie eye.... I can't go to school until you do!"
I decide to go to my child and have a look, perhaps this problem has another name that I'm familiar with.
As I walk up to her, tilt her head toward the light and have a look at her eyes she says in her best teenage I'm-disgusted-with-you tone, "What ARE you doing?"
"Why, I'm looking at your eyes. Which one is bothering you?" I counter in my best Doctor Mom voice.
To which she flatly retorts, "There is nothing wrong with my eyes."
"Then what is all this about you having Opie eye?" I asked now very confused.
She held out an extended hand with a form and a pen. The form that she wanted signed was saying that I have seen and agree with her Spanish teacher's guidelines for (are you ready) an Oral Proficiency Interview.
That's right, O.P.I.
In my best Gomer Pyle voice I loudly declare, "Shazzam! Andy call Aunt Bee to bake a pie, my child don't have Opie eye!"
While we laughed ourselves silly over this early morning incident, it provides a very important lesson in business. Nothing defeats your purpose faster than using acronyms that nobody understands.
I have articles submitted to me for publication every day using acronyms that are meaningless to my readers.... they are not published here. I receive publications everyday, that I can not find the web site because the publication is sent as an acronym and I don't know or can't remember what the acronym stands for.
You can't sell to people that don't know what you're talking about. Therefore, by using acronyms you defeat your purpose and I would advise that you stop P.D.Q. (Pretty Darn Quick) It is your job to educate, not intimidate or confuse your clientelle.
About The Author
Thea Swafford is the owner of, The Shepherd's Inn Inc. and two very successful web sites that focus on helping both the novice and netpreneur to reach their objectives with wisdom and humor.http://Targeted-Ad.Com and http://Secrets-To-Your-Successful.Com, for our free newsletter secrets@a1ebiz.com
thea@secrets-to-your-successful.com
Customer service and customer service training are vital for any... Read More
'A 5 percent increase in customer retention increases profits by... Read More
You probably spend a great deal of your time looking... Read More
The defintion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that I favor... Read More
In a mobile detail or mobile car wash business you... Read More
Every customer looks for 3 special benefits when they do... Read More
Our most powerful instinct is to avoid customer complaints, but... Read More
The Call Center world is an intense pressure-driven environment continually... Read More
My regular readers will know that one of the things... Read More
Newsletters can be wonderful tools for communicating with your customers... Read More
Running a business is about providing goods and services to... Read More
Whether you are a seasoned small business professional, or you... Read More
You've heard it all before when it comes to stats... Read More
Recognize metaphors from every angle and round up more insight... Read More
In the competitive world of the 20th century, we generally... Read More
If you are up to your ears in a stressful... Read More
According to customer service studies by marketing gurus of the... Read More
Relationships... Money... Health..The Past...Failure..Mental and Spiritual Battles..Time Constraints...Professional pressures..At any... Read More
It's just a simple thing ? I bought a new... Read More
"Every company's greatest assets are its customers, because without customers... Read More
These moments come when a customer or client?1. Hears someone... Read More
The primary objective of a business is to get and... Read More
If you were a customer on the telephone with a... Read More
Businesses that fail, often forget to seek out the customer... Read More
As Alan Weiss (guru to the savvy consultant) says: "It... Read More
We all know the old adage, "The Customer is Always... Read More
Even the best business will receive an occasional customer complaint.... Read More
"Hi this is Randy. Leave me a message after the... Read More
Running a business is about providing goods and services to... Read More
There are five techniques that have been proven to be... Read More
If you're a regular reader of my column you know... Read More
1. Hire people who have a service attitude. Some people... Read More
Good service is easy to spot and hard-to-find. Mediocre service... Read More
"Marketing as a spiritual practice." It sounds contradictory ? how... Read More
Customer service is everything to a business. Just look at... Read More
Every business loses customers, but not many do much about... Read More
How often has your schedule been thrown out of whack... Read More
I wish I had a nickel for every time someone... Read More
You are serving great food. Your establishment is new, spotless... Read More
Abstract: People buy for their reasons, not yours. This article... Read More
Whether in a restaurant, a retail establishment, or the local... Read More
One of the most important questions people ask when they... Read More
You've been going 6-to-late; exhausted by running the supersonic treadmill... Read More
With Some Tips on How to RespondTt has probably happened... Read More
Are wholesale buyers and retail customers really different? Frankly, there... Read More
Are your company's call center services all that they could... Read More
Corporations in every sector are spending more than ever before... Read More
Background The company was experiencing an increase in the number... Read More
What happened to the old saying, the customer is always... Read More
Running a successful business takes a lot of energy and... Read More
Customer Service |