“7 Ways To Offer Exceptional Customer Service In Your Embroidery Business!”

Working with customers is different today than it was just a few short years and even months ago and you must offer exceptional customer service in your embroidery business to stay in the game.  In today’s world, customers expect to have a great customer experience with you and are much more demanding than they used to be.  With the internet at their fingertips, there is so much available to them and they have many more choices today than they did in the past.  It is to our benefit as embroiderers to offer our customers exceptional customer service and the best buying experience that we can possibly give them.

In this competitive market place you must you must offer better customer service or at least more customer service than your competitors if you want to stay in business.   Unfortunately, this is a concept that is so hard to understand for so many embroidery business owners.  Many embroidery business owners think that they need to offer the lowest price not the best customer service to stay in the marketplace.  This is a total falsehood and I wish that I could abolish it!

Offering exceptional customer service can be the one area that can make all the difference and make you stand out from the competition. Not all customers today are shopping for the lowest price.  They want to be treated with respect, and be shown that you really have their best interest at heart!

Here are 7 ways to help raise your level of customer service, and if followed by your entire organization, will change your business and give it a whole new life!

• Start Out Each Day With A Positive Attitude!
  There is no better way to create an atmosphere of Exceptional Customer Service than to be very upbeat and positive.  When you have a great attitude it is reflected in everything that you do, from waiting on a customer or getting employees started in the morning, to finishing up the day with your family.  Everyone around you benefits from your attitude.
• Always Wear A  Smile!
  Treating your customers with dignity and respect and always wearing a smile is the most important principal in creating exceptional customer service.  This policy applies to direct contact in person, as well as on the phone.  People can tell how you feel and know if you are wearing a smile. 

  All of your customers should be treated as if they are the most important customer you have; it does not matter if they are a large account or a small one. Small accounts very often grow into large accounts.

  You want your customers to feel that you are a partner in their business success, and as a result, you will receive more orders from these same customers.

• Have A Clean And Well Organized Environment!
  Invite your clients or customers into a clean well organized environment when they visit your showroom or office.  This goes a long way in making that first impression. 

  Have your samples clean, well-organized, in top quality condition, and available for quick viewing as you are giving your presentation. Make sure that all of your samples are labeled with the information that is pertinent to that sample. Having a system in place makes your presentations more effective and creates a feeling of trust with your customer.

• You Must Be Willing To Work With Your Customer-Give Them A Reason Why They Need To Come Back!
  In the marketplace today, you need to be available and be willing to work with your customers in whatever capacity they are requesting.  Today, the customers are demanding more and more from their suppliers in the way of services.  If you do not meet their demands or wishes, someone else will.  If this is not possible for you to accomplish, given your situation, you must let them know up front immediately. 

  Sometimes their requests seem to be unreasonable, especially delivery dates, but you must deliver on time or ahead of schedule of the agreed date, in order to keep them happy and coming back for more. Customers become very unhappy and untrusting when they have to wait past the due date for goods they were promised.

• Always Return Phone Calls And Always Respond To Emails!
  When a customer or potential customer calls and has to leave a message, make sure that you get back to them in a timely manner.  If you do not return their phone call, they will feel that you do not want their business.  All present and future customers need to be made to feel important!
  This same principle applies to emails.  If a person takes his time to email you, you must be courteous enough to take your time and reply to that email.  They do not care how busy you are; their time is as valuable to them as yours is to you!  This type of customer service is expected!
• Take Accurate Notes!
  Take accurate notes when you are working with a customer in person, over the phone, or my email.  Customers very often want to make a change in their order and this must be taken care of immediately, as to not hold up their order. 

  You should have a system in place for this type of procedure, with forms to use to take the notes or make changes.  Make sure that the notes get connected to the customer’s order.  This is also true with email.  If the customer sends you an email letting you know that he is requesting some changes in his order, print it out and attach it to the original order.  Then you want to bring it to someone’s attention so that it is not missed.

• Never Show Anger With A Customer!
  If a problem or mistake has occurred by either you or the customer, never show anger towards that customer, even if they show anger towards you.  It does not matter if they are right or wrong; you must hold your head up high, keep your composure, and talk to them in a manner that will diffuse their anger. 

  Being angry does no one justice, and in business it is one of the best ways to create bad relations.  I have found many times by offering the customer a bit more or giving the customer a slight discount that they were much happier, and I was able to smooth over a bad situation and build a better relationship with the customer at the end of the problem.  They must be treated with dignity at all times.

Offering Exceptional Customer Service is not hard and is expected at all times! If you give all of your customers more than they expect and you will be greatly rewarded.

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How To Set Up A Simple Referral Program For Your Embroidery Business That Works!

Setting up a Simple Referral Program for your Embroidery Business takes only a few minutes and it so worth it!  Asking for referrals is one of the most effective, quickest and least expensive ways of gaining these new customers.  Setting up a system to reward customers for referrals by giving them a discount on their next order is always effective. How do I do this?   There are several ways of asking for referrals.

• Have Business cards Tucked Into Customers Pick Up Bags.
• Send Out Business Cards Or Brochures With Invoices.
• Ask For A Referral After Customer Has Placed Their Order.
• Tell Employees About Referral Program

Have Business Cards Tucked Into Customers Pick Up Bags

The easiest and most effective way that I found was to always give my customers business cards and brochures.   When they pick up their order, make sure to add business cards or brochures to their package.  Ask them to write their names on the back of the cards or brochures and hand them to their friends, family and acquaintances.  When the person comes into the shop that has been referred, take their business card and keep track of the person that referred them to you.  The person that gave the referral would then get a discount on their next order.  Everyone wants to get something for giving out your name.  As I said there is a small cost to it, but this is a customer that you did not have to go after.

Keeping Track of the Referrers

I set up a simple spreadsheet for my Referral program.  On that spreadsheet, I put the Date, Customers Name, Name of Referrer, Amount of Sale, Date Referrer Purchased after Referring and Amount of Referrer’s Sale.  This helps me to keep track of the amount of sales that are brought in by the Referrers and who the Referrers are.  You can increase your reward for those that give you a lot of referrals.  This is the best type of Salespeople that you can have!

Tell everyone that you know about your Referral Program including your employees.  This is a simple way to set up a Referral program for your Embroidery Business that WORKS!

Click on the link below to get your copy of my Referral Program Spreadsheet!

Embroidery Business Referral Program

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Create a Log In Form And Check List For Employee To Log In Embroidery Orders

To expedite your checking in process, create a Log In Form and check list for your employee to use when they are logging in the orders for your embroidery business.  Logging in the orders is very important in order to keep complete control of your production process and know exactly what you have in house at all times.

By creating a check list, you can speed up the process and make sure that each step of the logging process is complete and there are no missing pieces within your system.

The check list should include the following:

• Date order was placed
• Customers Name
• Customer PO number
• Job Name or Number
• Quantity of Items in order
• Description of goods –shirts, caps, jacket, etc.
• Date Due
• Other information that is necessary for the nature of your business

As the order is being checked in, it should be the responsibility of the employee to make sure that all of the information on the Log In Form is complete and the order is ready to be placed into process.  If one piece of the information is missing, the employee should contact the customer to obtain the missing information.  The packing slip that was received with the goods must match the PO from the customer.

This Log In Form is then placed into a 3 ring binder for quick reference.  Should it be entered into the computer, absolutely, if you have a system for entering in all of your orders.  I have found that having a printed log in form available to view at all times is a simple way to see what you have in house, ready for production at all times.

Whether your order has been input into the computer on a Log In form or written in by hand on the Log In form, a printed copy is very important.  When your order is shipped, a line can be drawn through the Customer order on your Log In form to signify that it has been shipped or picked up.  This is an easy way to check and see if the order is still in house or has been shipped.

Using a simple system and creating a check list for logging in your orders will help to organize your paper work flow and the production process.  You can download the Embroidery Log In Form that I have used for my embroidery business or you can create your own.

Joyce Jagger
The Embroidery Coach

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Always Give Your Customer A Completed Embroidery Design Sew Out Sample

Always give your customer a completed embroidery design sew out  to get their OK and have them sign off on their design. Creating embroidery design sew out samples is a very important step in your embroidery production process.  You need to be able to show your customer a completed sample of how his embroidery will look before you actually embroider the design onto the customers finished garments.

I have discovered that most embroiderers create the embroidery design  sew out samples on squares of backing fabric and give this to the customer for their approval.  You really do not know what the actual design will look like on the finished products.  The settings for the various types of fabrics need to be adjustment correctly for the best results on that fabric.

Having the exact same fabric is not always possible but there are fabrics that work as great substitutes. A t-shirt fabric works for a jersey knit placket shirt, the backside of a sweatshirt is a good substitute for a light weight fleece fabric, and an old worn out sheet is good replacement for a dress shirt or a handkerchief. If you use your imagination you can come up with a lot of close matches that will definitely work when you are creating your embroidery design sew out samples.

A great source for these type of fabrics are old garments that your family has discarded.  I cut up various sized squares from old or unwanted garments and store them in plastic boxed that I have labeled:  T-shirt fabric, Sweatshirt fabric, Wind shirt fabric, Terry cloth, Dress shirt fabric, and Heavy woven fabrics.  When it is time for a new sew out sample these fabric squares come in very handy.

Another good source I found for inexpensive garments was at Goodwill or The Salvation Army stores.  I needed some leather for a sew out sample and did not have any on hand.  I found a jacket at the Goodwill store that had the lining ripped out of it.  It was not selling so I was able to pick it up for $5.00.  I have created a lot of sew outs from the one jacket.

You also want to choose a color of fabric that is closest to what the customer will be using.  If this is not possible use a light color or neutral fabric for garments that will be a light color and a dark colored fabric for garments that will be a dark color.  Create your embroidery design sew out sample in the correct colors that your customer will be using.

Giving your customer a completed embroidery design sew out sample on the correct type of cloth and in the correct colors shows him or her exactly how the embroidery will appear on the finished garments and it instills within them a level of confidence that you as a professional know exactly what you are doing.

Joyce Jagger
The Embroidery Coach

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“Be Creative During The Slow Periods In Your Embroidery Business”

Be Creative during the slow periods in your embroidery business is a great way to add new materials and do some extra planning that will bring in more sales.   These slow periods are good times to develop new sales materials and samples.  This is a time to be creative designing your new sales materials.

I embroidered new designs on white felt, cut out the design samples with pinking shears, and glued them onto card stock.  I put these samples into  3 ring binders to distribute to my dealer customers during these slow times.  I also embroidered all of the lettering styles that we offered onto the white felt using the standard thread colors that we had in stock.  I labeled each lettering style the font name and the thread color. The dealers were always  very impressed and thrilled  to get their new sales materials from us.  This was a way to showcase our work to our dealers and it gave them a way to show their customers the quality of work that they were offering.

I also embroidered coasters to give away as samples.  I created a design with my logo, added  my contact information and embroidered  these on white felt.  This is an excellent way to showcase your embroidery and a great leave behind when you are visiting a customer.  This can be done for wholesale and retail customers alike.

You can also create new samples to give your showroom a fresh new look.

If you do not have any slow periods in your embroidery business, you need to block out some spare time  to accomplish these little profitable, sales creating tasks.

Joyce  Jagger
The Embroidery Coach

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