Actions speak louder than words

Some recent interactions with with a possible vendor and my ISP have reminded me of how much more important actions are than words.  I wrote about the ISP in my recent post "7 Deadly Sins of Customer Service ".

I was looking for a photographer to do some work for me, and found someone who came highly recommended by an associate.  We had an original conversation.  She promised to follow up with a proposal a week later.  Weeks passed.  Finally, I called again, and a somewhat thin proposal materialized, and I had questions which I emailed to her.  Guess what?  No reply, it’s been 3 weeks.

Obviously, she won’t get my business.

Unfortunately, the photographer and the ISP’s behaviors aren’t that different from many of the businesses that exist today.  They say they offer great customer service, they make all kinds of apologies for not getting back to you or fixing problems, but when it comes down to it, they do nothing.

It’s one thing trying to get Earthlink, Verizon or Con Edison to change, it’s like trying to move mountains; and ultimately, their poor customer service probably won’t impact their bottom lines as much as we’d like it to because their customers often have little choice.

But it’s quite another thing when we are working with freelancers or smaller service firms. 

Managing a small brand requires careful, considerate, consistent and deliberate postive action.

What actions have turned you off from doing business with certain companies? 

What are your actions saying about you and your firm?

-Susan Martin, Business Coach NYC

By Susan Martin

NYC based Business Coach, Consultant and Strategist Susan Martin is no stranger to entrepreneurship, as she spent the first 25 years of her career running her own successful companies before deciding to dedicate her work to helping others achieve "Business Sanity." A professionally trained business coach, Susan is a popular business workshop facilitator and speaker at events and professional groups in and around New York City. She helps business owners, executives, managers, salespeople and independent professionals stop struggling and learn how to run their businesses easily and effectively so that they can make more money, have less stress and more quality time to enjoy life. Susan's clients want to increase sales and profits, boost productivity, manage their time, motivate their employees, increase performance and leadership skills, plan strategically and have balance in their lives. She provides the guidance, support, encouragement and accountability needed to achieve their goals. If running your business is a struggle, contact Susan to find out how she can help.

2 comments

  1. Zig Ziglar teaches “What you are doing speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying.” Nice article Susan.

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