A Baker's Dozen: 13 Tips for
New Business Owners
Jean M. Baker, J.D.
Red Lantern Group, LLC
May 14, 2009

How Can I Help?
• Legal Issues in the Workplace
• Traditional (sexual harassment, etc.)
• Informative (anatomy of a lawsuit)
• Unusual (domestic violence in the workplace)
• Business Philosophy/Solutions
• Strategic planning
• Systems
• Customer service

What is Good Customer Service?
• Great customer service is about making it as
easy as possible for your customer to
continue to buy your product or service
• Cheap prices may draw them in initially, but
it’s the service that will keep them coming back
• INC., magazine article
• Now more than ever it’s important to deliver great
customer service
• Defined by the customer, not the business
owner!

One Size Doesn’t Fit All
• ICE (“Ideal Customer
Experience”) is not
attainable – not every
customer will define it
in the same way

Universal Ideas
• Good
• Efficient Service
• Professional
• Knowledgeable
• Bad
• Not acknowledging customer
• Chaos
• Rudeness

“Common Sense ain’t Common”
– Will Rogers
• Rules are made to serve people, not the
other way around.
• Use common sense
• You don’t have to treat everyone the same
if the circumstances justify different
treatment

The Good
• Scapa Italian Kitchen
• Sample wine
• Discreetly replace silverware
• Attentive without interrupting
• Didn’t make us wait for our bill
• Very professional

The Good
• Apple
• Wow!
• Telephone assistance prompt, courteous and
helpful
• On-line assistance addressed the specific
question I asked, rather than provide a generic
“key words” response
• Plenty of knowledgeable people to help you in
the stores, including “ringing you up” on the
floor.

The Bad
• Accessibility
• Argumentative Associate
• Cleaning
• Chair
• Vacuuming
• So cold!
• Not a pleasant experience!

The Bad
• Sports medicine
business
• Great people/care
• Accessibility is
terrible!
• Door
• Walkway

The Bad
• Large Discount Store
• Associate did not
acknowledge customer
• “Grunted” and
gestured
• Did not thank me
• Recognized what he
should have been
doing

The Ugly
• Wireless Telecommunications Co.
• Chaotic
• Waiting, Waiting, Waiting!
• No way to “complain”
• Carries through stores, phone and on-
line help
• Transfer to a “not in service” number
• They’re a telecommunications company!
• Failing to fix a bill repeatedly

Solutions?
• Regurgitation Education
• Not teaching kids to think
1. Teach creative problem solving
2. Authorize front-line people
to solve the problem
• Bagged lettuce
• Fountain pop
3. Appropriate placement

Solutions
4. Treat your employees well
5. Sincere apology; demonstrate they
understand the problem
6. Solve the problem, don’t make it worse or
do nothing.
• Example: Deliver groceries + free item
7. Don’t keep “passing off” customer to
someone else.

Solutions
8. Make sure your decisions make sense to
the customer
9. Be Professional
10.Greet and thank the customer
11.Make it right
12.Listen and respond appropriately
13.Be a problem solver, not a problem creator

Summary
• Good customer service is
defined by the customer,
not the CEO or the
Marketing department
• Customer service is
broader than just the direct
interaction between
customer and associate
• Great customer service is
important no matter what
industry or business you
own

Thank you!
Other Questions/Comments?
Jean M. Baker
Red Lantern Consulting, LLC
www.redlanternllc.com
jbaker@redlanternllc.com
515.327.5966