Business Advice

To all businesses, small and large; to all CEO's, Presidents, Owners, and Managers; to all who are listening with intentions of opening up shop:

One must respond to each and every inquiry. Whether it be advice, suggestion, complaint, request, or compliment-- respond. Whether the customer's word arrives to you by email, snail mail or voice mail, proper protocol says response and/or contact must be made within 48 hours, no matter how large or small the correspondence is, or from whom it comes.

Companies with really stellar customer service already practicing this: (I've had personal success with each one.)

Lantern Moon ( Knitting needles tarnished, they sent new ones immediately.)

Life is Good (Sent one knitted sock and a letter. I promised to send matching sock once they hired me. They did not hire me, but I did receive a call from an executive applauding my knittig capability.)

American Airlines (Had terrible difficulty obtaining a ticket to Grenada; they stepped in on behalf of Orbitz and took care of ordeal.)

Cold Stone Creamery (Just a letter about how I adore cake batter ice cream and was saddened to exit the freeway on a road trip because I saw a Cold Stone Sign but the business had since vacated.)

Response within a timely manner allows for positive reputation and continued patronage. And if you do not have the time or inclination to respond to every piece of correspondence you receive, then hire someone specifcally for this task. Please and Thank you.