QICID: 18709

Keeping customers happy may be the key to surpassing competition and surviving in economically difficult times. After several years in the corporate world, Linda LeFebvre moved her knowledge base and skills to the small business arena. Ashburn Ice House is a skating rink where LeFebvre introduced her eight easy steps to create a comprehensive approach to customer service. Recognizing that not all people have the same strengths and weaknesses, she looked for ways that these differences can help to create employee-customer relationships that complement each other and lead to lasting associations. Face-to-face interaction is important in learning what peoples' objectives and goals are in business. Effectively pairing employees and customers is only half the battle, LeFebvre says. Employees are taught to pick up on subtle, nonverbal cues, and how to handle conflict. Providing employees with training, support, and empowerment helps create the confidence necessary to get the job done.

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