by Jason Cercone




When you think of NBC’s hit comedy The Office, you’re normally not drawn to the element of customer service. It’s the colorful characters that capture your attention. Like pun-drunk Regional Manager Michael Scott turning the mid-range paper supply office into his own personal counterproductive improv. Or “there’s-one-in-every-office,” yes-man Dwight Schrute claiming superiority over the rest of his co-workers and going the extra mile to fulfill his fictional role of Assistant to the Regional Manager.

Perhaps it’s the payoff to the suspenseful three-season relationship build for Jim and Pam, or any of the other random Office romances that heated up the Scranton Business Park. Or Ryan defrauding the company in an attempt to legitimize a failing website. Whatever it is, there’s no denying The Office has changed the way the situation-comedy is made. They’ve proven you don’t need a laugh track to “get over” as funny.

But underneath the comedy and the storylines is a business model that actually works. Despite evidence that would make you think otherwise, like Michael holding diversity meetings, funerals for birds, and several other non-work related activities, Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is the most successful and financially viable office in the company.

Why? Two words: Customer Service.

Here are 5 customer service lessons that can be taken from The Office…even if a couple of them happened by accident:

1) What you lack in size, make up for in customer service. This credo of Michael Scott speaks volumes. It doesn’t matter if you’re the biggest company in the world or just opened your doors this morning. Providing excellent customer service should always be a cornerstone of your business efforts. Customers will remember their experience with you and keep coming back to you if you treat them well. This may sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how often the ball is dropped in this area. With the rise of Social Media platforms, the ability to directly connect with your customer base is far easier than it’s ever been. Use it to your advantage!

2) Have a good time…as long as the work is getting done. Just about every episode of The Office makes you wonder when they’re accomplishing ANYTHING productive. However, Office jokester Jim Halpert manages to pull a prank on Dwight, organize the first-ever Dunder Mifflin Olympics, and close two sales at lunch.

The point is, it’s 100% OK to enjoy what you’re doing and have a good time…so long as you ensure your work is getting completed. Shirking your responsibility to your customer by having TOO good of a time can lead to disastrous happenings down the road.

3) Give away a little to get a lot in return. In one episode, Michael placed five golden tickets a la Willy Wonka in five boxes of paper that gave a 10% discount to the lucky recipient. However, Michael did not limit the tickets to one per customer and all five were found by Blue Cross of Pennsylvania, Dunder Mifflin’s biggest account. Now, Dunder Mifflin is forced to give them a 50% discount, which, as accountant-extraordinaire Oscar explains, “That’s going to hurt.”

Michael’s head was in the right place, but his implementation was off-target. However, what started as an impending disaster turned into a victory as Blue Cross decided to make Dunder Mifflin their exclusive office supplier for all their needs! This is proof that a little can go a long way. Customers appreciate small gestures that show you genuinely care for them. Give them some flexibility (to an extent) and support their buying decisions and they will become a customer for life.

4) When you make a mistake, go public! When Quality Assurance Rep Creed Bratton skipped his weekly quality spot check at the paper mill, then explained “the one year I don’t do it, this happens,” Dunder Mifflin went into crisis mode as a large shipment of paper went out with an offensive image of two lovable cartoon animals “doing it.” Instead of ignoring the problem, Michael did everything in his power to rectify the problem, including a Public Service Announcement that no one would ever see and inviting the Scranton Times in for a press conference that no one attended.

With sites like Facebook and Twitter at your disposal, your customers have a great platform to share any displeasure they may have. Instead of hiding, you have a great opportunity to address the problem publicly and explain how you’re going to fix it. The fact that you care enough to address a problem and do everything your power to rectify it will carry a lot of weight in customer retention.

5) People never go out of business. Despite Dunder Mifflin getting slammed from all sides by the likes of Office Max, Office Depot, Staples, and other paper supply chains, Michael Scott has kept his office viable because he realizes that, regardless of his product, he’s in the PEOPLE BUSINESS. And, as Michael says, “People will never go out of business.”

You have an opportunity to do great things. But greatness can’t come until you realize the service you provide your customers is Priority One…ahead of any product or promotion you have. If you treat your customers like human beings, provide the information they seek, listen to their concerns and solve their problems, you’ll build a customer base that will help you overcome the toughest of obstacles.

To see this blog post in it's entirety, click below!

http://linxonesolutions.com/blog/?p=502

Whelp! It always seems to end up this way. I get caught up in life, work, and play that I can never get a few minutes to add to my blog (other than some already pre-made material). So here's my quarterly thoughts.

Lets start off with the business aspect of things. LinXone Solutions is taking off much more quickly than expected...Which is, of course, awesome. We are being met with great enthusiasm and interest. I'd like to thank Mr. Jason Cercone, my business partner, for putting out so much great content that I've been able to add to my blog. And of course for presenting the opportunity to me to join him in this venture. It's been a lot of fun so far and big things for the future. Business is also the reason that I'm having trouble posting on here...Lack of time. So I'll try to post on here more often.

Ok...Fun time!

MEL GIBSON!

MY HERO!

Can you believe this insane man? Isn't it great?!?! To see the meltdown of one of the great actors of our time has been epic. He's a great actor, director, producer, racist, bigot, anti-semite, sexist, and all-around dick head. Just like all of us!!! If you haven't heard his recorded phone calls to his I guess now ex-girlfriend, they are what dreams are made of. His insults, rants, and rage are all on the grandest scale you can imagine. He should make his phone calls into movies like The Passion of the Jacuzzi and What Women Want...To Do To Me Because I Deserve It. To hear this madman is a thing of beauty. You quickly realize that this is a very lonely, angry man, that we will probably see behind bars or God forbid deceased very soon. Keep fighting the good fight Mel!

LeBron James

I've had a few heated discussions about what LeBron James "pulled off." There are a lot of people who think this colusion with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh was an act of genius...I on the other hand disagree. Even being a Bulls fan, and hoping he went there, his decision to go to Miami (although tempting, considering every girl is a supermodel down there) was a foolish one. A wise comedian by the name of Patrice O'Neal pointed out that the biggest surprise of this whole ordeal is that LeBron is going somewhere to be Scottie Pippen. Not Michael, not Larry, not Magic, not Kobe, Scottie... He doesn't want to be the man. When all the greats, always have. Michael Jordan said yesterday that he could've never seen himself on the same team as Larry and Magic...Why? Because he was trying to beat those guys! LeBron has shown weakness and will now play second fiddle to Dwyane Wade in Miami. See proof. He didn't want the shadow of Jordan in Chicago? So he gave it up for the shadow of Wade in Miami. F-O-O-L! Oh, and to Dan Gilbert...You're an ass too!

George Steinbrenner

You truly a man among boys in the world of sports ownership. Purchased the Yankees in 1973 for $8.7 million and turned it into a $1.5 BILLION empire. Kudos to a life well done. RIP to da boss!

Side note...Went to see Jay Mohr at the Improv over the weekend. Hilarious show! If he comes to your town, do yourself a favor and check it out!

Alright...gotta go!

In today’s market, a company’s Internet presence is its lifeline. With the number of people flocking to the World Wide Web, positioning your company on search engines, blogs, and Social Media sites enables the opportunity for direct connections with current and potential customers…a quality nearly unheard of in past marketing practices. If your business does not have a web presence, get ready to lose thousands of dollars to competitors that do.


Why isn’t business coming in at the pace it did in the past? Let’s evaluate…

A general consensus is that “people are lazy.”

That’s not the case. Some people are, but the vast majority of people are busy.

Another reason many companies attribute a decrease in sales and production is a down-trodden economy. That’s not the case either. People are still shopping. They may have become more selective about what they buy, but they’re still spending. Despite the economic downturn, many companies are still very successful. And nine times out of 10, it’s because they’ve adapted to their customer’s new buying habits.

One of the major reasons advertising mediums using interruption-based techniques are losing tremendous steam is because they lack the ability to make the customer’s experience personal. They speak loudly, through a giant megaphone, at an untargeted mass of people and hope a small percentage hear the message. But today, customers have far too many options and are no longer forced to listen to the noise.

Your average consumer has realized the Internet has opened up limitless possibilities for them to shop, gather information, and educate themselves on certain products on their time. No longer do they need to sit through a one-minute commercial to get an 800-number or website address at the tail end. All that information is right at their fingertips.

With customers developing new habits, it’s imperative you adapt. This means developing a presence on the Internet’s most popular sites…the ones your customers visit the most. These sites include Google, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Yahoo, and several others.

Doing this not only ensures they can find you when the time is right for them to buy, but also creates an opportunity for you to build a relationship with those customers. Relating to them on a people-level and providing them with critical information will help them earn your trust, thus promising they’ll turn to you when they decide to buy.

If you’re not building a web presence, or focusing on improving your current one, you’re behind the times. If your competitors are already on board, why aren’t you?

Here are 5 Things a Lack of Web Presence Is Costing Your Company:

1) Credibility – You may have built your business on a foundation of strong customer service and workmanship, but the bottom line is in today’s information age, not having a web presence shows you’re unable, or unwilling, to adapt to the changes around you. As time goes by, you’ll need to rely on repeat business because new customers who rely on the Internet will find your competition.

2) A ‘Face To Go With the Name’ - A company website is like the face of the company. Sure, a consumer may hear about you, but most people, regardless of the level of conversation, want a face to go with the name and voice. A website, as well as social mediums like a Facebook page, Twitter account, and company blog, are perfect outlets to ensure this happens.

3) The Ability to Connect Directly With Customers - It’s not about who can come up with the wittiest commercial anymore. It’s who can build the deepest and most meaningful relationship with their customer by giving them exactly what they’re after. This could be information, advice, helpful tips, or advanced notice of a product launch. Whatever your customer’s need may be, chances are you’re not meeting or exceeding them if you don’t have a web presence.

4) The Ability to Get Found - Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a very popular buzz term these days, and it speaks directly to positioning your website so people can find it when they use keyword search terms relevant to your business on sites like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Getting a high ranking on these engines takes effort and diligence, but putting forth the effort will go a long way in helping your business get noticed.

5) Convenience For Your Customer - As I mentioned before, your customer may be busy with a million things, so having a well-maintained, current, and informative website to point them towards is a major convenience for them. This allows them to check you out when they’re ready. The ultimate step in securing a lifelong, happy customer is providing them with a convenient, genuine user experience.

Setting your business up for success starts with establishing a web presence. Relying solely on outdated print mediums can be a major detriment to your customer flow because the majority of people don’t look for ads in print anymore. They turn to the Internet. And so should you.

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