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Great Customer Service Is Key!

Have you heard the saying, “Happy wife, happy life?” Well, to translate into business terms, I’d say, “Happy customers, great business!” Yes, I know it doesn’t rhyme, but have you tried to find a rhyming word for customers?? Please let me know if you come up with one. 🙂

Happy customers are what make a great business! A vision, leadership, organization, and products/services all play a huge role in starting a business, but without customers, there would be no business. And what keeps your great business going? Happy customers who continue to come to you for your products and services!

Having been on both the receiving and providing end of customer service, I’ve determined that great customer service plays a key role in whether or not your customers will return. If you’re like me, I’m sure you’ve ended conversations with customer service representatives with either, “Wow! I’m always using this company!” or “I’m never shopping here again!” The customer service representative just won or lost a customer for that business. As much as your products are what drive your business, the customer service experience plays as important a role in the success of your business.

Image from quotesgram.com

Here are a few things that I try to do when helping a customer.

Smile! – Build a rapport with customers, even if it’s over the phone, by providing your name and being friendly. Believe it or not, your mood comes through with the intonations of your voice, and people can “see” you smiling. Be genuine.

Know your products, and communicate clearly. – It’s quite frustrating when a customer representative cannot answer questions you have regarding a product. Be as detailed as possible, and be clear with descriptions. If you’re not sure of an answer, let the customer know that you will find out and get back to them. With paper photo frames, customers are not always aware of the dimensions or what size frame they need for the photos. I often grab the actual frame they are inquiring about and provide exact dimensions which they find to be very helpful.

Be patient and attentive. – Sometimes, customers have no idea what they are looking for, and they need you to guide them. Listen to their requests, and try to provide them with the guidance they need to make the right choice.

Be assertive, but not pushy. – As mentioned above, customers often need to be directed. It’s okay to firmly suggest what they need, especially if the conversation is going in circles, and the customer isn’t sure what he or she needs.

Close the conversation well. – Conversations with customers do not always have to end in a sale. You have ended the conversation well if the customer is satisfied with the information you’ve provided.

I am, by no means, an expert when it comes to customer service, but over the years, I’ve learned a few things about maximizing the time spent in my interactions with customers. Hopefully, I’ll be able to grow in this area and add more skills to provide the best experience possible for customers!

So keep your customers happy, and keep you business growing!

What are your thoughts on customer service? Leave a comment, and share your experiences.

Three Options to Customize Cardstock and Paper Photo Frames

We occasionally get a client who thinks he knows what he wants but after being informed of our other printing capabilities and the benefits of them, the other option is chosen. So here are the three popular printing/imprinting options for photo and certificate frames.

1. Foil-Stamping

There is nothing like the classic look of gold or silver foil glistening on the surface of paper. Foil is an excellent adherent to paper so it moves with the paper nicely. A metal (typically magnesium or copper) die is first created in the exact shape of your image. It is then used to “stamp” foil film onto your paper surface.

A combination of heat and pressure (up to several tons) ensures good adhesion. You are limited normally to 1 or 2 different colors per image mainly because each color has to be stamped separately. Obviously a drawback is that the artwork being stamped has to be a more simpler line drawing without too many details, shades or gradients (faded) areas.

The upfront setup cost is higher – typically $80 for a standard 12 square inch logo – but the run charges (actual act of stamping) are less because frames are put in high-speed machines. For us it is $20 to stamp 100 times. For color logos and other artwork the next two methods are very suitable.

2. Hi-Resolution (HiRez) Spot Printing

This method utilizes various higher-end ink-based printer technologies. Some of the major players are Epson, HP and Canon. At PromoFrames we use CMYK ink combinations. But RGB is also very popular. The artwork printed is just about WYSIWYG. So no worrying about altering your artwork as in the foil-stamping method. It is considered “spot” printing since it is more economically feasible to print a specific area of the paper – not the entire paper edge to edge (See #3 below for full-color). The larger the area, generally will be more costly. Because the run charges are higher than the foil-stamping method, after about 150 prints, this HiRez print method will get considerable more costly, but without the considerable sizing constraints of foil stamping.

A drawback is that you are limited to white folders since colors will show the most accurately against a white background. Most folders can be printed on the front, back and inside locations.

3. Full-Color Digital Printing

This is the most premium of the three services. It utilizes CMYK printing but running through a digital print press. It is full-color, full-bleed (all the way to the edge). Our company price starts around $3 as around a buck for much higher volume. A specially-coated paper (12-16 pt.) is preprinted flat. Then an “L” shaped piece is folded, then glued to make the appropriate folder. Here is a full-color folder example. Note that this requires considerable up front setup work so expect to pay a setup fee and/or minimums (typically 100 to 150 units). If you have a larger event that requires over 1,000 units, you should consider this option since you can print the entire front, back and frame border with anything you want. To print on the inside cover, there will be an upcharge.

I hope you found this blog entry helpful in understanding the major print technologies, at least with photo and certificate holders, so that you can make an informed choice for you or your clients. This should also apply to most customization on other flat cardstock-based products.

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