Does your customer service stack up?

cUSTOMER service is the most important function of your busi- ness.

Regardless of the product or service you sell, your ability to produce satisfied customers enables your company to prosper.

Customer service builds loyalty and earns the kind of quality reputation envied by competitors. Outstanding customer service can be mastered with the proper attitude and by focusing on the daily contacts with your customers,

An attitude of appreciation for your customers makes acquiring the habits of effective customer service a pleasure. In all areas of your business, it helps to remember that "to serve" is the true definition of customer service.

Here are some suggestions from Roger M. Hunsberger, ASR Industries, that will have enorrnous impact upon the people with whom you deal: Courtesy: a cordial greeting for all who contact your establishment in person or by telephone, regardless of their appearance or demeanor. They pay you a compliment by choosing your enterprise over the competition. Rcspond with sincere gratitude.

This includes answering the telephone immediately. Don't assume someone else will get it. Knowing the answers to the questions a caller may ask isn't all important. It's concern that they are not kept waiting that demonstrates you care. It will not go unnoticed.

Followup: don't let any inquiry languish. Prompt quotations can result in immediate sales, even when the price is higher. You may lose the sale, but gain a customer through your eagemess to serve his needs.

If you follow up fast, problems will not become complaints. Ask questions and provide solutions. Telephone messages, especially voice mail and elec-

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Thank you: you can't say it too many times. We all need to hear it.

People make a difference: we all see examples of good customer servers each day.

The salesperson who patiently assists a confused customer, always informing and helping, and never making the non-expert feel uncomfortable.

The credit person who recognizes that the loyal customer, with a previously good payment history, may need support as much as a reminder of payment due.

Managers who stay in touch with their customers, periodically calling just to say, "Thanks for your business."

No matter how sophisticated technology becomes, it will never replace the personal touch. Customer service in its essence is people. Salespeople who successfully interact with customers enable your business to survive and flourish.

Protect Your Share Of The Remodeling Market

With dwindling new home construction, the talk among building materials suppliers has been to pursue the expanding remodeling market. But even that has been tightening oflate.

The National Association of Home Builders recently calculated that home remodeling expenditures will fall this year for the first time in at least 20 years. They expect Americans to spend $105.7 billion in l99l on remodeling, a l.03%o dip from 1990's $106.8 billion.

NAHB explains fewer people are moving this year, causing remodeling expenditures to shrink. Money has gone more for maintenance and repairs rather than improvements.

"We've probably reached a saturation in households doing home improvements," seconded Judy Riggs, spokeswoman for the Home Improvement Research Sales Institute. "The growth now is from existing households."

And with so many retailers' increasing reliance on remodeling customers, competition is intensifying. To maintainand possibly even increaseyour share in these tough times, experts point to a credo among non-professional remodelers: "Keep the customer comfortable." Basics include:

' Bright sales floorneat, organized, well lit, showy, attractive displays.

' Accessible aisleswide, well marked. safe.

' Merchandiseneatly and fully stocked shelves, fresh looking products, logically situated, good selection, quality.

' Pricing.- competitive, clearly marked.

' Upbeat salespeoplehelpful, friendly, knowledgeable, interested, easy to locate, problem solvers.

' Extrasclinics, design terminals and specialists, specialty departments, refreshments, samples and freebies.

The winners are consumers. who can choose the best environment in which to shop, and retailers who can provide it.

New Glulam Beams Near Approval

With a green light from model code authorities, new high performance southern pine glued laminated timber beams will stretch span horizons for designers and builders.

New design stresses and layup combinations resulting from recent tests by the American Institute of Timber Construction with the Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wi., have been submitted to model code authorities for approval. Acceptance will open new opportunities for designers and contractors to specify glulams in competition with other engineered wood products and construction materials, an AITC spokesman said.

The results of the testing programs support the assignment of a bending stress of 3000 psi and a stiffnes,s or modulus of elasticity of 2.0 x 106 psi for the beam combinations of southern pine tested. These values will be applicable to glulam timbers made using nominal 2x4 and 2x6 dimension lumber typically used in header and purlin applications. Slightly lower bending stresses will be assigned for wider width members commonly used as primary supporting elements. (See Building Products Digest, July 1991, p. 17 for details on testing utilizing materials made by Anthony Forest Products Co., El Dorado, Ar.)

Southern pine used in the manufacture of glulam timbers has been shown to be of consistently higher quality than that used to generate the current published design stresses for the species. Joint AlTC/Louisiana State University southern pine beam tests conducted in 1990 at LSU revealed that bending stresses 20Vo or higher than existing published stresses for the species can be achieved.

Lumber Club May Admit Women

Bylaw changes to be voted upon by the Lumbermen's Club of Memphis Dec. l4 could allow qualified women to become active or honorary members and add an associate members category.

A recent survey revealed that over TOVI of the nearly 300 members were in favor of opening membership to women and business associates, according to William S. Decker III, president.

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TREATERS annual: (1) Joe Daniel, Fred Omundson, Bob Gowin. (2) Bob Hawes, Ed Abrams, Victor Lindenheim. (3) Trae McElheny, Carl Tucker, Tom Marr, Gus Staats. (4) Jeff Bull, Bob Oltmanns, Bob Michel. (5) Mike Dilbeck, Joe Elder. (6) Al Baxter. (7) Eric Yeadon. (8) Jim Batchelder, Ester & Ray Ohlis. (9) David Cusic. (10) John High- tower, John Cashmore. (11) Bob Smith, Rick Danielson. (12) Agnes 0sborne, David Hatcher. (13) Mike Wrenn, Corry McFarland. (14) Del Sahn, Bert Nowak. (15) Stan Elberg, Karl Brohammer. (16) Lou Fancher, Mary Rutowski. (17) James Beauchamp, Karl Brohammer, Richard Dannenburg. (18) Scott Kamprath, James McGougin, Buster

Julain, Ron Cauley. (19) Mike Pruett, Bill Arrants. (20) Rick Heath. (21) Tim Love, Joe Payne, Conrad Kempton. (22) Greg Busch, Bill Crossman. (23) Paul Phillips. (24) Mary Sullivan, Tonja Tate-Taylor. (25) Dennis Hayward. (26) Mike Freeman, Joe & Roberte lgnatoski.