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Show 2 Signpost Tuesday, July 30, 1985 Boost needed with customer service Customer service may not be dead, but it's certainly down for the count in many retail businesses in Utah. Shoe salesmen don't put shoes on customers anymore, big department stores seem like endless caverns where customers are doomed to wander unassisted forever, and just try to get more than a vague wave of the hand and an "over there" when you ask where something is located. Dr. C. Daniel Litchford, a professor who teaches customer service and customer relations at Weber State College, said that "most sales people don't smile, they don't look at you and if they speak it's a grunt, groan or snort." "Most people do not give service," Dr. Litchford said. "Some studies have shown that sales have increased 20 percent simply by getting the salespeople to smile 20 percent just for a smile." The WSC professor noted that not all stores are guilty of customer neglect, but he said too often sales clerks give the impression that the customer is a bother, rather than the most important ingredient to their success. Dr. Litchford said, "The philosophies of companies recognized the importance of customer service, but it's not out there a lot... They don't do much training on how to do those kinds of things." Training, he said, is the pamacea for the ills of customer service and is a must if businesses expect to survive. Dr. Litchford cited recent studies saying that 82 out of every 100 customers are lost because of customer service problems. He said, "To survive, a company will have to change. The company that doesn't put time, effort and money into sales training will not be here in ten years." He added, "People will pay more and will drive out of their way to a place where people make them feel good. They don't even feel the sting of paying." Dr. Litchford said that people don't want to be conned with a hard-driving sales approach, but they do want to be serviced. "I believe the manipulative approach is gone. People resent that. Now clerks need to takle a more consultative approach 'I'm here to help you' and they'll see that reflected in sales," he said. But what can customers do now? Dr. Litchford said, "Apathy is contagious, but so is enthusiasm, and in the end the positive will win. There tends to be such a norm for apathy that we don't realize it." He added, "It's a risk to be pleasant to everyone. People think you're weird, but the payoff is good." He quoted John Wesley as saying, "I set my heart on fire and people come to watch me burn." The opposite, he said, is the very common feeling of having sales clerks "treat you like an idiot." PBL takes national honors Members of the Weber State College chapter of Phi Beta Lambda recently returned from their National Leadership Conference in Houston, Texas, where they received top state and national honors. The following WSC students received awards on the national level: Val Durrant of Kaysville, 3rd place in Word ProcessingMachine Transcription; Nancy Stef-fensen of Farmington, 6th place in Business Communications; Jeff Sillito of Salt Lake City, 2nd place in Mr. Future Business Teacher of America; Scott Baxter of North Ogden, 5th place in Job Interview. Scott Knell of Tremonton was elected the new Utah State President along with Carolyn Henrie of Ogden as Secretary and Scott Baxter as Parliamentarian. Phi Beta Lambda is a national business-student association that promotes free enterprise, leadership, and scholastic improvement. PBL is the college extension of Future Business Leaders of America and is Weber State's only nationally affiliated business organization. Students who received first place honors in the state business competitions are allowed to compete on the national level against students from across the nation who have been winners of their state competitions. Utah returned with the most number of first through fifth place award winners in the United States with Weber State College and Southern Utah State receiving the bulk of those awards in the state. PBL is actively involved in community events and solicits area business involvement and comment. Interested students and community members should call 626-6060 for more information. SAILBOARD LESSONS Rentals $5Hr. at Pineview Reservoir near Port Ramp Tues. Thurs. Fri. Sat. 1-5PM For More Information Phone 393-7879 or stop at Alpine Spoort Shop operated under special use permit on the Wasatch-Cache National Forest vy WEBER STATE CABLE CABLE CHANNEL 20 Tune In! THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS "PREDICTION" JULY 30, l:30 pm "Ogden's Own Education And Information Resourse" The Signpost will resume publishing on Tuesday, Sept. 24. BRiNG HOME $5,000 (or more) From your year in Philadelphia. Call for Information (801) 582-9420 NURSERY NANNIES INC A Personalized Placement Agency Prepare For: LSAT - Oct. 5 Classes Start Aug 3 GMAT - Oct. 19 Classes start Aug 17 GRE - Oct 12 Classes start Aug 3 MCAT - Sept. 21 Classes start June 22 DAT -Oct. 5 Classes start Aug 3 Permanent Centers open days, evenings and weekends. Low hourly cost. Dedicated full-time staff. Complete TEST-n-TAPEffacllltles for review of class lessons and supplementary materials. Small classes taught by skilled instructors. Opportunity to make up missed lessons. Voluminous home-study materials constantly updated by researchers expert in their field. Opportunity to transfer to and continue study at any of our over 80 centers. 0& tomOtll ) wzrnn I y EDUCATIONAL CENTER ft "T TEST PflEBUUOTON V ' SPEC1AUSTSSMCE1838 Call Days. Eves & Weekfnds 450 So. 900 E. 84102 Salt Lake Fcr Inform ( ion About Oiler Ccnttrs Call collect 363-4444 |