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How to remember customer names: write them down

By Rob Hatch

Guest post by Rob Hatch Chris Brogan recently shared a story of a local bookstore in his hometown. He asked them to order a specific book for him that wasn’t in stock. The owner wrote down his name and phone number and told him she’d order it. The next week, when he walked in the […]

May 28, 2021 Filed Under: customer service, marketing, rural, Small Biz 100 Tagged With: Chris Brogan, customer service, memory, Rob Hatch, tips

Open Up – It’s the Customers

By Chris Brogan

1950s crowd at a Soda Fountain

As different places begin to allow local businesses to open up, you’re not alone if you’re breathing a sigh of relief mixed with a gasp of worry. We all need the money. We all want to get back to being useful for the people we serve. And some or most of us are worried about […]

May 19, 2020 Filed Under: customer service, economic development, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, rural, shop local, trends Tagged With: change, Chris Brogan, coronavirus, COVID19, crisis communications, customer service, disaster, economic development, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, guest post, recovery, reopening, resilience, shop local

Crowdsourced ideas for coffee shops and other third places

By Becky McCray

Coffee shop with local art displayed on the walls

  At the Main Street Now conference, I sat in on a session about coffee shops. I wrote down bunches of ideas that the audience shared. I thought you might know a coffee shop person, or you might think of ways to use these with other types of small town businesses. Hold trivia nights or […]

May 20, 2019 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, Small Biz 100 Tagged With: coffee shops, coffeesoutside, community, crowdsourced, customer service, food business, gathering, restaurant, small business, small business success, success, third places

Is This Service?

By Glenn Muske

If this happened to you as a customer, how would you feel? Our washer has a problem. Service person came out and ordered a part for it. Part should be here in two weeks and made the next appointment. The day before the appointment, I get an automated call. If my issue was a service […]

June 13, 2018 Filed Under: Small Biz 100, success Tagged With: customer service, good customer service, good service, service businesses

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