Consulting / Speaking / Projects

October, 2008
Twin Cities Customer Service Conference
Woodbury, MN

Customer Skills, with partner company Twin Cities Venues, were pleased to sponsor the 2008 Twin Cities Customer Service Conference during National Customer Service Week.

On Tuesday, October 7, 2008, we hosted a day-long celebration event at the Woodbury Dancers Studio venue, with a number of local and national speakers highlighting the conference.

Customer Service and Sales professionals from around the Twin Cities enjoyed the speakers, the food and especially the dance training received during the breaks.

Take a look at the photos from the event here: www.2008tccsc.com

Come join us this coming fall, for the 2009 Twin Cities Customer Service Conference! Watch for details.

March, 2008
Dancers Studio
St. Paul, MN

Winner of the Mpls.-St. Paul Magazine 2007 "Best Dance Studio" award. This organization had a great internal "customer focus", but lacked any outside sales plan/activity.

We developed and implemented a number of simple, targeted outside sales and marketing strategies and related action steps, that would capture more consumer attention and market position within the Twin Cities marketplace.

Success: New graphic designer and team, new marketing materials, new ad campaigns, etc.

January, 2008
Civic Square Apartments and Clinic Suites
Rochester, MN

Recent acquisitions of residential apartment complexes by a client (occupancies ranging from 79%-83%). Hired and trained a new management and customer service team in increase occupancy and gross income.

The real reason for this project's success: Hiring people who know how to meet, greet, attract and retain profitable customers.

Success: Both complexes, by March, 2008, had occupancies near 100%.

February, 2012

Manage From Your Front Sidewalk

(or, how to tell what customers REALLY think!)

The old west movies always seem to have someone sitting in some wooden chair, right in front of the general store.  Rocking back and forth, and watching people as they go by and also enter/entrance the store.

By sitting in front of 'your' store today, you (as a manager), can glean lot's of information about your service levels.

Most customers will freely talk about their recent experience with your company, just outside of the 'transaction', or 'earshot' of employees.

And, you can really see why customers don't even come into your store (either online or brick-and-mortar) by listening to what they are saying in the outside world (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, BBB, forums, blogs, focus groups, competitors business levels, etc.).