SBANC Newsletter
June
28, 2005
Issue
378-2005
QUOTE
"We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless
we're in touch with our customers, our model of the world can
diverge from reality. There's no substitute for innovation,
of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch,
either."
-- Steve
Ballmer
FEATURE
PAPER
Goverance
Mechanisms for Customer Interaction in Smaller
Professional Service Firms
This paper was presented by John C. Goodale from the University
of Oregon, and Donald F. Kuratko and Jeffrey S. Hornsby from
Ball State University at the 2004 USASBE National Conference.
ABSTRACT
Based on a survey of 257 accountants, lawyers, insurance advisors
and financial planners, a set of governance mechanisms were identified
that influence behavior in smaller professional service firms.
The results suggest four factors—Company Procedures,
Professional Influence, Educational Development and Goals—which
serve as a control structure for employee behavior when interacting
with customers. Regarding the Company Procedures significant differences
were observed between the factor level means for company sales, gross
income, industry, education level, and company ownership. Also, when
examining
Educational
Development, significant differences were observed between the factor
level means for gross income, industry, and education.
Read the Entire Paper...
TIP
OF THE WEEK
Components
of Customer Satisfaction
A number of factors under a firm's control contribute to customer
satisfaction. One classic article discussing satisfied customers
identifies the following four key elements:
1. The most basic benefits of the product or service -- the elements
that customers expect all competitors to deliver.
2. General support services, such as customer assistance.
3. A recovery process for counteracting customers' bad experiences.
4. Extraordinary services that excel in meeting customers' preferences
and make the product or service seem customized.
Extraordinary service is the factor that small firms are in a
unique position to offer. Relationship marketing proponent Patrick
Daly, who oversees a customer relations program for a company in
Redwood City, California, suggests the following ways to provide
extraordinary service:
• Naming names.
In today's detached, "just give me
your account number" world, nothing is more well received
than individual, personalized attention. Even though you may already
be courteous and friendly to customers, greeting them by name is
valued 10 times more on the "worthy of loyalty" scale.
• Customer care. Customers pretty much know what they do
and don't want from your company. If you remember what they want
on an individual basis -- even if it's something as simple as knowing
a dry cleaning customer likes light starch in his collars -- then
you have mastered one of the key elements of a strong loyalty program.
• Keeping in touch.
You can't communicate enough on a me-to-you basis with your customers.
And don't just connect to make a pitch.
Clip out a newspaper or magazine article that pertains to a customer's
business and send it to him or her with a note saying "FYI
-- though you'd be interested." When customers know that you're
taking time to think about them, they don't forget it.
• "Boo-boo research." Part
of any customer loyalty program is taking the time to reach out
to lost customers to learn
why they went elsewhere. In many cases, just contacting them and
showing them that you really care about getting their business
will win them back -- along with their contribution to your profits.
Providing exceptional customer service can give small firms a
competitive edge, regardless of the nature of the business. Small
firms must realize that is costs far more to replace a customer
than to keep one. Offering top-notch customer service is something
they can do better than large firms.
Longnecker,
Justin G., et al. Small Business Management: An Entrepreneurial
Emphasis. 13th ed. Mason, Ohio: Thomson South-Western, 2006. 289-290.
CONFERENCES
Decision Sciences Institute
Decision
Sciences Institute will hold its 2005 International Meeting at
the IESE Business School, University of Navarra, in Barcelona, Spain
on July 3-6, 2005.
For more information, visit: http://www.iese.edu/en/events/projects/dsi2005/home
Academy of International Business
The
Academy of International Business will hold its 2005 Annual Meeting
at The Québec City Convention Centre in Québec City,
Canada on July 9-12, 2005.
For
more information, visit: http://aib.msu.edu/events/2005/
American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE)
The American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) will hold
its Southwest Regional Conference in The Peabody Hotel in Little
Rock, Arkansas on July 22-23, 2005. The theme for this conference
will be "Managing Our Future... In an Energy Competitive Market."
For more information, visit: http://www.aabe.org/conferences/index.html
The
Meetings Group, Beyond Borders, and HSMAI World Quest
The Meetings Group, Beyond Borders, and HSMAI World Quest will
hold the 2005 HSMAI World Quest - Planning International Meetings
in three American cities in July. The meeting is a one-day
educational program for planning meetings outside the continental
US. The meeting will take place in Washington DC on July 22, 2005,
New York City on July 25, 2005, and Chicago, Illinois on July 29,
2005. Topics to be addressed include: international protocol,
freight forwarding/customs/VAT reimbursement, devalued US currency/financial
transactions, and the latest trends in international meeting plannings.
For
more information, visit: http://www.hsmaiworldquest.com
Computing,
Communication and Control Technologies (CCCT '05)
The
Third International Conference on Computing, Communication and Control
Technologies will be held at the Omni Austin Hotel in Austin, Texas
on July 24-27, 2005. The conference will address computing and informations
systems and technologies, communication systems, technologies and
applications, control systems, technologies and applications on computing,
and communication and control technologies.
For more information, visit: http://www.iiisconfer.org/ccct05/
CALL
FOR PAPERS
IPSI-2005
MONTENEGRO
IPSI
will hold the International IPSI-2005 Montenegro Conference at the
Hotel Sveti Stefan in Montenegro on October 1-8, 2005. Topics will
include education, computer science and engineering, B2B, B2C, e-business
management, and more.
Submission Deadline: June 30, 2005
For more information, visit: http://www.internetconferences.net/montenegro2005/index.html
Marketing
Management Association (MMA)
The
Marketing Management Association (MMA) will hold its 10th Annual
Fall Educators' Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on September
24-27, 2005. The conference will focus on topics related to teaching,
research, and service.
Submission Deadline: July 15, 2005
For more information, visit: http://www.mmaglobal.org
Association
for Global Business
The
Association for Globabl Business will hold its 17th International
Conference at the Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, in Miami, Florida on
November 17-19, 2005. All topics in business disciplines (accounting,
finance, international business, management and marketing), economics,
management information systems and computer science, political science,
public administration, and global strategies are appropriate.S\
Submission Deadline: July
15, 2005
For more information, visit: http://falcon.jmu.edu/~damanpfx
Small Business Institute (SBI)
The
Small Business Institute (SBI) will hold the 2005 Small Business
Institute Annual Eastern Conference at The Omni William Penn Hotel
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 16-17, 2005. This conference
is open to all those with an interest in small business and entrepreneurship,
and it is not limited to only members of the SBI Eastern region.
Submission Deadline: August 1, 2005
For more information, visit: http://www.duq.edu/sbdc
Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ASBE)
The
Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ASBE) will hold
its Fall Conference at the La Posada de Albuquerque in Albuquerque,
New Mexico on October 5-7, 2005. As in years past, there will
be best paper awards; these papers will also be published in the
Journal
of Business & Entrepreneurship.
Irwin/McGraw Hill will fund a doctoral paper competition ($1,000
prize).
Submission Deadline: August 15, 2005
For more information, visit: http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/research/asbe/ASBE_Website/callforpapers.htm
The SBANC Newsletter is provided as a service to the members of our affiliates:
Academy of Collegiate Marketing Educators (ACME), Association for Small Business& Entrepreneurship
(ASBE), Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), Federation of Business Disciplines
(FBD), International Council for Small Business Congress (ICSBC), Institute
for Supply Management, The International Small Business Congress (ISBC),
Marketing Management Association (MMA), Small Business Administration (SBA),
Service Corps of Retired Executives, Small Business Institute (SBI), Society
for Marketing Advances (SMA), United States Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship
(USASBE), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Western Decision Sciences
Institute (WDSI). If you are interested in membership or would like further
information on one of our affiliates, please see our web site at http://www.sbaer.uca.edu
SBANC
STAFF
Main Office Phone: (501) 450-5300
Dr. Don B. Bradley III, Executive
Director of SBANC & Professor
of Marketing
Direct Phone: (501) 450-5345, E-mail: donb@uca.edu
Esther
Mead, Graduate Research, E-mail: esthermead@gmail.com
Ashley
Ford, Development Intern, E-mail: ASHatsbanc@hotmail.com
Brad Lawrey, Development Intern, E-mail: bradlawrey@hotmail.com
Olivia Johnson, Development Intern, E-mail: reneeatuca_2003@hotmail.com
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Newsletter, please E-mail SBANC at sbanc@uca.edu
