POPLARVILLE – Business owners and managers must know how to deal with the good, the bad and the ugly and John O’Hara brought insight on how to do that to a Lunch and Learn at Pearl River Community College.
O’Hara is the chief executive officer of the Better Business Bureau in Mississippi. The event was co-sponsored by the Poplarville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Transparency – part of the good – allows customers to easily find ownership, address and contact information, licensing, length of time in business and warranty/guarantee information.
“It always surprises me when businesses don’t want to be transparent,” O’Hara said. “If people trust you, they’ll do business with you.”
Complaints come under the bad category but proper response minimizes the damage.
“Read the complaint, take a breath, respond, don’t take it personally,” he said. “Identify and address the issue and be professional.”
Businesses should also invite reviews or comments through a website, Facebook page or other avenue.
“Make it easy for customers to send reviews,” O’Hara said.
A variety of scams come under the ugly heading, including bogus office supply orders and demands for payment before a service is disconnected.
Owners and managers need to stay aware of the latest scams and train employees on how to handle them, he said.
John O’Hara, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Missisisppi, makes a point during a Lunch and Learn event co-sponsored by Pearl River Community College and the Poplarville Area Chamber of Commerce.
PRCC Public Relations photo
