Rules of engagement

How to stand out in tough times

Rachel Torchia, founder
and president of Gateway
Title Agency Inc., offers
two tips to help your company stand out in tough
times.

Ask questions. “People
think the owner of the company is always right,” she
says. “We’re not. There are
answers that employees
may have that we can’t
find. We need them.
Sometimes we have to say,
‘I need your help.’

“I love to have someone
come up to me and say,
‘You know, I’ve been thinking about this, and I see
this, and I think there is a
better way to do this than
the way you have it.’

I say, ‘Show me.’ When
people come up and want
to change something about
what they do, it’s because
they want to learn more
and they want to grow.”

Make your service
shine. “The customer wants
to know that they matter. It
usually doesn’t cost anything;
it’s just the way you treat
people. When a customer
calls or comes into your business, what they are going to
remember about your company is what the last person
who touched them, talked to
them or serviced them did or
said.

“If you treat them like they
matter, they will tell other
people. They will come back.
Take that and put it into
every contact you have with
a customer.”

HOW TO REACH: Gateway Title Agency Inc.,
www.gatewaytitle.com or (440) 546-9660