Oz was no Wizard at customer service.

• Author: Baker, Kevin

The author of the following article finds more than entertainment in the story of the Wizard of Oz. Instead, he cites the Wizard's flaws that offer real world lessons for growing your business

In the Wizard of Oz, the title character is beloved and revered by all the people in that magical land over the rainbow. Yet when you look at it from a small financial business and customer service perspective, it's really hard to understand why.

In fact, the Great and Powerful Oz is probably one of the best examples of what not to do if you want to grow your financial business, whether you run a small accounting, banking, or other financial company. Let's take a look at some of his mistakes and see how an alternative strategy might suit your business better.

* Be difficult to reach. In order to seek an audience with the Wizard, Dorothy and her friends must first navigate a strange and unfamiliar landscape with confusing twists and turns. It's a little more difficult than the simple advice to follow the yellow brick road. How tough are you to reach? Is your contact information (phone number or e-mail, or both) clearly spelled out on your Web site, or do you hide behind a contact form? Clients and prospects don't like filling out forms. They want to speak to a real person. Make it easy for them. Actually publish your phone and e-mail information in the "Contact Us" section. Even better, add a "Call Us" button on the site that automatically makes the call for the client.

* Hide behind a gatekeeper. When Dorothy and her friends finally get to Oz, they think they're going to make an appointment and see the Wizard. Instead, the gatekeeper says Oz never sees anyone. (The gatekeeper is the same actor who plays the Wizard, but I've never been sure if that's because the Wizard is in disguise or the movie production company is saving a salary.) When clients or prospects call your business, can they get through to the person they're calling? You want to make sure your phone system makes it easy to get to the right person. A virtual phone system helps with that because its virtual receptionist can direct callers to the right extension, even if they don't know the extension. It also provides options to forward office phones to home, mobile, or other phones, making you and your employees reachable even when you're out of the office.

* Work in an ivory tower. Or in this case in Emerald City. The Wizard only knows his own perspective because he never sees or talks to...