In an economic downturn, customer loyalty is of utmostimportance to businesses looking to keep their sales up and theirdoors open, and Copiah-Lincoln Community College is offering aclass that can help bolster public image for businesses.

Co-Lin Workforce Training Specialist Celeste Williamson saidfrom 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, August 25, anyone who deals withcustomers will have the chance to learn four very importantelements of keeping customers happy.

“They are, ‘Greet me, respect me, listen to me, and really helpme,'” she said. “We’ll watch the video and facilitate discussionand encourage interaction between participants.”

And the principle of it should be simple, Williamson said.

“Everyone could be an authority on customer service becausewe’ve all been customers, and we know when we leave happy,” shesaid. “You think, ‘Well that’s common sense that you’d greet thecustomer,’ but obviously it’s not common sense because if it was wewouldn’t need the class.”

The point of the class is not only to encourage customerrelations, but also to save money by keeping customers satisfiedand coming back, Williamson said.

“It’s harder and more expensive to get new customers than tokeep your current customers,” she said. “In bad economic times whenyou’re looking at the bottom line, it makes more sense to keep thecustomers you have happy than to rely on to bringing in newcustomers.”

Attendees to the class will be given a booklet with notes onthings they need to think about when dealing with customers,Williamson said, and it is free to the public.

“That’s everyone and anyone who deals with the public,” shesaid.

The Workforce Education Division is also offering a class called”The Art of Yoga,” starting Sept. 1 at the Thames Center on campus.A $60 registration fee and a yoga mat are required. That class willmeet for six weeks on Tuesdays from 6-7 p.m., Williamson said.

The deadline to register for classes is Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Meanwhile, Williamson said the Workforce Education Division atCo-Lin has something for anyone looking to better themselves, withclasses on computer skills, online professional development, andentrepreneurship, as well as about 300 other topics.

More information is available at (601) 643-8714, or at the Website, www.colin.edu/workforceed.