Business memo 07/21/03

National speaker to talk on customer service

Rick Segel, a nationally known speaker, will address the topic of customer service and provide area businesses the tools they need when he presents "Customer Service -- Who Needs It?" from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Glenn Auditorium at Dempster Hall at Southeast Missouri State University.

Old Town Cape Inc., the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and Southeast Missouri State University are sponsoring this workshop. Rick Segel is being brought to Cape Girardeau through a grant from Staples Inc.

Chamber members or businesses in the Old Town Cape district that register before July 28 will pay $35 for this workshop. Non-members outside the Old Town Cape district must pay $60 per person. The cost of registration increases to $40 for members and $65 for nonmembers.

Segel, a certified speaking professional, is a retailer of 25 years and owns one of New England's most successful women's clothing specialty stores. He is also the marketing expert for Staples.com, a contributing writer for numerous national publications and a founding member of the Retail Advisory Council for Johnson and Wales University. Segel has authored five audio programs, two training videos and three books. His newest book, "Retail Business Kit for Dummies," published by Wiley Inc., became the No. 1 selling retail book in the United States in January 2002.

For more information about this workshop, call Tom Higgins, the chamber's small business development committee chairman, at 335-1456.

Downtown merchants name contest winners

Winners have been selected for the first annual Downtown Merchants Association Capescape Container Planting Contest. Judged by Cyndi Hall of Hall Family Eyecare and master gardener Marge Loiseau Bauerle, three categories of winners were chosen.

Innovative plantings first prize went to the Rose Bed Inn at 611 S. Sprigg, Rhea Optical at 1105 Broadway received second place and third went to the Woman's Store at 113 N. Main.

First place for aesthetics and wow power went to Port Cape at 19 N. Water, second place went to Red Letter Communications at 231 N. Main and Merriwether Investments at 20 N. Spanish won third.

Honorable mention winners were Marilyn's Salon at 231 Independence, Don's Automotive at 1018 Independence and the Plant Lady's Corner at 221 Independence.

Southeast accredited for mammography

Southeast Missouri Hospital has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation for its mammography services as the result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology.

The ACR is a national organization serving more than 32,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

Southeast's Mammography Service has also been notified that it has met the standards required to pass an annual Food and Drug Administration/Missouri Department of Health inspection.

-- From staff reports