Excellent customer service can make or break your small business. If you put your customers at the centre of everything you do, you will stand out from the crowd and gain a competitive advantage. We share 5 customer service tips below that can give your business the “wow factor”!
Personalise Your Customer Experience
One benefit of being a small business is that you can personalise your customer experience. You can get to know your customers better on a name, not just a business basis by calling to see how they are and perhaps even arrange a coffee for a catch-up. This will be memorable and make them feel valued.
Prompt Communication
Another way to stand out is to respond to your customer communications promptly. Make sure you have processes in place such as answering the phone within 3 rings, answering emails same day, and responding to social media or website requests immediately. If your customers or potential customers know that you are there for them, it will put you in good stead.
Embrace Customer Feedback
Take your customer feedback seriously. You may think you know your customers well, but do you really? It’s interesting, for example, what a survey can reveal. Instead of looking at feedback negatively, rather view it as an opportunity to show that you are really listening to them by putting into practice actions that address the issues raised. You may even find that customer loyalty (and referrals!) increases.
Deliver What You Promise
Ensure that what you are promoting or promising about your product or service offering is actually what you deliver. If there is a disconnect between your message and actuality, you risk losing a customer, or even worse, the lack of trust about your business can be communicated by your lost customers to others and affect your brand reputation, not to mention, your bottom line. It is better to underpromise and over deliver to delight!
Inspire Your Customers
We are all human and sometimes things can go wrong. Instead of just a simple apology to your customer, which may or may not be well received, why not also surprise them with a gift card and handwritten note? This shows that your business took the time to care and truly wants to get things right in the customer’s best interest. Remember the introduction to this article, place your customer at the centre of everything! Inspire them, surpass their expectations, and be memorable.
Summary
Improving your customer service is often the key to survival, growth, and success, in particular, for small businesses. Evaluate today if your customer service has the “wow factor”.
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