When it comes to any small business we all have one thing in common; the customers. In order to set yourself apart from the competition it's important to have good customer service practices. If you look at some of the companies you do business with today it's possible they have questionable customer relations. This only translates into a loss of profits, which could end up leaving your company with short-term success. Here are 10 ways to keep it from happening
1. Know Your Customers Knowing your customers can be thought of in two ways. The first is to literally know them by name if your business is small enough to facilitate this. Knowing customers by name and remembering their preferences builds a bond between you and the individual that will benefit both of you for years to come.
For businesses that are too large to know individual customers by name, you can still know them by understanding who your core demographic is. Who are the people most likely to buy your product; what are their preferences; how does your product fit into their lifestyle? Knowing these things is necessary for you to know how to relate to your customers.
2. The Customer is Always Right We understand that this isn't always the case, but it's how a company should present their business. If the demands of the customer are within reason then you should be more than happy to help. Otherwise they will leave and go with a competitor.
3. Hire the Best Quality employees or outsourcing suppliers are a big part of any business. You want people that have patience and the willingness to help others. Companies that hire 'low-quality' employees will end up with people who don't care about their job or the customers. This can be extremely detrimental to your small business.
4. Be Good to Your Employees The better you treat your employees the better they will treat the customers. If you're demanding too much with limited pay through the payroll then they're less likely to care about the business. Don't ever treat them as tools or they will act the same ways towards the customers.
5. Fast Response Times Have you ever waited on the phone for 20 to 30 minutes just to get an issue resolved? It's happened to a lot of people, and it has caused friction in the customer-business relationship. Your company should be ready and willing to provide fast response times during business hours. If you receive an email from a concerned customer it shouldn't take a few days to get back with them.
6. The Right Language Another area to focus on is paying a little more for employees that speak your language. They need to communicate well with customers in a clear and concise manner. If they are struggling to relay their concerns they will be very unhappy. Remember; if they're calling in there is already an issue they're dealing with, and this will only make things worse.
7. Be Proactive An ongoing assessment of customer service relationships is helpful in identifying recurring issues, so that they can be avoided in the future. Address recurring issues by developing proactive strategies to mitigate them. The more issues you can prevent ahead of time, the better your customer service will be.
8. Show Customers your Appreciation Customers like to know that you appreciate their business. Special promotions or sale items targeted at regular customers goes a long way in showing your appreciation. They also go a long way in building loyalty to your company.
9. Ask for Customer Feedback A good way to learn from your mistakes is by asking customers for any type of feedback. Try to make it anonymous so they are more willing to lay everything on the line. Just think of it as constructive criticism to help you become more successful.
10. Remember that Customers are Everything In the end, without customers your company won't have a leg to stand on. Those who are in the middle and upper management positions should definitely remember it. If you always remember that business revolves around people, the customers will never become statistics. You need them, because they will be the core of your small business.
1. Know Your Customers Knowing your customers can be thought of in two ways. The first is to literally know them by name if your business is small enough to facilitate this. Knowing customers by name and remembering their preferences builds a bond between you and the individual that will benefit both of you for years to come.
For businesses that are too large to know individual customers by name, you can still know them by understanding who your core demographic is. Who are the people most likely to buy your product; what are their preferences; how does your product fit into their lifestyle? Knowing these things is necessary for you to know how to relate to your customers.
2. The Customer is Always Right We understand that this isn't always the case, but it's how a company should present their business. If the demands of the customer are within reason then you should be more than happy to help. Otherwise they will leave and go with a competitor.
3. Hire the Best Quality employees or outsourcing suppliers are a big part of any business. You want people that have patience and the willingness to help others. Companies that hire 'low-quality' employees will end up with people who don't care about their job or the customers. This can be extremely detrimental to your small business.
4. Be Good to Your Employees The better you treat your employees the better they will treat the customers. If you're demanding too much with limited pay through the payroll then they're less likely to care about the business. Don't ever treat them as tools or they will act the same ways towards the customers.
5. Fast Response Times Have you ever waited on the phone for 20 to 30 minutes just to get an issue resolved? It's happened to a lot of people, and it has caused friction in the customer-business relationship. Your company should be ready and willing to provide fast response times during business hours. If you receive an email from a concerned customer it shouldn't take a few days to get back with them.
6. The Right Language Another area to focus on is paying a little more for employees that speak your language. They need to communicate well with customers in a clear and concise manner. If they are struggling to relay their concerns they will be very unhappy. Remember; if they're calling in there is already an issue they're dealing with, and this will only make things worse.
7. Be Proactive An ongoing assessment of customer service relationships is helpful in identifying recurring issues, so that they can be avoided in the future. Address recurring issues by developing proactive strategies to mitigate them. The more issues you can prevent ahead of time, the better your customer service will be.
8. Show Customers your Appreciation Customers like to know that you appreciate their business. Special promotions or sale items targeted at regular customers goes a long way in showing your appreciation. They also go a long way in building loyalty to your company.
9. Ask for Customer Feedback A good way to learn from your mistakes is by asking customers for any type of feedback. Try to make it anonymous so they are more willing to lay everything on the line. Just think of it as constructive criticism to help you become more successful.
10. Remember that Customers are Everything In the end, without customers your company won't have a leg to stand on. Those who are in the middle and upper management positions should definitely remember it. If you always remember that business revolves around people, the customers will never become statistics. You need them, because they will be the core of your small business.
About the Author:
Learn more about payroll services for small business. Stop by Conor Kindel's site where you can find out all about payroll outsourcing.
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