Customer Service is Key
Small business owners know that to find a loyal customer base, you have to stand out from your competitors. One of the best, and easiest, ways to do that is to have outstanding customer service. How you treat your customers reflects on your entire business. Your customers deserve to be treated well. They are supporting your business. Many small business owners focus a lot of attention on their products and services, with customer service remaining an afterthought. Remember that without customers, you have no business.
Happy Customers are Returning Customers
It is less expensive to bring back a happy customer than it is to attract new business. Existing customers are more likely to make a purchase or do business with you than new ones are. Some reports suggest that loyal customers can be worth as much as ten times their initial purchase.
Great customer service makes your customers feel important. You can have a fantastic product or service—and that will go a long way to building your business—but your customers will also remember how you treat them. If you treat them well, they’re more likely to be satisfied with their experience and that will keep them coming back. If someone has an issue with your product or service, good customer service can be the difference between having the opportunity to resolve the issue or losing the customer altogether.
Happy Customers Tell Their Friends
Word-of-mouth is far more valuable than advertising. People trust recommendations from friends. Happy customers tell their friends. Those friends may become new customers who in turn tell their friends. Word of mouth is the best advertising you can get.
“Good customer service should be a pleasure,” says Porters Client Liaison manager Tammy Porter. “It’s not about winning someone over. It’s about building good relationships and enjoying the interaction.”
“For us at Porters we love connecting with clients, we want to know how we can improve and how we can best meet the needs of clients. That is what makes coming to work worthwhile. It gives us greater job satisfaction.”
As a small business owner you can’t get it right 100% of the time but you can put 100% effort into building customer connection in order to provide the best and most appropriate service. This is what separates faceless corporate entities from small business. Word of Mouth referrals are a fortunate by-product.
Happy Customers Write Positive Reviews
Giving customers the opportunity to review your business on Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites, spreads the word about your product and service. Even if a review is not what you hoped for, you should acknowledge the comments and propose a solution. Genuine care for excellent customer service means being open to hearing feedback and always looking to improve to meet customer needs.
It’s not difficult to implement great customer service policies and procedures. By focusing on customer service you show your customers you care; when they feel cared for, they come back and they tell their friends.
Learn how to set up Google Business for reviews.
If you would like to provide a review for our testimonials page, please email simon@portersca.com or review us on Google or Facebook
If you’d like to chat more about your business, please get in touch to find out how we can help you grow.
