All small businesses have one thing in common: they provide superior customer service. If they don't, they will not be around for long – their larger competitors will eventually drive them out.
Customer service and the ability to personalise are what mark a small business and draw many customers to them. Small businesses online, especially, can set themselves apart from their competition if they provide superior customer service. Here are six ways to do just that.
- Drop everything to answer emails and phone calls
No matter what you are doing, if you
receive a telephone, email or other communication from a customer
or potential customer, drop whatever you're doing to answer
that communication. Even if it's just "OK, I'll get on
it," you'll convey to that customer that you are there for
them and quick to respond. This is especially true with prospects
who may be asking a question or requesting a quote.
- Do a little extra
This "go the extra mile"
bit has been repeated over and over. It is repeated often because
it is one of the simplest and most tried-and-true methods of making
contacts into customers and making customers into repeat customers.
Throw in a little extra – you don't have to give away the
farm, just do the little things that make people know you paid them
personal attention. Include a thank-you note in your shipping box,
do some extra "bonus" work on their website, give them a
branded pen ... do something extra and they'll appreciate you
for it.
- Keep your promises
If you make a promise to have
something done at a certain time, in a certain way, shipped at a
certain speed, etc., do your best to make sure it gets done. Stay
up all night, get to the post office early, do whatever it takes to
get it done the way you said it would be.
- Address problems immediately
Sometimes this one falls in with step
number one. If a customer comes to you with a complaint, a change,
etc., jump on it and fix it as quickly as you can. The faster you
get it fixed, the better off you'll be. Customers like to know
that you are on top of things and will take care of their issues
quickly and fairly. Do this and you'll always be number one to
them.
- Follow up on problems, questions, etc.
If you answer a question or fix a
problem, you should follow up on it later. Send an email, make a
phone call, or send a thank-you note to the customer and let them
know that you appreciate their concerns and hope that your fix was
to their liking. This piece of customer service is also a great
tactic to use after quoting a project or answering a question about
a product. It can create follow-through on the customer's part
and mean a sale or contract!
- Personalise communications
This may seem obvious, but a lot of
people using mass-marketing techniques (especially auto-responders)
fail to do this. If the email starts out with your name, you become
interested because you know that there's a good chance you
either asked for this or know the person sending it to you.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
