Forced to do more with less, small businesses that have managed to survive or even thrive have recognized one key factor: You can’t always compete on price, but you can compete on service. And the best thing about great customer service is that providing it doesn’t cost anything. When your competition is scrounging for customers, you have to hold yours close, and that starts with great customer service.
“Today’s small-business owners should know that cutting costs will not save a business,” said Ed Hess, author of the new book “Growing an Entrepreneurial Business” and professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business. “Customers are concerned about their own finances. When they visit your business, they need to feel cherished. They don’t expect rock-bottom prices everywhere, but they do expect good treatment.”
Here are ways to create great customer service:
• Happy employees create happy customers. Employee satisfaction translates to great customer service. Employees who like their jobs and care about the business they work for are more likely to go the extra mile for a customer. Creating that feeling in your employees will pay you back exponentially.
• Always respond quickly. Your customers are busy, too. They shouldn’t be left wondering what kind of service they are going to receive or when. Answering email inquiries, returning phone calls and responding to messages or other contacts on Facebook or other social media should be part of a daily routine.
• Make it easy to do business with you. Never make customers jump through hoops to buy something from you. Have a return policy that is easy to understand and puts customer interests first. Provide refunds quickly and efficiently.
• Use technology to provide good service. Today’s technology offers every small business the means to provide service more quickly and efficiently than ever. “Business owners sometimes assume that customers don’t like to be communicated with online,” said Hess. “And for some that might be the case. But most people appreciate the ease that online communication provides.”
• Remember, disgruntled customers won’t complain; they just won’t come back. If you don’t take time to provide excellent service, customers won’t take time to tell you how to improve your business. What’s more, unhappy customers will tell others about their bad experience. And in this age of social media, the ripple effect can be very damaging. •
Daniel Kehrer can be reached at
editor@bizbest.com.
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