Consistently providing great customer service is a vital asset to any company. While price can be an important conversion point, customers also value their shopping experience and take that into consideration when deciding which company they do business with.
In markets where customers have several options, companies that offer a pleasant, hassle-free, shopping experience are more likely to be successful. Therefore it is crucial that your company not only offer a competitive pricing model, but also have an organized plan of how you handle customer’s needs and questions.
You should view your customer service practice as the lifeblood of your company. Offering numerous promotions and price cuts can increase your client base exponentially. However if your service is not satisfying enough for customers to come back, then your business will not remain profitable over the long run. When you satisfy your customers, they not only help you grow by continuing to do business with you, but they will also express their satisfaction for your business and recommend your service to friends and associates.
Here are a few tips to help your small business consistently deliver great customer service:
1.) Flip the organizational chart. Today the customer is more the boss than the CEO or Managing Director. Listen to your customers! They tell us what they want, how and when they want and we need to respond accordingly. Ultimately it is the customer who is paying the employees’ salaries, not the manager.
2.) Identify and anticipate customer needs. The better you know your customers, the better you become at anticipating their needs.
3.) Listen to your customers. Customers are constantly talking and offering ways to improve. Ask the right questions and focus on what is really being said – their words, tone of voice, body language, point of view. Really listen to the customer. Make sure you’re not making assumptions by thinking you intuitively know what the customer wants.
4.) Answer your phone. Get call forwarding, an answering service or hire staff if you need to, but make sure that someone answers the phone – efficiently and courteously. Whoever is answering the phone must be knowledgeable of your business and able to help when your customers call.
Check back Friday for the second installment of Delivering Superb Customer Service where we’ll go over some more tips on providing outstanding customer service.
From time to time, members from the Vistaprint staff will contribute articles to the Vistaprint Small Business Blog. Today we have a post from Charlene Ashley, Manager, Preferred & Creative Services.
