If you are running a small business and just getting started you may at this point have a great product backed by a good support network, but to put the real icing on the cake and distinguish yourself from the rest you need to provide excellent customer service. Otherwise you will have a very tough time setting yourself apart form others who have been in business longer. The fact is your best opportunity to compete involves customer service.
Essentially, customer service for the small business in question is a matter of giving every point of contact that you have with your customer a personal touch. No one likes to be treated like a number rather than as a person, and this is the simply the choice that big business has to make, given the fact that it services so many people. You, on the other hand, have a great deal more flexibility. You can get familiar with the client in question without worrying about ‘company policy’ and you can really take their concerns and their questions to heart.
When you are thinking of providing great customer service, remember that the better that th customer can associate you with the product, the better chance you have getting them back for repeat business. When you ship something off, think about including a hand written note of thanks. Include free gifts that you think they would like based on their purchase, and you’ll find that there are a great many small things that you can do to show them that you are someone who really thinks about their customers.
You can also follow up with them to make sure they got everything they need. In the event there are any complaints, you need to address them immediately. When there is any level of dissatisfaction take time to consider the circumstances that lead to it. Whenever you can fix it, even if you’re not directly at fault, fix it and make sure they understand that their satisfaction is of extreme importance to you. If you put the work in you can turn an unhappy customer into a happy one.
When you are considering how to get the best customer service that you can, never make promises that you can’t keep. For instance, if a customer wants a definite time that his or her project will be done, give them the time that you know the project will be completed, not the timeframe in which you hope it will be completed. If you can get something done earlier, that’s wonderful, but don’t risk disappointing a customer by putting up a deadline that you don’t think that you can hit.
Remember that as a small business that you can provide a level of support and customer care that a large company cannot match. You may have fewer clients, but make sure that the ones you have keep coming back for more!
68% of people will quit doing business with companies that have poor customer service! Discover how to give great customer service - learn the keys to good customer service at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service
- Kale McClelland
Highlights 
November 25th, 2008 