In your quest to become the ‘biggest’ of small businesses, the way to success is banking on the things you, as a small business can offer that your larger competitors can’t touch. Rather than try to come off as a larger company than you are in reality, be honest. Tell customers about the special things you can do for them by virtue of being a small business. This, of course would be the ability to focus on a very narrow sector of the market - because if there’s one thing small businesses don’t usually do as well as the large players, it’s being able to give customers the variety a big business can. You also can provide personalized, friendly customer service; this is what will really make you stand out. Read on for some tips that will help you do just that!
The first thing to think about is how you have set it up so that your customers can talk to you. One frustrating thing that big business will do is make it hard to get in touch with them on a personal level; customers have to go through three or four layers of machines and emails before they get to talk to someone real. Make sure that you yourself are personally accessible on a regular basis. While an email is a great place to start, don’t let it end there.
Be sure to check your email as often as you can, at least twice daily. With email, people expect quick turnaround; don’t disappoint them. Being responsive to customer email will keep your customers happy and your reputation good. It bears repeating. Check your email often and respond as quickly as you can while trying to give a personal touch to your communication with customers.
In this vein, make your number available to customers, and actually answer it when they call. Answering your line promptly will let your customers know how important they are to you; they see you as an actual person who listens to their concerns and answers their questions rather than just as an abstracted name on the letterhead, or in an email. Having your number, and being able to speak to you personally means a lot to your customers. Neglect this tip at your own peril.
Finally, after your dealings with your customer have been complete, give them a call a little bit further down the line and ask them how the product or service is working out for them. Ask them if there is anything further that you can do, and whether or not the product needs any tweaking. This is a great way to figure out what you are doing right with your product and what needs to be changed. This is also a great way to make sure that your customer remembers you favorably after the transaction has been completed.
Communication is key to a small business. Don’t neglect this; a small business succeeds or fails based on customer service, so be sure to ingrain this idea into your corporate culture.
Did you know? FACT: 68% of people will quit doing business with companies that have poor customer service. Find out how to give great customer service - get effective customer service tips at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service
- Kale McClelland
Highlights 
August 19th, 2008 