CUSTOMER SERVICE
S N R U T E R Y P HAP
ow your business The painless way to gr
M
any experts agree that customer service is by far the most important part of any business. You simply cannot have too much of it. That’s because there are only two ways to improve your business operations, namely increasing sales or cutting costs. Now most of the time small businesses have already cut their costs as much as they can, but there is no limit to how much you can improve customer service – and better customer service means more sales. Here are five reasons to back that up.
Great customer service builds trust Why should consumers choose your brand over another? These days there are plenty of alternatives to choose from. People need a very good reason to stay loyal to you. You have to work very hard to build customers’ trust in your brand. By offering excellent customer service, you are giving them a reason to trust you and think twice before switching to another brand.
Customer service trumps price More and more studies and surveys are finding that the majority of consumers
believe that price is less important than customer service. To get the right experience, they are willing to pay more.
Building brand awareness
Customer care
There was a time when selling was the be-all and Customer service is actually one of your end-all of business. As long as best marketing allies. Word of mouth you closed a sale, it didn’t matter how. is more valuable than any advertising Nowadays, customers expect to be you can buy. Customers who are treated with dignity and respect. People satisfied with your service will tell other don’t like to be treated like numbers customers – it’s as simple as that. By and they don’t want to be bullied into providing the best customer service in buying things they don’t need – they your field of business, you are standing want more from the consumer experience out – and people are going to talk about than simply handing over money in you. Your brand will be imprinted on exchange for product. By taking the time their memory. Wouldn’t you agree that to understand your customers and cater it’s worth the effort? to their needs, you will be providing them with the customer service they expect. Is there something you can do to Solving problems make things more convenient for your No business is perfect – there are customers? Is there a way you can make always going to be problems, no matter them smile? Something as simple as how hard you try to anticipate them. providing places for tired customers to What does make a difference is how you sit can make them happy and keep them handle problems and complaints when coming back. they do arise. Let customers know that If you offer poor customer service, you you are happy to hear their complaints can forget about growing your business. – and deal with them effectively. Your only option will be to cut costs. You will cement your reputation as a However, once you start applying the business that is good to do business with, and customers will repay you with principles of great customer service, you will start enjoying positive results. their loyalty.
