Happy Returns

CUSTOMER SERVICE

HAPPY RETURNS The painless way to grow your business

Many 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 service is actually one of your best marketing allies. Word of mouth is more valuable than any advertising you can buy. Customers who are satisfied with your service will tell other customers – it’s as simple as that. By providing the best customer service in your field of business, you are standing out – and people are going to talk about you. Your brand will be imprinted on their memory. Wouldn’t you agree that it’s worth the effort?

Solving problems

No business is perfect – there are always going to be problems, no matter how hard you try to anticipate them. What does make a difference is how you handle problems and complaints when they do arise. Let customers know that you are happy to hear their complaints – and deal with them effectively. You will cement your reputation as a business that is good to do business with, and customers will repay you with their loyalty.

Customer care

There was a time when selling was the be-all and end-all of business. As long as you closed a sale, it didn’t matter how. Nowadays, customers expect to be treated with dignity and respect. People don’t like to be treated like numbers and they don’t want to be bullied into buying things they don’t need – they want more from the consumer experience than simply handing over money in exchange for product. By taking the time to understand your customers and cater to their needs, you will be providing them with the customer service they expect. Is there something you can do to make things more convenient for your customers? Is there a way you can make them smile? Something as simple as providing places for tired customers to sit can make them happy and keep them coming back. If you offer poor customer service, you can forget about growing your business. Your only option will be to cut costs. However, once you start applying the principles of great customer service, you will start enjoying positive results.