Customer service is the backbone of every small business. Not only do you need to attract new customers, but you also need to satisfy existing ones so you can sustain your business. Exceptional customer service is the best way to draw customers from both categories to your company. Regardless of which products or services your business offers, great customer service keeps clients coming back. If you want to build a successful small business, create superior customer service by implementing these four tips.
Hire Passionate People
As your business grows, you’ll need to hire employees to keep up with customer demand. The people you choose to hire at this early stage can make or break your business. You need to choose people who are as passionate about the business as you are because they will enhance the company. Your employees should also have a deep-rooted desire for providing superior customer service. Search for people who demonstrate the following qualities.
- Creativity
- Adaptability
- Attentive listening
- Conflict resolution
- Decision making
Make Communication Easy
It can quickly become exhausting trying to answer customer calls by yourself. It may result in longer call wait times or a delay in returned calls. This leads to subpar customer service and may cause clients to turn to the competition for the products and services they need. If customers can’t communicate easily with the company, they may stop doing business with you.
Using a virtual answering service could be the ideal solution for you. Not only does this lessen your workload, but it also gives customers assurance that their feedback has been heard and their concerns are being addressed. In many cases, you can even customize the answering service to supply answers to many frequently asked questions. This gives customers easy access to the answers they seek without tying up your valuable time.
Analyze Customer Feedback
While an increase in sales indicates a thriving company, it is not as easy to measure customer service. Make sure you routinely analyze customer feedback so you know whether or not they are satisfied with the level of customer service your company provides. Logging customer complaints is one great way to identify areas that can be improved upon. Implementing customer surveys is another option that allows you to see what aspects of your customer service people are satisfied with and which ones need to be strengthened.
Once you understand how your customer service is lacking, you can implement a strategy to improve it. This may involve hiring additional employees to decrease the workload of your current workers. You might also find it beneficial to change your customer service policies as necessary to keep your clients satisfied.
Train Employees Properly
You can’t hire employees and expect them to perform flawlessly without proper training. Create a comprehensive training program that all employees are required to go through immediately after being hired. This program should include company policies as well as ensure employees know all of the company’s products and services. This ensures employees can offer accurate recommendations and provide superior customer service.
Improving customer service is a priority for many businesses but it is especially critical for small companies. With the right tools and people, you can set your business up to thrive. Excellent customer service keeps existing clients coming back and makes it more likely that they will recommend your products or services to other people. Without good customer service, companies are not sustainable because they lose customers as quickly as they gain them. Make superior customer service a priority for your company by implementing the four practices above to make sure you have the right tools and people to grow your company.