Everyone has far less money to spend at the moment and so it is a hard fact of business that people are being choosier about where to spend it. With every business fighting for the same few customers it has never been more important to stand out from the rest with the customer service you provide.
The provision of great customer service should not be reserved for the new customers you are looking to get on board; a mistake far too many businesses make is to focus all of their attention on potential new customers, putting much effort in to wooing them whilst forgetting about the customers they already have. Retention should be as big a part of your business as sales.
A very simple but potent way of using your current customer base to demonstrate your customer service prowess is to contact existing customers proactively, for no other reason than to ask if they are happy with the customer service you are providing; if you are concerned of the potential can of worms that this could be opening, it is clear that you lack confidence in the customer service your business provides. Calling a customer to check their customer service satisfaction is most likely to result in a happier customer who feels cared for not to mention the potential for up-selling or repeat business; you might also use the opportunity to ask for referrals, because happy customers often want to recommend you to their friends and family.
Another way to fully realize the potential of your existing customer base is to survey them; this can also be a technique used on very new customers to keep an eye on any potential problems before they develop. Asking customers via a questionnaire exactly how they feel about different aspects of the customer service you offer, provides you with a double whammy, firstly you will have the valuable information they supply and secondly you will make your customers feel important and valued.
Inviting customers both new and old to get in touch cannot be over-estimated as a way of providing good customer service, it not only allows customers a way to complain about problems if they need to, but it can give you valuable feedback about how they feel allowing you to tweak things accordingly. With this in mind provide 'suggestion boxes' both physical and virtual (on your website). Make email addresses, telephone and fax numbers clearly available and encourage comment.
Keeping in touch with customers will ensure their loyalty so communicate with them in as many ways as you can; provide the freshest most up-to-date product and industry information possible, using your website and press releases; a newsletter emailed or posted regularly will also keep your business in their minds.
If you are called upon in the course of your dealings with customers to meet them face-to-face remember how important first impressions are. If they are coming into your premises make sure everything is clean, tidy and welcoming and provide them with a quiet comfortable meeting place as well as your full attention. Offer drinks and if it is a lunch meeting food and provide the sort of welcome you'd be happy to receive yourself. If you are going to meet on their territory look presentable and treat them and their world with respect.
Simple, well mannered customer service can be responsible for making or breaking a business' entire reputation; there is so much to gain from keeping your customers happy that it is nothing more or less than good sound business sense.
