As Aldo Gucci once said: “Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten”. When it comes to customer service, this quote is spot on. Good customer service is at the heart of all successful businesses. If you aren’t making your customers happy, someone else will. Without repeat customers who are enthusiastic about your brand and excitedly encourage their friends and family to become loyal customers too, you’ll struggle to gain traction and build your reputation.
For small businesses, customer service is even more important. People can be fickle about trusting lesser-known companies, and will have no hesitation to shop elsewhere if you fall short of their expectations in this department. Here, we dive into why good customer service is so important for your business. We also look at how you can ensure your customers are not just satisfied, but delighted.
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Reputation
Small businesses are competing for a portion of their market audience against well-established, trusted brands. It’s vital to make a good impression on every customer. If you go above and beyond, providing a professional, friendly and personalised service, each and every person who interacts with your business is sure to leave with something good to say about you.
Even in times of disputes, research shows that ignoring unhappy customers is far worse than dealing with them in a respectful and empathetic manner. People can understand that sometimes their order may be delayed, but they won’t tolerate poor customer service. Having great customer service builds up your reputation. Then your customers not only shop from you, but they become your biggest fans and spread the word about how brilliant you are.
Naturally, this brings more customers your way. But it also means that your moderate marketing budget can stretch a little further, as you will be gaining customers from referrals and great reviews rather than ads.
Retention
Aside from the pride of building a loyal customer base, it’s much more cost-effective to prioritise keeping your existing customers happy rather than focusing all your energy on finding new ones. People will keep coming back if they know they will be treated well and have a positive experience. It only takes one instance of negativity to send them elsewhere for good.
Plus, keeping your pool of customers happy gives you more opportunity to upsell. Trust has already been established and your customers will feel reassured that you are offering a great service or deal.
You may think that it’s impossible to always be available for every customer, every time they call, but it isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Hiring a call handling service, which is customised specifically for your business, is a brilliant way to ensure you never miss an order, call or query. If your customers consistently feel heard, cared for and important, they will prioritise your business over any other for their needs.
Influence
Many small businesses are devoted to making a positive impact in the world, both to their customers by providing a great service or product, and to the planet by making their processes eco-friendly and ethical. This modern attitude is shifting the world of business, as people prioritise shopping with responsible, eco-conscious companies. Good customer service fits perfectly into these brand values, as you’re working to provide for people, not just make money from them.
Making top-class customer service a core value in your small business will also improve the culture of your company. Helping people feels good, and your teams are sure to benefit from this too. Be sure to train your employees to use positive language, and help them develop soft skills to avoid making a customer feel like their conversation is purely transactional.
Some customers will appreciate a bit of light chit-chat when they call, helping them to feel more connected to the individual on the end of the phone. This can also help to reduce the prevalence of anger over the phone, taking pressure off of yourself and your employees when situations can be dealt with in a calm manner.
The customer experience is crucial
Customer service is an area that often gets overlooked. While putting the work and time into perfecting your product or service is important, customers are unlikely to want to buy from you if they dislike the experience. No matter how good or unique your product is, they’re likely to find an alternative elsewhere. So, make sure that you’re attentive, professional and empathetic whenever you deal with customers.
