Small Business Etiquette
Perhaps you are just beginning your life as a small business owner, or maybe you've been in this for a little while now and your business is beginning to pick up. Either way, one thing you have to know and exploit about your status as a small business: You have the ability to provide much superior customer service to that offered by even your largest competitors.
When you think about it, it becomes obvious that bigger businesses can simply not match the personal service that you can offer. It can be easy, however, to fall into the patterns that they have set; after all, the reason those patterns exist is because they are easy! If you are interested in providing customer service that is out of this world, you can see your goals accomplished and more just by remembering a few basic rules.
1. Never duck your customer.
There is nothing more annoying to deal with than someone who does not want to talk with you and will do anything to avoid it. If your customer starts thinking that he or she is getting this kind of treatment from you, you can bet that they won't be your customer for very long! If you find yourself playing phone tag with a customer, sit down and make it a point to catch their call, even if it requires some creative scheduling on your part. This is essential if you want to stay in business!
2. Be honest about your mistakes.
As opposed to a large company, a small company can explain why a problem has occurred and has the flexibility to get it fixed quickly. Compare this to a behemoth of a company where any problem must go through as many as a dozen offices, often leading customers to simply give up in disgust. Be honest with your customers; they will most likely appreciate it.
3. Care about feedback
No matter what experience you had with a customer, offer them a chance to say what they think about your business and about the product or service that you provide. Even if they are angry, this can result in good feedback that will tell you about how to improve in the future. You may even find that with a little bit of work, you'll be able to talk an angry customer into a better frame of mind.
4. Know that your customers are more than just the money they pay you.
A small business can treat it's customers as who they are: individuals. Everyone prefers a personal touch to being thought of as a demographic abstraction. A large company can't really do this, at least convincingly. You however, can! Make the most of this - as a small business it's one of your biggest assets. Remember your customer's names. It's the little things that will bring you repeat business.
When you are a small business, customer service is not something that you can afford to be casual about. Make a real effort and you'll find that you'll be rewarded with customer recommendations, customer loyalty and significantly more pleasant working environment.
Did you know 68% of people will quit doing business with companies that have poor customer service? Discover the keys to good customer service (http://www.surefirecustomerservicetechniques.com) - learn effective customer service skills (http://www.surefirecustomerservicetechniques.com) at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service (http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service)
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