5 Characteristics of Good Customer Service
If you are a small business owner, then you know the value of having good customer service. With the number of businesses in your vicinity just like your business, consumers have many choices when it comes to where they will do business. Why should they choose your company when the one down the street is less expensive. Why should they choose you when there are two other companies just like yours closer to them?
These are two important questions all business owners should consider, and then give the customer a reason to do business with you even if you may be a little bit more expensive or a little further down the road.
- Be Trustworthy. Customers need to know that they can trust your word and your service. If you say you are going to do something…deliver. If you give the customer your word, do all you can to meet deadlines and exceed customer expectations.
- Be Honest. Honesty goes a long way in the world of business. Make sure you run your business in a fair and honest manner. Practice being a company of integrity. Make sure your services are competitive with other businesses. Always keep the customer in mind when you are performing services for them, and always do the right thing.
- Be a Giver. As a business owner, customers know you are in business to make money. But, it is always good to give a little sometimes. Volunteer your services at times. Make sure you are not just taking–give something in return. Businesses do it all the time. We see buy one, get one free. We see get 20% off when you spend a certain amount. As a business owner, your business should not be just about you–it should be about giving a little to your customers.
- Be Helpful. If a customer decides to do business with you, that customer will more than likely need help making choices. As the professional, you should be willing to help customers with the right choices for their needs. Offer sound advice that will benefit the customer. Offer your expertise if it will help the customer to be informed. Often times, customers do not know which direction to take when coming to you. You can help guide them in the right direction according to their particular needs.
- Go the extra Mile. This is an important concept for any business owner. If your customer expects one thing, give a little bit more. If you were hired for a service, go beyond what you were hired for. If you happen to mess up or the customer is unhappy, compensate ( offer something free) to accommodate the customer. We are all human, and we do drop the ball at times, but how you clean up your mistake will determine if you lose that customer forever or if the customer is willing to work with you.
Good customer service leads to great referrals. The best advertising is “word of mouth.”
Make sure the word that comes out of the mouth of a customer concerning your business is “great.”
