5 steps to simple, effective customer service

Small businesses have to do it all, and getting the balance right is one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs can face.  Developing your product or service, building awareness, networking or establishing a physical presence, delivering the goods, making sure the numbers add up, managing a growing business, supervising staff……

Customer service just adds to the pile, and it’s often something which is neglected (because you’ve already made the sale, right?) or takes up too much valuable time (because you care) for no return.  But get it right, and customer service excellence will build that bottom line.

5 steps to simple, effective customer service

1.       Make sure your customers believe they can contact you easily any time.  There’s nothing more frustrating as a consumer to find that the only way to ask a question is to phone an 0845 number between 9 and 5.  Yes, it’s unrealistic to expect an answer at all hours from a small business, but being able to post via a social media profile which is obviously active, or send an email easily, brings you and the customer closer together and avoids any frustration which could exacerbate a problem.

2.      Use review sites appropriately.  A new attraction we visited recently has invested in a well written Trip Advisor listing and is carefully replying to all the comments, when they have time.  This simple interaction immediately sets them apart from other similar sites in a crowded market.  Don’t just sit and hope reviews work for you – show that you care about your customers.

3.      Train your staff well. In a small business, even the summer work experience student is customer facing.  Don’t assume that everyone has the confidence or experience to deal with the general public or answer a telephone professionally – it’s a dying art!  Take a few minutes to set out how your business should be represented and make sure staff stick to it.  A professional greeting immediately tells a customer they matter – and they’ll be more inclined to deal with you again.

4.      Delegate social media! There’s a real fear of delegating social media accounts for the first time.  But you wouldn’t rush to deal with every telephone call, every email, every client walking through the door, would you? Social media is just another communication channel.  Set the rules and boundaries, then let staff deal with the outside world while you concentrate on running your business.

5.       Use virtual office support. Many small business owners – particularly sole traders – find it impossible to ‘switch off’, getting trapped in the ‘because I care’ loop of being available to customers 24/7.  Smartphones have a lot to answer for here, which is why my family confiscate mine at holiday time.  However, customer service IS important and there are plenty of professionals out there who will babysit your social media accounts, emails and phone messages so you can get on with work or play without disruption.

Have a look at our recent blog on online ROI and customer service for more insights into how customer service excellence builds the bottom line of global brands.