If there’s one thing that all business owners can agree on, it’s that customer service is the most important aspect of running a business. No matter what industry you work in, you must surpass your customer’s expectations. It’s so important that according to a study done by HubSpot, 90% of Americans use customer service as a factor in deciding whether or not they will do business with a company.
Good or bad customer service can make or break a business, so it’s wise to improve in any way that you can. Use these strategies to stand out from your competition, grow your business, and keep your customers happy.
5 Easy Ways To Improve Customer Service
Know Your Customers’ Needs
Humans are ever-evolving, as are their desires and needs. As a business owner, it’s up to you to understand what they may want before they understand what they want themselves. Focusing on your customers’ individual needs rather than viewing them as a small part of the consumer market as a whole gives you a leg up and makes them feel important.
In other words, by truly learning who your customers are, you can adapt quickly to match their needs and provide a tailored experience that works exactly for them.
Related: How To Develop Deeper Relationships With Your Customers
Communicate Often
One of the biggest benefits of being a small business owner is that it is easier for you to communicate with your clients than a Fortune 500 company. Because of this, you can build rapport extremely easily. Regularly reach out to your customers, get to know them on a first-name basis, and take the time to understand their stories. It’s better to err on the side of over-communication than under-communication. The best way to keep up this communication? Social media!
Related: Why Social Media Marketing Is So Important In 2021
Treat Every Customer With The Same Level Of Service
Whether you’re communicating with a client for the first time, or you speak to them regularly, treat each and every individual with the same level of service. Repeat clients, referrals, and former customers have a huge impact on your future sales, so inconsistent customer service is the last thing you want.
Respond Quickly
Time is money. If you can avoid using support lines, do so. Consumers are often stuck on hold for hours at a time, their patience wearing thinner and thinner as time goes on. Take a second and think about the last time you:
- Were on hold for more than five minutes
- Were disconnected during a support call
- Had to repeat information to multiple different employees
- Felt like the employee wasn’t understanding your needs, wasting both your time and theirs
It’s frustrating, to say the least. That’s why it’s so important to make it quick, convenient, and as helpful as possible. Be prepared to solve problems as fast as you can, and if you can’t come up with a solution right away, don’t be afraid to call back with a solution. The customer would much rather go on about their day and receive a call later than sit on hold for hours upon hours.
We highly recommend using a CRM program–aka a customer relationship management program. Most programs can help with automated emails, communicating with clients, store contact information, keep track of sales, and more. While there are many different options on the market, some of our favorites include Insightly, Salesforce Essentials, and Zoho.
Related: The Importance Of A Good Customer Relationship Management Process
Take Advantage Of Feedback
Feedback from customers, while it can be painful, is critical to your success. You want to understand how your product is performing or how your clients are feeling about your services. Don’t be afraid to send out surveys to help measure feedback. You can break down the survey in a few different ways, including:
- Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) – Your customers rate your product or service by using a numerical scale
- Customer Effort Score (CES) – A survey that helps you gauge how easy or difficult it is for your customers to communicate with you using a ‘very easy’ to ‘very difficult’ scale
- Net Promoter Score (NPS) – Using a rating scale, this survey helps you understand how much they would recommend your product/services to others
Once you have these results and have had the chance to analyze them, you can see what you need to change. The more you know, the more you can improve!
Final Thoughts On How To Improve Customer Service
It’s a very competitive world out there, which is why providing strong customer service is so crucial. It will help you shine above the competition, differentiate your products and services, exceed customer expectations, make your business memorable, and grow your client base.
While you’re providing top-notch customer service, let Cloud Friday help you with all of your accounting needs and business advising so you can focus on creating deeper relationships. To get started, feel free to contact us here!
