Customer Service has become increasingly important as technology bridges the gap and digital touch points grow in every organization. As an entrepreneur you have an extreme field advantage – the ability to course correct, maintain flexibility and stay agile as your business and customer interactions grow. Everyone understands the value of great customer service and the pain points associated with lackluster experiences.
I recently received rave reviews from a client that we serviced a year ago. Customers like this make your efforts extremely worthwhile and rewarding. As a business owner, prioritize this area of your business and it will pay dividends years to come. Studies indicate if you can prevent 5% of your customers from leaving, and increase your bottom line profit by 25 – 95% (Source: Harvard Business Review). Another not so shocking figure — 82% of customers go somewhere else because of a customer service issue (Source: US News & World Report Study).
Word-of-mouth advertising is one of your best advertising tools – and the cumulative affect is tremendous. While, no one has all the answers there are simple, effective, and proven methods to overhaul your Customer Service experience and create a rewarding atmosphere that drives sustainable relationships and profits.
• Develop great listening skills
• Exceed customer expectations
• Focus on feedback pre and post sale
• Thank customers for their business (e.g. thank you cards, follow-up call)
• Create a system and streamline
Simplifying systems can cause a noticeable improvement and decline in customer inquiries, issues and concerns. Startups can improve their web presence and provide multiple touchpoints for customer contact. Customers love quick solutions and social networking platforms such as Facebook, FollowBase, and Live Chat are great starting points.
As your business grows if you don’t outsource this function to companies such as GetaHelpDesk.com, I highly recommend organizing your systems via web based helpdesk software. Checkout some cost-effective and free solutions that won’t break your bottom-line: Zendesk.com, SysAid Free Help Desk, and WebHelpDesk.com.
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