Customer Service is one of the most important things in your business. However, it’s often overlooked by businesses that are starting up.
Most businesses focus on getting potential customers in the door. They look at how they can increase demand for their products and make more sales. Yet, many businesses overlook customer service.
Customer service is one of the most important ways you can market your business.
People don’t stop being customers once they make a purchase from your business. This is the beginning of the relationship, not the end.
Businesses with excellent customer service end up:
- Making more money per client
- Increasing the life-span of a customer
- Increasing customer loyalty
- Increasing new customer referrals
- Increasing profits
This is why it’s so important to maintain good customer service.
Customer service includes things like:
- Customer management systems: How customers are contacted. How their details are handled. How you keep track of their purchase history and contact details.
- Employee roles: Clarity around who takes care of what aspects of customer service. Who is in charge of billing and who is in charge of troubleshooting technological issues. When these roles aren’t defined at the beginning, they will often fall through the cracks.
- Credit management policies: This includes refund policies and how overdue bills are collected. It lays out a specific strategy for dealing with these things so each customer is dealt with equitably and efficiently.
- SOPs: “Standard operating procedures” for client contact so that all employees know what’s expected for customer care.
- Customer satisfaction surveys: Asking your customers how their experience was and how you can improve. Many businesses are afraid to ask their customers these questions. However, it’s the only way to ensure top-notch customer service.