If you are a business owner, you will understand the importance of Customer Service. Understanding your customer or clients’ needs is at the core of every business & in an ever changing world, now is more important than ever to understand what your customers want or need.
When you run your own business whether you are just starting up, you are an established SME or you are playing in the Corporate field; if it is yours, it has a special resonance for you.
When you start your own business, there are a multitude of tasks to undertake, from business plans to establishing a centre for you to run your business to run from, to staffing, insurances, bookkeeping, the paint on the walls…the list is endless. However, you would not have started your business if you did not consider that at some point in the manufacture or service of whatever your business model is that customers & or clients are your end user.
So, who are they? Who are your customers or clients? If you have a product or service, someone somewhere is going to have made you realise that whatever you are offering is needed & or required.
Therefore, you do your homework, you work out who your client avatar is, where they are on social media, how you let them know that a/ you exist & b/ what you offer. You target your advertising & online presence to where your chosen client avatar should be & you wait for the questions, queries & bookings to come flooding in.
However, have you thought about your Customer Service protocols as part of your business set up? Have you considered your agreed Customer Satisfaction procedures with your staff & if you are a sole proprietor; do you have a Customer Service mandate you have modelled on another business for example?
One of the ways in which my partner & I have built a solid foundation for our Customer Service mandate is through our transparency, our dialogue with our customers & our interest in what our customers have to say & what their end goal expectations are.
Transparency
One of the ways in which our business model works, is that we take photographs of the motorcycles we work on in progress & post them on our social media channels. Not only do our customers see their machines in progress, but it gives more of an insight for other prospective customers as to the work we do & that we have nothing to hide.
If you do not have a physical product to connect your online stories to, simply ensuring your social media channels are updated regularly with your product lines, offers, messages, success stories & reviews; is a fantastic way of ensuring your established customer based are aware of your work & potential customers are intrigued by what services you have to offer.
Dialogue
Being open & honest in your dialogue with customers is key. From the very beginning of any dialogue ensuring you keep your customers updated on their product or service progress, any changes to the agreed costs – for whatever reason (always make sure you have a written audit trail) & simply keeping an open dialogue for them to reach you & be able to know you will contact them back, is imperative.
Interest in your customer
In some industries it may seem impossible to show an interest in your customer, especially if you are in an online situation. However, having clear & defined words & phrases to reassure & thank your customers for their support, helps any customer feel valued.
However, what happens when something goes wrong? Something arrives broken , the customer does not feel that the service they have received meets their expectations? Are you ready for this? Do you have a Complaints system in place? What protocols do you follow?
The temptation, especially when you are first starting out or you are a small business, is to feel hurt & to go into fight or flight mode. However, no matter how unpleasant the attack feels, the very worst thing you can do is respond in a reactive manner.
Take a moment
When it is your business, it is all too easy to close ranks & want to send a reactive, emotionally based response.
Stop!
This is where you need to take a breath & take a moment to assess the situation from a neutral perspective.
State the facts
Allowing your emotions to run away with you is natural when you feel your business, your life & soul, are being attacked. Therefore, when you respond to your customer you must strive for your response to be as devoid of emotion as you can & focus on the facts. The facts are your strength.
Use your T’s & C’s
You should have a set of T’s & C’s which are part of your business armour. Remember, you have rights too & your T’s & C’s are how you establish them.
Find a resolution which suits both parties
Whatever the issue is, you need to find a resolution for your customer or client. If your T’s & C’s are clear, use them to offer the best resolution to the situation. However, be wary of those customers or clients who seem to instantly require a money backs solution to the Customer Service issue. Finding a resolution using your understanding of your product/service, the facts of the situation & your Terms & Conditions; are your way of not only not being out of pocket, but keeping your good name intact.
Running your own business can be incredibly rewarding, but it is all too easy to allow complacency to creep in. The challenge is striking a balance between success & continual improvement. Setting aside time for quarterly or annual business reviews allows you to sharpen your skills, look at what has worked & what hasn’t & above all, how can you better service your customer/client base.
Written by Katy-Jane Mason for & on behalf of Virtually Smart
