Offering helpful customer service is important for any company, but it’s doubly important for small businesses. Each customer or client needs to be made to feel like they matter most. Every one of them is precious.
Losing a customer due to a bad experience that wasn’t handled properly—or simply because they couldn’t get their question answered before or after purchasing—can make or break a small business. Let’s dig further into why prioritizing customer service is crucial for the longevity of your company.
Great Customer Service Is Expected
Stated by A Better Answer, In the age of social media, one bad move from a business can permanently damage its reputation—and therefore future sales as well. Stellar customer service is the new standard, not the exception, and most people no longer put up with inconveniences when they could just as easily shop somewhere else.
They have options, so you need to prove to them why you’re the best one. And something they’ll appreciate over most other things (perhaps besides product quality) is how much care you put into your interactions. Ensure you’re always listening and making them feel important. People want to matter, especially if they’re giving you their time and money.
Increase Customer Retention
Every customer is important to every business—but depending on where you are in your business journey, the loss of one customer could be devastating. Customer retention is almost always cheaper than acquiring new customers. It means that they will continue to purchase from you in the future without requiring more marketing effort.
Continue to nurture them through the marketing and sales funnels, and never assume that you’ve hooked a customer for life. Even lifelong buyers can be turned off with one too many poor customer experiences.
Build Your Reputation
This is your chance to communicate one-on-one with your customers or potential clients. It’s your opportunity to show your personality, helpfulness, and friendly demeanor, so don’t pass it up. Use that customer-facing time to prove to them why they should stay on board.
Great customer service also helps build brand advocates. Why do you think Amazon has so many loyal customers? One reason is that their customer service representatives are trained to always favor the customer. With a customer-first mentality, you can stay ahead of the competition.
Get Problems Solved
Often, there’s just one small thing standing in the way of a customer’s purchase. If they were able to ask their question, they’d be sold. Having customer service available when someone needs it most will increase your sales in no time.
This is also a great way to solve the current customers’ problems. You never want to leave someone unhappy after an interaction with your brand, and a pleasant call or online chat from a representative can mend many situations that could have otherwise gone south.
Time to Put Customer Service Into Focus at Your Company
A great customer service experience will help increase sales, build brand advocates, and support customer retention. Don’t overlook this basic need when you go back to work tomorrow. Train your employees on best practices for answering phones or emails—or consider finding an outsourced group of professionals to save you time, money, and effort while you’re focused on your mission to improve the business.
