Stellar Service: Don’t Blow It

Over the years, we’ve written a plethora of customer service-based articles. Why? Because regardless of industry, service continues to be a small business owner’s secret weapon. A recent Manta online consumer poll found that quality products and services and customer service are the two key factors influencing repeat purchases.

Here are some simple tweaks to help maintain and improve customer service:

Hiring: Make service aptitude part of the job description for all customer-facing jobs. If it’s clear from the get-go, you’re more likely to hire service-minded gems.
Training: Define your version of good customer service, and provide tangible minimum and maximum guidelines with clear expectations. 
Consistency: Review protocol and standards for in-person and phone interactions, and across all platforms. 
Customer feedback: Your customers really do know best, so ask them on a regular basis how their experience can be improved. Simple online forms or a quick email poll can provide the little nugget needed for impactful modification.

And as you integrate new technology to streamline and improve efficiency, always step back to see the possible effects on service. The reality is, as a small business, your ability to compete with the big guys is limited. Don’t mess with a proven winner. (Manta.com)