At its core, excellent customer service is really about meeting a consumer’s needs with a quality product and exceeding their service expectations in a memorable way. Today, these efforts are no longer optional; they’re imperative for business survival.
Billions are lost annually because unhappy patrons take their business elsewhere after a bad experience. Make sure your customers remember you for all the right reasons.
Four things you can do today:
1. Be a standout. What separates you from your competition? Identify and perfect the added value you deliver.
2. Engage the audience. Being attentive is where it starts. Constantly communicate to your clients not only what they mean to your business but also what your business means to them.
3. Hire properly. Those on your team must share your values (e.g., seeing the company flourish).
4. Stay consistent. Make sure everything, including the overall experience, maintains your standards–and is something people will want to return for.
Want to know more about taking care of your customers? Then attend Black Enterprise’s annual Entrepreneurs Conference, taking place May 22-25, 2011 in Atlanta Georgia. Visit blackenterprise.com/ec for more details. As an incentive BE is offering you a discount on early registration: Just enter code BEDG295 and receive $200 off.
Tennille M. Robinson is Senior Multimedia Content Producer for Small Business. You can follow her on Twitter at @TennilleSmBiz and send your business questions to smallbiz@blackenterprise.com.