Without good customer service your business is basically doomed to fail. You could provide customers with the best products on the planet, but if you don’t have the service to back them up, people won’t purchase from you. It’s really that simple; sadly, many businesses don’t understand that customers are the driving force of any enterprise.
Dozens of large, established companies fell into bankruptcy over the years because they didn’t understand, or ignored, the value of customer service. Think US Airways, W.T. Grant and Blockbuster just to name a few.
Think you don’t have time to deal with customer issues and complaints? That may be true. As an entrepreneur, you have many different responsibilities, regardless of your business’ size or industry. If you are finding it difficult to spare even a few extra resources, consider outsourcing your customer service duties. An inbound call center can deal with all of your customer service responsibilities so you don’t miss anything on this all-important component.
Here are just a few reasons customer service is a crucial element to your business:
1. Customers are the lifeblood of your organization
Without customers, you have no business. Customer service is often the only contact that a buyer has with a company. From the person answering the phone to the cashier checking them out, they will take note of how they’re treated. When problems or questions arise, they expect those issues to be taken care of accordingly.
2. Competitive edge
If you are the owner of a drug store which is similar to another one in close proximity and offer similar prices, your level of customer service may be the deciding factor in which one people go to. If you greet people as they come in and truly care about their needs, they’ll be more inclined to do business at your store.
3. Social media
Today, how you conduct business and how you treat your customers is not isolated. If someone has a bad experience, they are sure to post it on their social media feed – and they’ll tell all they’re friends. Once it’s out there in cyberland, it’s there forever. Don’t give people a reason to vent online.
4. Repeat business
If your business is known for great customer service, those customers will keep coming back; and they’ll bring their friends. Word of mouth is still as valuable today as it was decades ago. This will grow your business month after month and keep profits rising.
More and more enterprises are relying on reviews from past customers to drive their business forward. Yelp, Angie’s List, and TripAdvisor are just a few sites that are based on customer reviews. Many potential customers go to those sites first before making a final buying decision.
Product development, competitive prices and physical location are all important for success and will get people interested. Great customer service will keep them coming back for more. Don’t underestimate the power of the customer. Today’s marketplace is extremely competitive and you must continually find ways to stay above the crowd.
Online marketing has taken precedence over traditional marketing; but that doesn’t mean that you can hide behind your social media accounts when it comes to customer service. If you can’t afford an in-house team, outsource the task to professionals who understand the importance of keeping your customers happy.
Conclusion
Treat each customer like your next meal depends on it – because it does.