Show Your Customers They're Always Right and That You Care

Customer service will leave your clients happy and your business booming!

When you're a start-up with few employees and few customers, it's easy to stay on top of what customers want and what they're getting. But as you add more customers and employees, you add links to the customer service chain. That creates the potential for growth and the potential for poor service along the way. That's why creating a customer service policy and adhering to it is so important. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that your clients receive excellent service every step of the way.

1.    Put your customer service policy in writing. Make sure you have your customer in mind.
2.    Establish support systems that give employees clear instructions for gaining and maintaining service superiority.
3.    Develop a measurement of superb customer service.
4.    Be certain that your passion for customer service runs rampant throughout your company.
5.    Be genuinely committed to providing more customer service excellence than anyone else in your industry.
6.    Share information with people on the front lines.
7.    Act on what customers value most -- attention, dependability, promptness and competence.

Never Let Your Customers Forget You

One important tool for generating repeat business is to follow-up with them. Effective follow-up begins immediately after the sale when you call the customer to say "thank you" and find out if he or she is pleased with your product or service. Beyond this, there are several effective ways to follow up that ensure your business is always in the customer's mind.

1.  Let customers know what you are doing and can do for them.
2.  Write old customers personal, handwritten notes frequently.
3.  Remember special occasions, such as birthdays.
4.  Pass on information of interest.
5.  Consider follow-up calls as business development calls.

With all your existing customers can do for you, there's simply no reason not to stay in regular contact with them. Use your imagination, and you'll think of plenty of other ideas that can help you develop a lasting relationship.

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