No matter what your business, providing customer service is the key to gaining new customers and building a strong customer base. The larger and stronger your customer base is the more sales you will make. Often when new entrepreneurs start working on the Internet, they do not realize the importance of customer service. After several months or even years in the business, they have a much weaker customer base than they potentially could have because of the lack of customer service. Just because you sell on the Internet does not mean that you forgo customer service to your visitors and buyers.
People do not like feeling as if they are just another number, statistic or ATM for your business. Individual attention and meeting the needs of your customer will increase your customer sales and make a stronger customer service area of your business. One of the starting places to provide customer service is to put a physical address on your web store, even if you are home based, and a contact phone number. Many new entrepreneurs are nervous about doing this but you can obtain a street address post office box and order an 800 number to use for your business. This will protect your personal information but will provide your customers with a way to reach you. They will feel more confident in purchasing your products and services.
Automated emails are handy and useful but at the same time they can be impersonal. If you use an automated email to thank customers for their orders or inquiries, have someone edit the email to make it more personal and friendly. Make certain that all confirmed orders or inquiries have a personal note sent to the customer. Customers will know that you take the time to meet their needs and to treat them as valuable people instead of just another wallet to empty. They will remember your company and be more likely to give you repeat sales because you took the time to give them a personal thank you instead of a computer generated thanks.
Follow up with your customers. Find out if they received the information they needed. This is a great way to get feedback and it lets your customers know that you care about their opinion and their experience with you. Should you receive negative feedback, take the time to correct whatever problem there was and address any unresolved issues. It is much better to leave the customer feeling satisfied and happy about the situation than to never have followed up. The majority of unhappy customers will never complain unless there is a follow-up and feedback opportunity. Instead, they will never shop with you again and will complain to friends, relatives and co-workers. Feedback and follow-up is a great method to help grow your business and to thank your customer again for their patronage. The personal attention that you provide customers through customer service will make your business stand out above all the competing entrepreneurs.
If you want to give your customers the high touch, personal care they deserve. Contact us today and ask about Client Concierge Service.
