If someone asked you what your most important business asset is, how would you respond? The correct answer is “My Clients” or “My Customers.
In today’s economy, customers are being pickier than ever about where they shop and who they do business with. They want more for their money and they want excellent customer service. How do you make sure your customers or clients are working with you?
Customer Service
This suggestion might seem like a no-brainer, but think about your experiences in the last year. Did you always receive good customer service? How did you feel when you did not? What stores or businesses are you most likely to refer your friends to and why?
I recently placed an order on-line with one of my favorite companies. I have been doing business with them for over 10 years. When my item did not ship I contacted the company to find out why. They told me that they had gone through a computer system upgrade and some orders had gotten “stuck” in their system, but it would definitely ship in 48 hours. To make a long story short, the order did not ship; I had to re-order it with guaranteed overnight shipping. Then that order did not ship on time and I waited 3 weeks for my order to arrive. When I spoke to the Customer Service Manager, he told me “Sorry” but he was not willing to compensate me in any way for my inconvenience.
Do you think I will recommend this company in the future? Do you think I will order from them in the future? They may have just lost a long term client.
Excellent Customer Service is a priority. Make sure you are treating it as a priority in your business.