Focusing on Customer Care in Your Small Business

A Home Business Article Contributed by Cassandra l. Keller

Focusing on Customer Care in Your Small Business

Without customers, like any venture, a small business can't survive. By following some simple, but not always easy rules, you can help retain your small business customers and attract new ones.

Always Put Your Small Business Customer First

Regardless of what type of product or service your company supplies, it is imperative that as a small business owner, you always put the customer first.

This might not be a hard concept for you as the small business owner to grasp, but it can be a little more difficult for your employees. To help make sure the customer is always first, set standards and relay those standards to your employees. Unfortunately, your employees are not always as interested in your goals, as you are, so putting the customer first might mean a change in personnel or job duties.

Stay Close to Your Small Business Customers

One of the great things about a small business is you are often able to stay close to your customers. By asking questions and listening to your customers, you can help develop positive customer service for your business. You can also tailor your product or service to fit the needs of the customers if you listen to them and respond to their desires. This is a vital part of retaining customers which is big for businesses.

More than 60 percent of a business' clients come from existing customers, according to the Customer SErvice Institute. This is also important because, according to the institute, because more than 90 percent of unsatisfied customers never return to do business with the company. And even worse, they express their discontent to at least seven other people. That is a whole lot of bad publicity

Always Pay Attention to Every Detail

As a small business, you may not be able to offer your customer a whole lot in the way of "extras, " but there are some things to consider. Depending on your small business, you might host longer hours, honor discount coupons, offer free coffee or home delivery.

Some inexpensive ways to please your customers are to answer the telephone by the third ring, greet them by name, be courteous at all times, promptly and polity answer their questions, and providing quality goods and services.

In the End, Your Small Business Will Benefit from Good Customer Service

Ultimately, good customer service is a contributing factor to the success of any business. Whatever you do as a small business owner, do not take them for granted, your may end up no customers at all. Customer service should be at the top of the small business owner's priority list. Combine this way of thinking with the golden rule, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you, " and you just might have the winning combination.

To learn more about customer service and available training for your employees, contact your local small business organization, the local Chamber of Commerce, or the Small Business Administration at www.sba.gov.