Etiquette for Running a Small Business

A Home Business Article Contributed by Phyllis Petito Corella

Do You Want Your Customer to Return to Your Small Business?

One of the most important things necessary to running a successful small business is repeat customers. If your customers are happy with your service they will keep coming back and will usually tell anyone who will listen to them that your small business is well run and your sales people are polite. If that is not the case, not only will they not come to you but they will tell anyone who will listen to them that the people who run the store are rude or not interested in offering customer service.

And let's face it, if your sales people are not willing to go above and beyond perhaps you should look for new salespeople.

Do You Expect Your Small Business to Grow?

Anyone who takes the effort to open a small business expects and hopes that the business will take off and grow and continue to keep growing year after year. But you cannot run an effective small business unless you are there all the time in the beginning. It's nice to think that you can have a successful absentee small business and you are making money.

Well that is very possible but when you are just opening a small business you must be there at all times to make sure your employees are behaving in an acceptable manner. You must give the customer the benefit of the doubt. I am sure you have heard the expression "The customer is always right." You should have your employees understand this and you should instruct your employees to never have a customer leave your small business establishment dissatisfied.

If there is a problem that your clerk cannot resolve they should be instructed to refer the customer to you or your manager.

Hiring a Manager to Run Your Small Business

Now of course we all understand that there will come a time when you need to take a vacation or you need to be out of the store for some time. You should try to hire a manager that you can trust and that person should have the same decision making powers that you have. In addition to being able to handle whatever problems that may occur with customers she or he should also be able to place orders, open the mail and take care of any other services that need attending to.

If you find that your manager has made an error in judgment just take her or him aside and explain how you would have preferred it to be done. And do try to get over it and move on; you should not make a big deal out of it. If you cannot designate authority perhaps you should not be in a small business without a business partner. If you have a business parther that person will be equally responsible when you are not there and that person will share the responsibilities.

If you treat your employees with courtesy and respect they will treat your customers the same way and that is after all, what you are after.