The Importance Of Good Customer Service

Good customer service is very important. Who hasn’t sworn off a particular restaurant or shop altogether following a bad customer service experience? On a more positive note, good customer service is sometimes all that it takes to turn a first-time visitor to your business into a lifetime customer.

Good customer service is even more important when it comes to start-ups. It is also one area where start-ups may face the biggest challenges. In today’s increasingly online marketplace, customer service includes online contact in addition to face-to-face and phone interactions. In fact, customers expect to be able to interact with you online. An Optus survey suggests that 65% of customers want to be able to contact companies online, and yet only 12% of companies provide this access.

Whether you are interacting with your customers online, over the phone, or at a brick and mortar shop, there are some ways you can improve your company’s customer service.

1. Be familiar with your customers. Before you can deliver top-notch customer service you must first understand just what your customers expect from you. Ask for customer feedback and find ways to meet their expectations.

2. Be detail oriented. Whether it’s responding to customer questions in a timely manner or providing them with a user-friendly online interface, these little details may mean the difference between your start-up’s success or failure.

3. Be holistic. By applying exacting customer service standards to every aspect of your business, you can ensure that every area of your operation is in line with your company’s overall customer service philosophy. Customers want reliability, so all of your department need to be customer-service-oriented.

4. Get your employees on board. Make sure that everyone on your staff understands what your customers want. Ensure that your entire staff, from the customer service department to the shipping team, is well-equipped to provide your customers with first-class service.

5. Emphasise soft skills. Conducting business is about more than must meeting sales goals. Attitude is equally important, so make sure your employees possess the necessary soft skills to interact effectively with your customers.