Is the customer always right? Well – who knows? One thing is true though, the customer should always be respected. There are a lot of things that could derail a business and a lack of customer service and poor levels of customer satisfaction are among those things. Your business is always going to deal with a customer, or client of some form – and if you are not doing a good job for them, they will take your livelihood away, but taking themselves away.
Now, some customers won’t be satisfied – that is simply because some people won’t be satisfied. Believe it or not, but customers are people too! But listen here – it’s not all doom and gloom. Customer service is a battle that you can win and you can start it off by simply being there for your customers.
There are plenty of ways that you can offend or annoy a person, that means that there are a lot of ways in which you can upset a customer. People are different and will react differently – that is just the way it is. The reason they react like this is none of your business – you just need to ensure that the customer experience provided by your business is, and always is, top notch. Treat every single customer or client with the respect that they deserve!
Failing at customer service is one thing, but going out of your way to fail is another. If you annoy a customer, or belittle a client – it might spread and ripple through the public domain as is wont to do over social media.
As a business owner, you need to value the input of customers into your business. There are no end to the business owners who have no idea of how to process consumer feedback. There are owners who don’t care about complaints and others who will refuse to take responsibility. Don’t do this. Take pride in dealing with customers as it is part of your job. The thing is, complaints are valuable to your business as they highlight areas in which your business can improve. In the short term, do what you can to resolve a complaint from a customer and in the mid to long term, do whatever it takes to ensure that you don’t hear the same complaint again. As a business owner, it is your responsibility to provide your customers with a place where they can file complaints. You can do this by using a ticketing software which can streamline the entire process and also help your support team deal with customer complaints efficiently.
Businesses can’t afford to fail their customers and good customer service is the bedrock foundation of any good business. Make sure your staff are trained up and are capable of speaking to customers in the correct manner. Ensure that the equipment is there to handle customer queries. Lay the foundation through policy.
Customers mean income. If you satisfy a customer, they might come back – but if you don’t, they will not and they will endeavour to take their business elsewhere. If you can serve your customers and keep them happy, you’ll keep your business running. If you can’t take the burden or handle the responsibility, you could have a disaster on your hands as you find your customer base slipping away from you and your business. Succeed, and you won’t be able to buy better marketing.