Virtually anyone can start a business. You can start a business because you have a new idea, you have an idea for expanding on an existing idea or technology, or you just want to take a stab at running your own business. There is more to just wanting to start a business, however. You need to be educated in the business realm. It is important not only for the survival of your business, but also to keep your business dealings safe and protect yourself. You don't necessarily need to have a background in law, but having taken at least a business law course can be helpful. It may also be good to have an attorney look over your business documents and contracts to make sure everything is accounted for.
Once you have all of this taken care of, you are most likely ready to start your business. Unfortunately, even the most well-versed person in business can fail at their attempt to run their own business. In order for a business to be successful, it must have a method of attracting and retaining customers. But even this isn't enough for achieving success.
Customer service can make or break a company. You can have a truly innovative or superior product/service. Customers may try it out, but if you do not have exceptional customer service, chances are your customers will be lost to competitors. Even if your product is much better, if customers are able to have their needs met in a better way through a competitor, they may ignore the slightly poorer quality of product or service for that extra customer support.
Customer service is more than just being friendly. You need to be able to express empathy and fully understand the customer. Not just their attitude, but their expectations as well as their concerns.
If you are a consultant, or in the position to have an ongoing relationship with your customer, it is important to build a feeling of trust. That will help customers feel comfortable with you. They will know you will take care of them. They may or may not get that anywhere else. Take time to get to know them. Their family if it's appropriate. "Hey, how are the kids?" for example.
Listen. Remember stories they tell. Take notes if you need to. This will help when building a relationship with them. If you are not building a long-term relationship, it is still important to listen and take care of your customer's needs. This is important for all levels of employee.
If a customer is happy, chances are they are going to spread the good word to friends, family, co-workers about their fantastic experience. If they have a bad experience, they are more likely to share that with their friends, family, co-workers to warn them about their experience. This is why customer service is extremely important in business.
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