My partner and I have been in various businesses over the years. Sometimes we worked for big companies, sometimes we worked for small companies, and ultimately we decided to operate our own business. But no matter where we worked, or who we worked for, we never had the attitude that it was somebody else’s job to keep our customers happy. Our customers were OUR customers. It was always just that simple.
In business, especially these days, it’s not enough to have the greatest products and services, or to have the best prices and extended hours. If you don’t treat your customers with kindness and respect, it won’t be long before you are closing your doors. As The Houston Chronicle notes, outstanding customer service can help set your small business apart from the competition. For example, if you own one of several small coffee shops in your city, all of which serve organically roasted coffee and feature live jazz on the weekends, the way you treat your customers will help you rise above the rest.
Studies have found companies that focus on outstanding customer service tend to be more competitive and successful than those that do not, The Huffington Post notes. Research conducted on behalf of the Society for Human Resources Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology found a clear link between positive customer service and satisfied clients, which in turn leads to a better overall financial performance for the company.
While being kind and polite to your clients goes a long way in establishing a company culture of great customer service, it’s also a great idea to go above and beyond when you can and reward customers in other ways.
Going the extra mile is one way we go above and beyond. Yes, we are in business to make money, but we are also in business to provide a valuable service to our customers.
Sometimes we provide services to those who aren’t our customers. Why, because in some instances it’s the right thing to do. And then there is also our right not to take someone’s business if we know we aren’t the right company for the task.
NO matter how big or how small, our customers matter to us, and we do our best @Social-Cindy.com to take good care of them.
Social Cindy
