As an entrepreneur ready to
succeed in his business, He should be able to handle some important things
about his business correctly. This topic will help you relate what you can do
as an entrepreneur to your customers. Your service is what people are after,
you will be paid for the value(s) you add to them and this is the major goal
of an entrepreneur. Here are simple tips to make you define your service goal
to your customers.
Consider your business type.
Small businesses often have very different
customer service expectations than mega big-box stores. Understanding why
people choose your store or business will help you assist your customers in
getting exactly what they want out of their interaction with you.
- If you are a large company, customers will likely expect a wide selection of goods or services, low prices, and quick “in and out” shopping experiences.
- If you are a small business, personal interaction, knowledge ability, and problem-solving are very important aspects to focus on. You probably cannot offer prices as low as a mega business, but your friendly expertise will make up for it. One study suggests that 70% of customers are willing to pay higher prices if they get excellent, personalized customer service. 81% of customers believe that small businesses provide better customer service overall than big businesses.
Create a clear vision statement.
Having a clear vision statement for your customer service mission is
crucial. You will incorporate this vision statement into employee training and
will likely also share it with customers. Your vision statement communicates
your business’s core values, what you’re all about.
- Consider examples from very successful businesses. ACE Hardware, a very successful chain of independently-owned hardware stores, has been repeatedly recognized with awards as being a top customer service provider. Their customer service vision boils down to a very simple statement: “100% helpful.” This emphasis on helpfulness, not just friendliness, has helped them compete with big-box stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s.
- Another example is from Amazon,
whose customer service vision is: “We see our customers as invited guests
to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every
important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” By using
a metaphor (invited guests to a party), this vision statement clearly
expresses Amazon’s goals: to make customers feel welcomed and appreciated,
and create a fun and enjoyable experience shopping there.
Examine the public “face” of your
business.
Your employees are one aspect of your business’s public “face,” which
customers interact with every day. Other representations of your business’s
mission include your handling of customer service calls and interactions, your
location (brick-and-mortar and/or online), and your approach-ability.
- This article will cover how to ensure your employees’ customer service skills in-depth a little later. In general, consider that they represent the face of your company, so make sure that they are trained to be respectful, friendly, and knowledgeable.
- How do customers interact with you? Can they get a “live person” to speak to right away, or do they have to go through automated systems? Studies suggest that customers overwhelmingly prefer to speak to a person rather than navigate an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. If you have social media presences, how quickly do you respond to questions or comments on those accounts?
- What does your business location look like? Is it laid out well, easy to access, and clearly organized? This applies to brick-and-mortar locations and your online presences.
- Do your employees and your company structure give the impression that customers are free and welcome to approach you with issues? For example, is your contact information clearly located on your website, and do customers in your physical location know who to ask or where to go with questions?
Make sure your employees know what
“quality service” means to your business.
New hires and experienced workers should all know what “quality service”
means to you and your business. This definition may be made up of larger ideas,
like “consistency, communication, and connection”, or more specific ideas that
involve specific actions or attitudes.
- For example, if you own a retail business that sells clothing, your definition of “quality service” may include specifics like “always greet the customer when she walks into the store” or “offer to start a fitting room for a customer if she is holding one or more items in her hand.”
- The definition of “good” customer service is highly dependent on your industry and your customer base. For example, a friendly, talkative salesperson might be desired in a retail setting, but customers might not want their massage therapist to be chatty. Similarly, if your customers are older, they are more likely to appreciate in-person service, whereas younger customers may be more appreciative of easy answers over social media.
