There comes a time as a business owner that you need to take a step back and assess your customer service operations.
At the end of the day, are you doing everything possible to service your customers?
In some cases, you may not be living up to your potential, thereby leading some of your customers to go elsewhere for their specific products and/or services.
Given there is a chance that you think your business is as good as it can be, having those outside your business assess things is not a bad idea. This is why offering customers the opportunity to give feedback etc. is a good thing.
You can do such initiatives by way of customer surveys, something that should come with some incentives for the public.
For example, consider giving those customers willing to respond to a five-minute survey a discount on their next purchase. In doing so, you hopefully get the information you were looking for, with the customer being able to save a few dollars when they buy from you again.
Make Customer Satisfaction a Top Priority
In order for your business to be as successful as it can be in meeting the needs of customers, surveys are but one tool to use.
With so many consumers on the move these days, a large percentage of them simply do not want to waste the time waiting on you and/or your employees to fulfill their buying needs.
Many of those same consumers like the ease with which credit cards can be used to complete various transactions.
Yes, there are still many consumers walking around with little to no plastic in their wallets or purses, instead opting to pay for merchandise with cash. While that is perfectly fine, make sure those customers using credit cards can complete their transactions with you without any complications. That also means accepting credit cards at any place and at any time, notably with the ease and convenience of a mobile credit card reader.
Secondly, you can encourage customers to use their plastic by offering them discounts on credit card only purchases. These incentives can actually lead to more sales for you, especially given the fact that a fair number of shoppers typically spend more with plastic than they do with cash.
Be Alert to Your Competitors
Even though the prime focus of your business should be on what you’re doing, don’t take your eyes off of your competition.
For example, look to see how competitors are using the following to attract and retain business:
- Customer service – The big elephant in the room, you simply can’t ever overlook the important role customer service plays in getting and keeping customers. Yes, some customers will go above and beyond with their expectations, but the majority of them simply want good service. Look to see if your competition is doing anything you’re not in this area. If so, see if implementing a few of their tactics could help propel your business;
- Marketing and social media – If you’re a small business, you may be looking to tighten the reins on your marketing efforts. This is especially true if the last 12 months have not been your best performing months to date. Although a little marketing review is fine, don’t panic and scrap all of your marketing initiatives. Part of your marketing efforts should involve regular and worthwhile usage of social media. If you haven’t been a big social player up to this point, redirect your efforts moving forward. Again, see if the competition is doing things on sites like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for example that you are not.
Doing all you can for your customers is not by choice, it is a necessity.
If you want to survive in a competitive business world and remain a relevant player, never forget where customers come in terms of rankings.