Customer Service is King

A business owner needs to have a lot of skills to be successful, but one of the most important skills to excel at is customer service. This applies to any business, but it especially holds true in the service industries.

As businesses have been forced to be more competitive with tighter margins in recent years, customer service seems to be the area where the most corners are cut. Perhaps customers expect a lower level of service from “budget” companies, but higher-end companies are joining this trend, all while raising prices. This is not a sustainable model. It may work in the short term, but customers will eventually have enough of this and revolt when a better option comes along.

This is a great opportunity for a business owner looking to differentiate themselves from the competition. Simple gestures of care go a long way toward creating customer loyalty. Answering the phone, returning emails promptly, thank you cards, answering customer questions thoroughly, having clean facilities, quick and painless return and exchange processes–all of these things drastically change the customer experience and yet do not cost the business very much to provide.
The beauty of this approach is even if you don’t have the very best product in your industry (perhaps you are new, still learning, and working out the kinks as you get established) your company can still stand out and become a favorite when other companies fail to offer excellent service. It is an easy way to increase value to your clients.

The only downside is this can’t be faked. Everyone knows the difference between a half-baked, empty gesture and a human taking the time to genuinely make sure their customer is having a great experience. When there is a pain point that upsets a customer, there is an even greater opportunity to earn trust and loyalty if you actually listen to their issue and come up with a great, quick solution.

Ultimately, clients are human beings looking for meaningful relationships. They will gladly pay for an experience where they feel important and cared for.