• Home
  • About Us
    • Welcome
    • Platinum Values
    • Mission Statement
    • Career Opportunity
  • Platinum Solutions
    • Payroll
    • Human Resources
    • Prevailing Wage & Certified Payroll
    • Labor Compliance
    • Web Clock Management
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Retirement
    • Group Health Insurance
    • Group Disability Insurance
    • Liability Insurance
    • Bookkeeping IN THE CLOUD
    • Tax Preparation and Planning
    • Consulting for QuickBooks®
  • Industries
    • Services
    • Construction
    • Medical and Health Care
    • Real Estate
    • Non Profit
    • Retail
    • Restaurant
    • Manufacturing
    • Wholesalers and Distributors
    • eCommerce
  • Client Resources
    • Resources
    • Mobile Accounting
  • In the News
  • Contact Us
(888) 474-7917
info@platinumpayrollhcm.com
June 20, 2019

Five Timeless Tips to Improve Customer Service

Platinum HCM Business Tips

0
SHARES
ShareTweetPinterestLinkedin

Having repeat customers is essential to many businesses, and the key to keep clients coming back is to provide them with great customer service. Here are five ideas to rate your business’s savvy when it comes to serving customers well.

  1. Make a great first impression.

When customers make a purchase from you, make them feel great about it by sending them a series of indoctrination emails. Congratulate them on the purchase, let them know how to get the most out of their new purchase, and encourage them to connect with you on social media and your mailing list. 

  1. Measure response time.

How fast do you answer prospect and customer questions? Social media has changed the game. Customers that reach out via social media platforms, their phones, chat, or messaging apps expect an immediate answer.  Facebook even gives a badge to businesses who respond quickly and consistently.   

Not only do businesses need to monitor messages coming in from a record number of places – email, phone, web forms, chat, social media, and more – they need to respond faster than ever. 

Without measuring your response time, it’s hard to know how you’re doing, so putting measures in place is the first step to improving this customer service metric. 

  1. Publish clear policies.

Good customer service starts with setting clear expectations. Before a customer buys from you, they should be able to know what your return policy is in case something goes wrong. Some of the policies that should clearly be published online as well as at all customer-facing business locations include:

  • Returns policy: If the product or service is not as expected, can the customer obtain a refund? Is there a re-stocking fee?  What about shipping?  Cash back vs. store credit?
  • Shipping policy: Most people expect free shipping these days. They will want to know what it costs and how long will it take to get the item.
  • Terms of service: Are there any limitations to the product? Or legal items that need to be communicated?
  • Privacy policy: All clients will be giving you private customer data. They will want to know if it’s secure, if you share it with anyone, and if you are compliant with laws like GDPR (Europe), the CAN-SPAM act (US), or CASL (Canada).
  1. Encourage feedback.

Your best ideas for new products and services can come from your customers. Ask for feedback by sending customer satisfaction surveys and requests for testimonials and reviews. Read what customers have to say about your service so that you can make improvements as needed. 

  1. Check your ego at the door.

As small business owners, sometimes we need to be humble, especially when things go wrong. Be generous with apologies to customers; it will go a long way toward improving customer relations. If you’re at fault, admit it and make it right with the customer.  Even if you’re “right,” find a way to explain to the customer so that they feel good about you and your business. 

Delivering great customer service can be a huge competitive advantage for your business. How does your business stack up against these five ideas?  Try them, and watch your revenue grow.

Do You Know Who Your Top Customers Are? Mid-Year Review

Related Posts

Blog, Business Growth, Business Tips

Should Your Business Become Cash-Free?

Business Growth, Business Tips, Money Management

The 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast

Business Growth, Business Tips

Building a Continuity Plan for Your Business

Monthly Archives

Categories

  • Accounting (20)
  • Accounting Software (2)
  • Blog (1)
  • Bookkeeping (1)
  • Bookkeeping Tips (5)
  • Business Development (12)
  • Business Growth (8)
  • Business Tips (51)
  • Cool Tech Tools (12)
  • Cost-Saving Tips (1)
  • Customer Service Tips (4)
  • Expense Reduction Tips (2)
  • Finance Management (1)
  • Management Tips (7)
  • Marketing Tips (1)
  • Money Management (1)
  • News (21)
  • Payroll Tips (2)
  • Personal Development (5)
  • Profitability Tips (4)
  • Tax (3)
  • Technology (1)
  • Time Management Tips (3)
  • Services
  • About Us
  • Platinum Solutions
  • Industries
  • Client Resources
  • In the News
  • Contact Us
Copyright © 2020 Platinum HCM. | Site Design by Accelerator Websites

Contact Us

Payroll, Human Resources, Bookkeeping, and Services for QuickBooks®

Platinum HCM

Phone: (888) 474-7917
Fax: (951) 849-7146

info@platinumpayrollhcm.com

12 S. San Gorgonio Ave, Banning, CA 92220

Client Portal Login  Client Portal Login

Intuit, QuickBooks, and QuickBooks ProAdvisor are registered trademarks of Intuit Inc. Used with permission under the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Agreement.