How Small Businesses Can Improve Customer Service

Running a small business is a huge amount of work involving a lot of responsibility, especially if you're just starting out. It can be expensive in terms of both time and money to even get eyes on your goods and services, so it's essential to keep those customers happy. If you're struggling to maintain good customer service practices, here are some ways you can improve. 

Hire a Customer Service Representative

If you're overwhelmed by dealing with customer issues yourself, it may be time to hire a customer service representative. This can be intimidating at first, especially if you've never hired someone before. After all, customer satisfaction can make or break your business, so it can be stressful to hand off that responsibility. However, because customer experience is paramount, hiring an expert can take the stress off of you and make dealing with customers an altogether more pleasant and efficient experience. 

Automate Customer Interactions

If hiring a representative is unrealistic at this stage of your business journey, you can still make the process easier on yourself by automating customer interactions. There are plenty of software programs out there that make it simple to collect email addresses, send welcoming emails, and alert customers of upcoming events like sales. You can set up automatic responses to chat and email requests, or you can outsource customer service responsibilities altogether. There are companies you can pay to handle virtual customer interactions without having to hire someone to come work in person, which may alleviate some of the work demands. 

Consider a Rewards Program

If you want to show your appreciation for loyal customers, an exclusive rewards program is an excellent option. They get the opportunity to score huge savings while feeling like they're a part of something special, and you get to retain the people that regularly spend money with your company. This is also a great way to lure back customers who haven't shopped in a while, and to potentially put yourself above your competition. Consider refreshing your benefits every so often to keep the program exciting and fresh.

Have a Reasonable Return Policy 

It is crucial for any business to come up with a reasonable return policy, and then know when to stick to it. If you don't have a policy in place, customers will expect to be able to return or exchange regardless of the condition of the item or how much time has passed, and you won't be able to point to the rules that say otherwise. It's also a good idea to tell them your policies when they buy, especially if you have items that you can't resell, like personalized products. Setting expectations early can save you a lot of headaches down the road.

Accept Your Losses

At some point or another, you're going to have to ask yourself if it's really worth arguing with a customer. Some people just want to take advantage of small businesses because they assume the policies will be more lax than the ones at big corporations, but that doesn't mean you should immediately give in. On one hand, if you don't want to deal with them again, you can stand your ground, or offer a refund to get them out of your hair sooner. On the other hand, if they've spent a lot of money with you, it may be worth it to keep them satisfied. When making your decision, think about how they'll speak of your company to others, and if you can afford some bad word of mouth. Only you can decide whether it's worth standing your ground versus satisfying a customer.

Customer service is one of the most important elements of any business, and yet it's so easy to fall behind in your procedures. By taking care of customers according to policy, you can save yourself a lot of stress while keeping your most valued customers happy, ultimately helping your business grow.