September 1, 2010 ( PowerHomeBiz.com )
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Internet has made business operations easy and at the same time extremely
difficult too. While you have better access to target markets, your
customers have similar access to your prospects. Just one dissatisfied
customer can negatively influence hundreds of other people online. Poor
customer service can mar your company’s growth and can even bring your
business down permanently. So, if your customers are not happy with your
service (and they might not tell you directly about it) – then you have a
thing or two to worry about.
(news continued below)
Here are some numbers that reinforce the importance of good service: A
study by RightNow Technologies shows that 73% of customers leave because of
poor customer service, while the Rockefeller Corporation shows that 68% of
customers leave because they think that you do not care about them. Nearly
70% of those polled in the Small Business Administration (SBA) study
indicated that the perception of a non-caring staffer led customers to leave
and buy from other businesses.
So, what now? How do you ensure that your customer service is perfect?
First, you have to identify all your customer touch points.
Simply put – all the physical places/virtual places where your customers
or prospects come in contact with your brand or your people. This includes
your office, receptionist, sales people, marketing people, website, social
media, consumer forums, and so on. Small business owners and start-ups don’t
have many staff members to cover all the touch points and might need
external help.
You primarily need three types of customer services:
- Physical staff that interacts with the client directly: You must
ensure that all your small business employees are trained about customer
service and ways to show that they care.
- Phone support provided through receptionist and customer support
staff: Your small business might not have the luxury to afford this
in-house. You can take advantage of virtual receptionist services and
virtual customer support services to make sure that you are available
for your customers with a professional attitude 24x7.
- Online support and proactive monitoring to rectify customer issues:
What happens on your website is well under your control. Reduce your
website’s bounce rates and increase conversion rates by offering
live-chat support. But, many conversations on the web happen away from
your website, so it would be a good idea to hire a virtual social media
manager to continuously track your brand online and steer negative
comments into positive ones.
The good news is that nearly 95% of customers who complain will continue
to do business with you if the complaint is handled quickly and to their
satisfaction. Providing exceptional customer service makes happier customers
who are easier to deal with, making your job more enjoyable.
About the Author:
MyBusinessAssistant: A full service virtual assistant company offers a
unique Right Shore Virtual Business Center solution to help small businesses
increase focus on their core business while reducing overhead expenses.
www.mybusinessassistant.com
