Customer Service

​Customer service plays a huge role in starting your business and keeping it running. Customer service is how you engage with and support your customers. Being able to provide exceptional customer service to your customers will significantly help you and your business grow. When a business lacks good customer service, it will become difficult to have a consistent customer base. To have repeating customers, and customers in general, you must know how to provide good customer service.
 
What is “good” customer service?
Good customer service means that you take care of your customers. You listen to their needs, and you choose to meet their needs by providing your goods and services. “Good” customer service isn’t just the bare minimum. It involves going above and beyond to make sure that your customers aren’t just making a payment and leaving. So, what exactly does customer service entail and why does it matter?

• Listening to your customers
• Greeting customers
• Building relationships with your customers
• Engaging with customers
• Inviting them back

 
Listen to your customers: What do your customers want to purchase? What do they need from you? How much are they willing to spend? Listening to your customers is crucial in providing good customer service. Customers want to be heard, and they have a purpose for coming into your business. Customers will be much more satisfied if they feel as though they are being listened to. But if they believe that your business can’t meet their needs, they won’t come back. If they don’t agree with your prices, they won’t come back. Always listen to your customers! They will tell you their needs and wants!
 
Greet your customers: Walking into a new business, you want to feel welcomed. A simple smile and “hi” is nice, but introducing yourself and getting to know your customer is more meaningful. If a customer feels uncomfortable or like they aren’t welcomed, they might not give you business. If a customer experiences poor customer service they most likely won’t be returning customers.
 
Building relationships: Establishing relationships with your customers will be extremely beneficial to not only your customer, but to you as well. These relationships mean that you will have repeating customers, that will tell you how they feel. This also goes back to listening to your customers, as whenever you truly listen to your customers, they will tell you what they want to see. Feedback and suggestions from these formed relationships will help you and your business grow. Building relationships also means loyalty. These repeating customers will be loyal to you and your business, which will aid in the growth of your business.
 
Engaging with customers: Greeting your customers is huge, but so is engaging with your customers. You don’t want to just greet them once and never talk to them again. Initiating conversations with customers shows that you are happy to have them in your establishment. Engagement will ultimately lead to an improved perception of your business. People are more willing to come into a business if they feel seen and valued. By engaging with your customers, you are showing that you care about them and not just the business that they do with you.
 
Invite your customers back: Always invite your customers to come back! Give them a business card, remind them of the store hours, have them follow your socials, sign them up with emails, etc. Telling them to come back is important, but you also need to give them a reason to come back. By offering occasional deals or discounts, bringing in new merchandise or products, people will be more inclined to stop in again. By inviting your customers back, you will make them feel welcomed and give them the impression that they came to the right place.
 
Customer service will influence customer buying behavior. If you cannot offer good customer service, then you may struggle finding repeating, loyal customers. Enhancing your customer service skills will help your customers have the best experience and will assist in the growth of your business.