One business principle that’s the same whether you run a small business in the United States, China, South Africa, or Ghana—and that’s the fact that customer service is everything. The top priorities of any business owner should be meeting their customer needs, fostering positive customer interactions, and building customer relationships to create loyal customers.
From the startup phase, you have to implement a business plan that strives to make the customer experience its best product. There probably isn’t much difference between the quality of products you and your competitors offer, so your customer experience is the best chance you have as an entrepreneur at distinguishing your small business from the rest of your chosen field. Continue reading to get some tips to help you make your company more customer-friendly.
Get more involved in the customer journey.
The customer journey begins the moment a customer inquires about a product, whether it be in person or by using your online resources. The more involved you are in the customer journey, the more ability you have to steer their journey in the direction of your business. The best way to increase your role in the customer journey is to make your products and customer service as easily accessible as they are popular.
For instance, finding a reliable used car in Accra, Ghana can be a difficult proposition, and attracting buyers can be equally frustrating for car dealers. However, by building an eCommerce website for your business where you prioritize customer experience by allowing them to search your inventory virtually, all customers will have to do is perform an online search for “Ghana cars for sale” to find your dealership.
With so many people shopping online these days, creating an eCommerce infrastructure is a good idea. You can never have too many touchpoints for consumers, meaning the more ways there are for them to access you the better.
An eCommerce store is one of the most important online resources for small business owners who want to expand their enterprise. It allows them to make the shopping experience easier and more accessible. Whether you’re in the U.S. or Ghana, inserting yourself into the customer journey by making your products and services more accessible is one of the hallmarks of a successful business.
Use customer relationship management (CRM) software to optimize customer satisfaction.
Your team members have a daunting task in trying to generate positive customer service interactions. If a customer is making a support call, the chances are that they’re already having a bad experience, and it’s up to your customer support team to turn these negative customer interactions into a customer experience that will foster trust between your company and the not-so-happy customer.
The best way to create strong customer relationships is by using CRM software. CRM software provides customer service teams with valuable information they can use to anticipate customer needs and problems. CRM also uses data analysis to deliver metrics that give customer service agents insight into customer needs and behavior, enabling them to provide great customer service. If you want to improve customer interactions and even build an emotional connection with potential customers, follow the golden rule of customer service and get to know your customers.
Use customer feedback to create a better experience.
If you want to be a successful business owner, you have to learn the value of customer feedback, and with the onset of the digital age and advent of social media, feedback is something of which you can find plenty. The key is to use constructive criticism to adjust your best practices and optimize your products and services.
Many of the largest companies in the U.S. have a corporate culture that values the input of their customers as part of their business model. These corporations have gotten the general public’s opinion on everything from logo changes to new products. Utilizing customer feedback works in their favor because it shows consumers that their opinions have value to their favorite brands.