As a small business owner, there are a great many factors to be on top of. The old saying, “a small business owner wears a lot of hats,” is as true today as it ever was. Even though there is a great deal of new technology and various products that are designed to make running a small business easier, these are still associated with tasks that need to get done.
And whether your small business is operating out of a neighborhood storefront, or perhaps you are working with shipping networks to get your homemade products out into the world, you have many various logistics to consider. But at the end of the day, whatever style of small business you are running, the end goal is the same—To get more customers.
Even if you have all of your logistics nailed down, and you are pretty good at wearing all the hats, you need to be acquiring new customers, but also retaining current customers. And retaining current customers comes down to small business customer service.
Let’s face it, if a customer has come to you before, it is because they want (or are in need of) the product or service you are providing. But if they come back, it is because they feel comfortable and respect the customer service your small business has established.
If you have not been thinking about your small business customer service, then now is the time. It is never too late to improve your small business customer service, and there are many ways you can do this. However, there is one way that stands above the rest, and is also the simplest to achieve, and that is to outsource your small business customer service efforts by utilizing a small business phone answering service.
Benefits of Partnering with a Small Business Answering Service Provider
As mentioned, there are many small business tips for improving customer service, but they ultimately come down to a single word—Communication. Communication makes the world go round for a small business because it is as important for the small business owner as the customer. So, if you are serious about improving your small business customer service, then you need to focus on improving your communication tactics, which can be easily done.
A bi-lingual small business answering service provider can be the saving grace you need, making sure no customer call is missed, no message is left behind, no emergency falls through the cracks, and best of all, no stress is added to your plate.
In this way, partnering with a small business answering service is a way of removing one of the many hats you are currently wearing, easing your workload and allowing you to focus on some of the finer points of your business. And as any small business owner knows, the more time you can dedicate to the job at hand, and the more attention you can give to your business operations, the more successful the business will be.
Well, this is the same argument that can be made for improving your small business’s customer service. By having a dedicated small business answering service, you can rest assured that your customers are being taken care of 100%.
An Extension of Your Business
Outsourcing your small business customer service efforts by partnering with a dedicated phone answering service doesn’t mean you are handing your customers off to someone else. On the contrary, it means you are providing them with a dedicated avenue to express their concerns, answer their questions, and communicate in the way that makes the most sense for them. And what’s more, a small business phone answering service will operate within your set workflow, which means you won’t have to change how you do things.
Whether you currently receive messages through email or have emergency calls sent to your cell phone or any other preferred method of communication you have in place, it can remain that way.
The only difference will be you won’t have to worry about having a staff person sit by the phone, or even more importantly, you won’t have to worry about picking up every time the phone rings, because it’ll be taken care of. And not only will it be taken care of during business hours, but 24/7. Now that is hwo you improve your small business customer service.
And your customers will have nothing but positive things to say, because their phone calls are being answered, their concerns are being addressed, and all in a timely fashion. At the end of the day, this is what small business customer service is all about. And when your customers see that you have put effort into improving your small business customer service, they will come back for more.
It’s About Respect
Communication, as mentioned, is the bread and butter of an effective small business. This means communication internally as well as externally with your customers. But effective communication is also a sign of respect, because it doesn’t only mean conveying messaging, but listening as well. Listening to your customers demonstrates that you care, and this is a sure fire way to improve your small business customer service.
Beyond just returning for repeat business, a customer might even write a review and promote your small business to their friends and family. This would not be the case if they didn’t feel like they were heard. So do yourself a favor and improve the customer service for your small business by partnering with a dedicated small business answering service. Give your customers’ voices a pedestal and a proper outlet, so that they can communicate with you in the way that matters to them the most.
Let our small business answering service help you improve your small business customer service.
