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There’s a saying as old as time, that in business, the customer is always right. Although you;ve no doubt dealt with your fair share of difficult and argumentative customers, there is a great deal of truth to this adage.

Whatever industry you are working in, your customers are the foundation of your business. The more you have, and the more loyal they are, the more money you stand to make. And if you don’t have any customers, it is only a matter of time before your business fails. 

It doesn’t matter whether you own a clothing store, an online retailer, or a pet food outlet, the fundamentals are the same. You need to keep your customers happy or they will stop giving you their business. If they are dissatisfied with your product or service, they will simply find another company who can offer them the same thing. That’s why good customer service is essential for any organisation. It encourages brand loyalty, good reviews, word of mouth marketing, and thereby can attract many more customers to your business.

But how do you enhance your customer service? Here are four tips to help you.

Ask for feedback

Whenever you have an interaction with a customer, you want to know how well you have done. It might be that a customer was unhappy with your level of service and you’re totally unaware. If they have used your service or chatted with your customer support helpline for example, ask them to fill out a short feedback form or simply rate their experience. This allows you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and make improvements to your customer service if needed.

Train your staff

You may have several employees responsible for dealing with members of the public, and it’s to be expected that some will be more suited to the task than others. It’s a good idea to train your staff in effective communication and customer service, so everyone knows what is expected of them and can fulfil their duties to the best of their abilities. Show them examples of great and terrible customer service and offer incentives to those who have performed the best.

Be available

Your customers need a way to get in touch with you for any problems or queries they might have. In the past, customers would have to rely on emails or phone calls to contact a business, but nowadays there are so many more options available. It’s common to see company websites with live chat functionality, allowing customers to speak with an adviser instantly. There is also the option of mass text messaging, if you want to get important information out to your customer base with minimal hassle.

Be human

There is nothing worse than trying to get in touch with a company when you have a problem and getting an automated voice or a stock email reply. Not being there for your customers will drive them away, so make sure you are there for them. Tailor your interactions to each individual, rather than churning out the same copy-pasted text for emails. Your customers want to feel valued, and not just for their money.