Salesforce — How To Improve Customer Service for Small Businesses

How can a small business improve its customer service? More than ever before, supporting customers is key to a small business's survival — so give them customer service that they won't soon forget.

A lot of interactions with customers feel like basic transactions — you offer something, and they give you something in return. But if you want customers to stick around and recommend your business to others, then your customer service should be much more than “basic”.

Customer service is an opportunity to go above and beyond your customer’s expectations in their time of need. When done right, it’ll lead to gaining their trust, loyalty, and even referrals. Here are 3 ways small businesses can improve on their customer service:

Number one: Build better relationships with customers. Customers aren’t just names and numbers — they’re real people. To build better relationships with them, look for opportunities to have engaging conversations, connect with them on a personal level, and show appreciation for the time they’re giving you. Some will take more time than others, but no matter what, you’ll want every customer to feel comfortable reaching out.

Number two: Provide value in every interaction. Support interactions can be great learning opportunities, so take the time to educate your customers and offer them new insights or advice. It can be something simple, like sharing a help article, or you could walk them through their issue step-by-step. By fully understanding why your customers count on your business, you’ll be able to give them exactly what they need.

Number three: Put customer feedback to work. From praise to confusion to critiques to frustrations, your customers’ feedback can contain a lot of helpful insights. Take note of what they like and dislike through online surveys, and pay attention to what they say in online reviews. Once you’ve gathered feedback, make adjustments accordingly — it might mean modifying how you offer customer service or even building out your products to be exactly what your customers want.

These three strategies can drive better customer service interactions that can turn tough situations into positive, and memorable, customer experiences. Because at the end of the day, your customers don’t want the same old thing — so give them more than what they expect.