Small businesses rely on consumers to keep their doors open, which is why developing and implementing a proactive customer response strategy should be on the top of a startup’s to-do list. In a world that relies heavily on online reviews, turning a negative consumer experience into a positive could help dodge a detrimental bullet from a bad Yelp review. Lack of good customer service can run a small company right into the ground, but businesses can easily avoid that route to failure.
Felt+Fat, a ceramics and tableware manufacturing studio, is the favored choice for restaurants in multiple countries. Beyond the unique, handmade popular products Felt+Fat creates is an appreciation towards consumers that the company constantly shows. When buyers love a company and its working people as much as its products, that means a customer service strategy is succeeding. Felt and Fat explores more on how small businesses can improve their customer service strategy through these seven ways:
- Clearly State Customer Service Goals
A business can successfully execute a customer service strategy with the help of a solid customer service team that understands its purpose. Getting everyone on the same page to support a certain standard of customer service involves defining a clear vision and group goal through guiding principles. Ensure the entire customer service team is well equipped with knowing proper manners on the phone and strategies to serve customers best.
- Be Accessible
Suppose a customer has attempted several times to reach out to a business with no reply- that alone can spark a lousy reputation of poor customer service. Companies should be accessible to consumers when questions, comments, or concerns arise. Businesses can cover all of their ground by offering online support such as a live chat or quick social media responses on top of customer support available via text, call, video chat, or in-person.
- Ask for Feedback Live
When engaging with clients live, it is beneficial for businesses to ask for customer feedback during that time to grasp a better raw understanding of how the customer would rate their experience.
- Take Time
Excellent customer service representatives do not quickly rush through conversations with clients. Quickly passing over people can make a consumer feel like another number, unheard, or worse, unsatisfied. A customer service representative who remembers to remain human while talking and takes the time to get to know who they are talking to will boost customer loyalty. Statistics reflect the habits of impulse purchases revealing that 49% of buyers who received a tremendous personal experience followed it up with an impulse purchase from that same business.
- FAQ Option
Some consumers need hand-holding, while others would prefer to figure things out for themselves. The more independent self-service seeking buyers will appreciate a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page that they can easily locate on a business website.
- Do Not Ignore Negative
Though addressing the negative is never fun, customer service representatives should never overlook a negative comment. Rather than ignoring, it is better to respond to unhappy customers with an apology and a positive, determined attitude towards finding a solution to the problem. One in three customers only needs a single bad experience with a favorite brand to decide against future purchases with that company.
- Tailor Training from Experience
Though a business owner can do everything they can to prepare customer service representatives, it is the experience in the field that will prepare team members the most for the customers they assist. Adding real-life scenarios to training that the business’s customer service representatives have run into can help evolve preparation tactics.
About Felt+Fat
Felt+Fat is a tableware manufacturer in Philadelphia, well-known for exquisite, handmade ceramic dishes. Their customers include famous chefs like Eli Kulp, and their work has been featured in publications such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, Food&Wine, Bon Appetite, and The New York Times. Established in 2014, Felt+Fat has developed proprietary blends of porcelain and glazes to create elegant, durable tableware.