Small businesses can't afford to lose customers because they lack good customer service skills. In this post are customer service tips for small businesses. Customer service for small businesses is vital, especially for small businesses that don't have a large budget for marketing. There are simple ways to keep customers happy, come back to your business, and refer your business to friends and relatives, and these customer service tips for small businesses will get you on your way!

1. Listen to your customer. Everyone wants to know that what they said has been heard and is important. You never know, a customer’s thoughts just might be your next big idea for a new product or service.

2. Keep a pleasant tone of voice. Never make a customer feel that you are talking down to them or too busy to talk. There is always someone else just around the corner that might make your customer feel more valued. If that happens, you’ve certainly lost them and future business.

3. Admit mistakes. If you make a mistake with a customer, admit it. Most people are more than willing to forgive a mistake. Everybody makes them, but if you cover it up or try to justify it; you can pretty much kiss that customer goodbye. An unhappy or angry customer will spread the word faster than a happy customer, Think about it, aren’t you more likely to fill out a survey or contact customer service because you are angry and upset?

4. Get rid of that automated phone service. There are places online and off that do nothing but tell people how to get around the automated phone call. How many times have you heard people ranting over the fact they had to punch a gazillion buttons? To make matters worse, they were disconnected after waiting forever or were transferred to another line only to wait again. It can be an endless circle with no resolution or satisfaction at the end.

Just keep in mind you went into business for a reason, and if you use these four customer service tips for small businesses, it should be very satisfying. You want to sell a product or provide a service. Your customers are the ones that will be purchasing. A happy, satisfied customer is a repeat customer that will spread the word about you and your business. Maybe not as quickly as an angry customer, but they will talk about your business. Make it count.

If it's hard to find the time to provide the customer service level you'd like to have to build good relationships with your customers, that's my specialty! Click Here to schedule a time we can discuss how I can help you. It's a FREE 30-minute consultation.

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