There is no doubt that customers and clients are the heart of a business, no matter what product or service is being offered.

Many small business owners and solo professionals discover that outstanding customer service must be included in every aspect of their business – not just the point of sale.

In today’s competitive environment, consumers are looking for businesses to provide an “outstanding customer experience”.

This “experience” begins the moment the customer contacts you and then becomes an on-going process.  It comes not only from the product or service being sold, but also who is selling it.

Human interaction is crucial to creating a meaningful relationship between your company and your customers to provide the experience they are looking for.  Sometimes this can be a challenge especially given the amount of business that is conducted online.

There are several simple steps you can take to ensure that your customer relations are above par.

• Use a real person to answer your phone. Answer promptly and with a professional greeting. 
• Answer text messages and emails within 2-3 hours if possible – no later than 24 hours. Address complaints right away. Prompt, positive responses help to build trust in customer relations.
• Follow-up with any complaint resolution to make sure the customer is still satisfied.  It’s best to do this within a few days after the issue has been resolved.
• Keep your website up to date with information consumers are looking for. Make it easy for them to find answers to their questions and to contact you.
• Stay in touch with your customers either through emails, newsletters or actual mailed cards -make sure your communication is a balance of company promotion and “just checking in”.

Providing an outstanding customer experience takes work but is well worth the effort. It is crucial that you be proactive with your customer satisfaction – don’t wait until they have a complaint.  People who are pleased with your customer service will happily share your business with others.

Keep in mind that you won’t be able to make every customer happy. What’s important is to make every customer feel valued and appreciated. Take one customer at a time and give concentrated attention.