I didn’t want to leave out a few posts that I came across recently, so I’m going ahead and posting these for you, even though they’re later in the day than normal. There was a lot of conversation over the weekend about the BlogWorld Expo, with some good information coming out of that. Try searching #bwe09 on Twitter if you missed it.
3 Ways for Businesses to Take Full Advantage of Facebook
Here’s a great listing of three different ways you can use Facebook for your business. John gives some good ideas on how to make the best of your Facebook experience.
Internet …read more

Once again I am reminded how utterly crucial customer service is to the general perception of a business. Why is it that companies work so hard to get consumer money, only to ignore them once said money is in hand? Do your customers really not matter to you after that initial sale? If so, you really need to rethink your strategy.

It is getting easier for customers to tell others about great — or terrible — customer service. Social media has furthered the reach of so many people. A few years ago, I could have told twenty or thirty people about …read more

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I think customer service is a huge part of a successful business. Many businesses lose sight of this as soon as they start to make money. Customers are the most important thing you have, without them you have no business.

One thing that many business owners have a difficult time doing is putting themselves in their customer’s shoes. A business owner needs to learn to  think about situations from a different perspective, other than their own. That’s a really tough thing for many to learn.
Try to put yourself in your customers shoes, better …read more

You know the saying, “The customer is always right.” Maybe the customer isn’t always right, but your job, is to make sure whether they’re right or wrong they leave your business happy, if at all possible.
One thing you always have to keep in mind, your past customers are your best marketing tool. Especially with the speed of social media today, word of mouth can make or break your business. How you deal with one angry, or upset customer can have an impact on your business.

So, how do you deal with an angry customer?

With patience. It usually takes a ton of …read more

When something goes wrong with a product or your services, you need to respond right away. Waiting to make a statement or make things right only serve to frustrate your customers and make them think you don’t really care about them.
Even if it takes some time for you to fix what went wrong, you should respond to problems right away. Let people know you’re working them. Tell them you’ll try to fix things as soon as possible.
Just don’t stay silent. Your silence will say much more than you mean it to.
Speaking up and offering support or help to get problems …read more

As this trend of interactivity on social media continues, it appears as though many companies want in on the action. Indeed, the latest is about how banks are all about Twitter.

If you own a small business, your best marketing tool can be your past customers. If you make a positive impression on them, then they will probably let their friends know. But look out, the opposite is also true! If they had a bad experience will they probably let even more people know about it.
With the speed of social media these days your customers are even more likely to sing your companies praises to a large audience if they’re pleased with your product or service. Word of mouth marketing can be a powerful tool. The best part is it’s free!
How …read more

In a tough economy, it is much easier, and much cheaper to hold on to the customers you have, than it is to find new ones. If your small business isn’t trying to keep in touch with current or past customers, or working for repeat business, you’re missing out on sales.
In today’s economy you can’t have average or poor customer service and expect to get by, but many small businesses (and large businesses) have a hard time understanding that. If you get it you’re ahead of the competition.
Customer service is one of the things you can do better than the …read more

While every interaction with your customers can’t be perfect, you do want to make sure you take every opportunity to help your company shine. Each time your customer contacts you, remember to create a positive experience. It should all be a part of your marketing plan to constantly reinforce your relationships and your brand.
And of course you’re probably not going to be able to resolve every single thing to suit a disgruntled customer. It’s just not possible. But when you think about how you should handle a problem, think about how it will reflect on your company. Unhappy customers talk …read more

Sometimes companies are so busy insisting that they are right that they forget to listen to their customers. And instead of providing stellar customer service and improving both customer relations and company good will, they alienate those valuable customers. Companies have got to stop ignoring customer feedback while trying to make it seem like they care. Drop the act. We know when you’re not really listening to us.
A few days ago, my son woke up crying. Usually some milk and a little cuddling take care of it and he goes back to sleep. That night it wasn’t the case. We …read more