The stock market is still on a wild roller coaster ride. Trust in business is at an all time low. Do your customers still trust you? Here are seven ways to help you make sure.
- Go the extra mile. Under promise and over deliver – a time worn concept that still works every time. Be there for your customers and show them how reliable you are. It’s your actions that count, not your words.
- Provide spectacular customer service – every time. Have a friend or colleague visit your business and provide feedback from a customer’s perspective.
- Make sure your front and back office work like a well-oiled machine. Do your front line employees and back office staff tell your customers the same thing?
- Manage your customer relationships – return customers take the least amount of effort – use that to your advantage. Keep in touch often.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate – with your employees and your customers. Nurture those relationships. Ask for feedback often.
- Take responsibility. Don’t pass the buck. If you can’t personally handle a customer issue, make sure that you hand the customer off gracefully.
- Meet commitments. Commitments guarantee that something will get done. They’re also a way to manage the customer’s expectations. Make commitments you can keep. A kept commitment builds trust. A missed commitment destroys trust. And once trust is broken, it takes much longer to rebuild.
About the author
Denise O’Berry is a small business expert and author of 65 Winning Strategies for Small Business Owners. Visit http://www.whatspossible.com to get your free copy of our Success Strategies Guide: 10 Keys to Success for Small Business Owners.