Building Customer Relationships

 One of the most important ways of promoting your business is through your current client base.  To do this, you have to have a strong customer relationship.  Your customers have to feel that not only do they want to continue to use your services, but that their friends and contacts would be better served to use your services.

So how do you get that kind of loyalty?  It really isn’t that difficult.  The most important thing, of course, is to provide the best service in a timely fashion.  Small businesses are on limited budgets and strict deadlines.  To help them, you have to work within their time constraints.  If you promise something on Monday and don’t get it to them until Wednesday, you have just lost a customer.  Be realistic in your time estimations.  If you can’t possibly get it completed in the time frame they are requesting, be up front about it.  They are more likely to understand and be able to adjust their schedule as well.

Another important thing to build the customer relationship is to reply to phone calls and emails quickly.  When a customer emails you with a question, they don’t want to wait 2 days for an answer.  If they can email someone else and get the answer right away, guess what, they just moved to another company.  Same with phone calls.  I understand that sometimes you can’t get to the phone right away, you may be on the other line, but as soon as you get their message, call back.  As we are talking about other business owners, think about their time.  They would not be calling you, unless they thought it was important. 

When answering questions or discussing services, keep it professional but friendly.  Never let the customer hear that you are having a bad day.  People, in general, like being around happy people.  Think about it, when you ask someone, “How are you today?”, if they start telling you about how bad their head hurts, or that their car broke down, or whatever, that detracts from what you want to talk about, business.  It makes you feel bad and not want to add any more stress to their life.  You want to get off that phone, quick.  This is not to say that you can’t be personal with them, just keep it upbeat.  Customers like to feel that they are important to you and that you really like them.  You can small talk about pleasant things, but remember, time is money, and you want to get back to the point of the call as quickly as possible.

I know this sounds corney, but it is true:  Answer the phone with a smile.  It really does come through the phone lines.  I don’t know why, maybe you sound different because of the smile, but it can be heard.

When you do these things, your customers remember you, and if someone mentions to them that they are looking for something that you offer, guess what?  You will be the first name that comes up, and what they will say is that you are professional, great to work with, and that you know your stuff.

You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be the best at customer service.