Every business owner knows without their customers they do
not have a business. Finding customers is only the first
step in running a business. Keeping them for the long haul
is the most important thing a business needs to do.
Customers want to buy their goods and services from
businesses in tune with their needs, wants and desires. They
want to be taken care of and sold the best possible products
for a
reasonable price. What they do not want is to deal with a
business that does not seem to have those thoughts in mind.
How can keep your customers happy, and still make a profit?
1. Do not forget your current customers when you offer
promotions and special offers. While you do want to bring in
new customers, giving your current customers the same
promotions is
a surefire way to keep them happy.
2. Treat your current customers with the same courtesy and
honesty you give to new customers. A customer who feels you
are not treating them fairly will not be a customer for
long.
3. Do not promise something you cannot keep. Nothing annoys
a customer more than to have a business tell them they can
deliver on a certain date only to have the shipment days or
even weeks late.
4. Get to know your customers. Everyone likes to be
remembered, even your customers. Keeping track of birthdays
and anniversaries are a few ways you can make your customers
feel more like they are part of the family, thus making them
feel more at home with your business.
5. Ask your customers what they want in a business. Send out
surveys to get your customer's input. Some questions you can
ask are:
- What do they think of your service?
- Was their last order shipped in a timely manner and
accurate?
- Do you have any compliments or complaints?
The best source you have for business feedback is your
customers.
6. Offer long-term customers better discounts and specials.
Show them you appreciate their business. Price breaks for
your older customers will make them feel special, and make
them want to continue buying from you.
7. If there is a problem, handle it quickly and
professionally. Do not make them sit on hold for long
periods of time. Be polite and helpful, even if the problem
is not your fault. Losing a
good customer over a trivial thing is one way to be out of business
quickly.
8. Have a clear cut return policy. Changing the policy every
day, or making it so difficult no one will even try, are two
ways to alienate your customers. No one wants to buy
something
they cannot return if it turns out not to be right for them.
Customer service seems to be becoming a thing of the past,
with businesses trying to cut corners and raise profits at
the
expense of their good names. But keeping your customers best
interests in mind when you are dealing with them will make
them more likely to be repeat customers. And that is the
kind of
customer that keeps a business thriving.
Dawn Arkin is a freelance author of articles and fiction.
This article has been submitted in affiliation with
http://www.Facsimile.com/ which is a site for Fax
Machines.
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