“First impressions are important, but the last impression we leave with the customer will leave the most lasting impression.” Shep Hyken. 

 

Have you ever been to a restaurant and enjoyed every last moment of your meal until dessert? It just wasn’t as satisfying as the rest of the meal and that’s the last thing you remember. It literally left a bad taste in your mouth. 

That’s how our customers can feel about us as business owners. It only takes one interaction to change their opinion, and with the internet, one bad opinion can turn into hundreds quickly with one tweet. 

So what can we do to make a difference in the experience our customers have with us? Here are three ways that you can improve your customer service going forward.

Have your contact information easily accessible

Make it easy for them to get in touch with you! No one should feel like your email address or phone number requires hiring a detective. You need to have it available in as many places as you can. Google My Business. Your Website. Your Facebook Business Page. Your Business Cards. 

If there’s a way that you prefer to be contacted, make sure that way is highlighted and you’re directing them to it. Remove any links to methods that are outdated or you won’t check often. The goal is that they will get a response, which brings us to our next tip.

Respond to every message

Responding to every message can be a challenge but we have to remember this — if a customer or client reaches out to you, they are expecting a response. The last thing you want to do is leave them feeling ignored. Chances are they are reaching out to you because they consider you a solution to their problem and they need help. You want them to know that they came to the right place.

Even if you are a one-person shop, there are a few ways to make sure no communication slips through the cracks. You can create an auto-reply for your email. That way, as soon as an email reaches your inbox, a reply is immediately sent that states that it has been received. You can use this opportunity to set expectations about when they can expect a response, plus point them in the direction of a FAQ if you already have one set up. Responding within 24 hours is considered a best practice.

For your social media accounts, you can designate a specific time to respond to comments. It doesn’t have to take more than 15 minutes every day but it shows that you are active and responsive. 

If your business is listed on Google My Business, you want to get into the habit of responding to every single review as well.

Use Loom for a personal touch

Loom is a platform that allows you to make quick videos using your computer screen, webcam, and microphone. No video editing expertise necessary. Sometimes an email just won’t do.

Imagine someone’s delight when they receive a video response from you that is personal and addresses their exact needs? They can see your face and hear your words. It reduces the chance of any misunderstandings.

This works out best if you need to walk a client through a procedure. By capturing your screen, you can create a custom tutorial that really makes you stand out! It can be something that they can reference again and again and it cements that you are an expert at what you do.

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If you follow these three tips, your customer service will greatly improve and your customers will be happier. Happy customers tell others about you. More than anything, it’s important to create a customer service plan. If you haven’t thought about this before, now is a perfect time. Think we missed a tip? Share it with us below in the comments!