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Fight the recession with customer service


Kim Stoddart offers hints and tips on how to offer the best customer service and fight back against the recession.

When the chips are down and businesses are slashing prices across the board to attract more sales, the main defining customer in a shoe shopcharacteristic left over is the quality of a company’s customer service.

Holding on to existing clients, while attracting those defecting from less successful organisations, is the best way to overcome competition and maintain profitability in a turbulent economic climate.

Here are some ways to help make your customer service the best it can be:

The more knowledge that can be gained on what customers are looking for and the areas where they have experienced dissatisfaction in the past, the better equipped a business will be to fulfil their needs.

Spend the time to speak to customers personally; listen and respond to their comments and think creatively about where value can be added in the most cost effective manner.

Regular customer surveys are an invaluable exercise as they offer a true insight into your customers opinions, likes, dislikes and what they would like to see done differently, for example.

Placing the customer first makes them feel valued and wanted and less likely to flirt with competitors.

Offer a better service than anyone else – a great service or product is one of the best ways to keep customers happy and attract new business.

Ensure that your products and services are good value. Even if your products or services are the best around, if they are overpriced customers will look elsewhere.

Make a commitment to improve social and environmental credentials. Ethical consumerism is worth £35.5bn to the UK economy and the figure is rising. Make sure you can tap into this growing market by offering green and ethical alternatives.

Honesty is always the best policy – don’t make any promises you can’t keep and be as transparent as you can be. Customer loyalty is built on trust.

Regular contact with your client or customer will make them feel valued and show that you are taking an active interest in what they do.

Reward loyalty – this doesn’t have to be anything overly generous or showy but demonstrating to your customers that you appreciate their businesses is a great way to say thank you and to cement an ongoing relationship.

Kim Stoddart is a serial social entrepreneur and founder of Blue Rocket Group.

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By LaunchLab.co.uk  on   Aug 10,2009

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