Why Home-Based Small Businesses Should Care about Customer Service

Running a home-based small business is often the perfect solution for stay at home parents or for those seeking to leave the traditional workplace behind or for those needing to start a business on a smaller budget.  A small, home-based business puts the business owner in control of their workday--and makes the business owner responsible for virtually every aspect of the business' potential from the start.  Whether you are seeking to build a service-oriented business or one selling physical products--you will be serving customers or clients.  As you grow your home-based, small business those customers and clients may be few and far between--so it is absolutely critical that you offer the best customer care and customer service possible during each and every customer contact!  Why should home-based small businesses care so much about providing excellent customer service? 

Photo Credit

 

 

 

Satisfied customers remain loyal to you and your company.  If a customer has a very positive experience with your company, he is more likely to return to you when he needs your product or service in the future.  That return business is vital to a small business' success.  It is a lot cheaper for a small business to retain a satisfied, return customer than it is to market to, compete for, and gain a new customer.   Some businesses find that retaining return customers  http://www.businessinsider.com/e-commerce-report-shows-returning-customers-are-more-valuable-than-new-ones-2016-3 may be more valuable than new customers!

Satisfied customers recommend your business to others.  This reason alone is worth its weight in gold when you are evaluating the value of your company's customer service efforts.  Marketing a small business is expensive business--and becomes a large chunk of your monthly expenses!  When a satisfied customer recommends your company to others; that free word-of-mouth marketing is a wonderful reward for your customer service skills!


Excellent customer service builds your brand or business reputation with other businesses and employees too.   How you treat your customers affects not only your current customer relationship--but, reflects your morals and ethical values as an employer and a business partner as well.  The reputation you build through your customer care will become public knowledge--especially if it is not always the greatest!  If you have a reputation for treating customers poorly, you may find yourself having more difficult time attracting quality employees and, businesses which you would like to partner may prefer to distance themselves from your negative reputation. 

Satisfied customers save small business owners time--and money. If you offer excellent customer service from the beginning to end of every transaction--you will find yourself facing fewer problems, fixing errors and dealing with time-consuming complaints.  No, you will not please every customer during every moment of every transaction--but, the better customer care you provide at each stage,  the better customer success  https://useriq.com/blogs/an-introduction-to-customer-success you will see.  Additionally, better customer service leads to fewer refunds, fewer needs for price negotiations and less hourly wage money spent on you or employees to handle issues.

Customer Feedback Provides (Free) Direction for Business Growth.  Building a great customer care relationship with customers and clients allows you a more significant opportunity to obtain product or service feedback. https://www.forbes.com/sites/shephyken/2016/07/16/nine-ways-to-get-customer-feedback/#7e75756732e2  What products would your customer like for you to offer?  What additions could you make to existing products?  What is your client in need of that is just not being provided by anyone yet?  A customer that feels appreciated and feels a connection to you or your company may be more likely to open up and offer you valuable feedback to use as you develop your brand and grow your business.