In the business world, keeping customers happy is one of the most important things we can do. We rely on customers to bring revenue into our business and to build a good reputation for customer service. We rely on that reputation to continued building our business. When customers want to see us succeed, our business excels. If customers aren’t happy, the business suffers.
To help keep customers happy in business there are several key rules to follow:
- Always respond promptly
Whenever you’re contacted by a customer, always get back to them quickly – even if it’s just to say that you’re working on their request or need to find an answer for them. No one likes feeling ignored or neglected, so don’t keep customers waiting. No customer should ever have to contact you twice before getting a response from you.
- Give customers the benefit of the doubt
Generally speaking, people are good at heart. While there are a few rotten apples, it’s important not to let them spoil our perception of the whole bushel. Otherwise we can grow to resent customers, and that’s very unhealthy in business. Instead, give customers the benefit of the doubt. Assume that they have a legitimate request and aren’t trying to take advantage of you. Give them what they want – especially if it’s something small that costs you little.
- Keep a level head
Whenever you start your day working in a business, it’s important to clear your head as much as possible. Let go of whatever may be on your mind or impacting your day so that you can deal with employees, vendors, and customers calmly and respectfully. Put other personal matters to the side so you don’t let outside forces cause you to give a customer a bad experience.
At the same time, recognize that you don’t always know what a customer is going through in their own life. They may not be as good as you at controlling their emotions. If a customer is short or agitated, be the one who keeps a level head and serve your customers as best you can.
- Never overpromise
Although commonly overlooked, this is one of the easiest things to do in business and be one of the most significant ways to keep customers happy. Winning the expectations game is incredibly important for any business. While this means that you have to execute on your mission and deliver what you promise, it also means not encouraging customers to expect more from you than they should. You don’t need to be self-deprecating but stay humble and don’t promise more than you know you can deliver.
Keeping customers happy is of utmost importance in the business world. Without happy customers, a business doesn’t grow – it suffers. If you want to succeed in your business, make sure that you’re doing everything you can to keep your customers happy. This means staying calm and collected, giving customers the benefit of the doubt, treating customers respectfully and responding promptly, and playing the expectations game to make sure you always deliver what you promise. Do these things, and your business will benefit from many happy customers. We hope you enjoyed this article from Capstone Financial Planning.
Steven McMeechan
Steven McMeechan is a strategic marketing and communications specialist with over twenty years’ experience in senior marketing management roles across a range of industries including Information Technology and Financial Services. He works for Capstone Financial Planning and lives in Melbourne Australia.
