POST CATEGORY : Customer Service

How SMBs Can Profile Their Typical Customer

How SMBs Can Profile Their Typical Customer

Many marketing plans fail because they try to attract everyone and don’t focus on anyone. These faulty plans result in companies selling products that customers don’t want. Thing is, most customers aren’t even at the center of the feedback loop. Even worse, most customers will tell you what they want, if you would just ask.

Making the sketch

Start by surveying your existing client base (no matter how small) to understand future buyers better. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t have to be a costly process. There are free tools such as Google Docs and MailChimp that let you create a survey and distribute it easily and affordably.…

Continue reading →

What SMBs Need To Know About CRM

CRM helps in establishing the most crucial link between the organization and its customers. In the evolving economic condition it has become most important for small businesses to implement customer management system to effectively manage their customer relations. The use of Salesforce’s CRM tools are just one example of how businesses can enhance their customer relations.

When a startup is small it is relatively easy to manage relationships with clients but as the volume of transaction increases it becomes difficult to manage all the links with customers at different levels. Customer relationship management software for small business targets the crucial relationship management aspect of SMBs.…

Continue reading →

Why Shoppers Choose to Use Chat Features

why shoppers use chat features onlineLauren Freeman, President of the e-tailing group (a niche e-commerce consultancy), published a white paper to share the findings of consumer rationale for using chat. Studies were undertaken to determine the “who, what, where and why” behind consumers’ choosing to use an online chat feature.

Online retailers have much to be gained by implementing the best of the live chat experience into their business.   It can be concluded that the six core reasons online shoppers choose to use live chat are multi-faceted:

Shoppers feel special and empowered when they use live chat

Strong expressed strong feelings of appreciation for chat’s availability to solve a problem when sought on their own terms.…

Continue reading →

Shaking Hands in Cyberspace

In the good old days, a town’s small businesses (the barbershop, the general store, the soda fountain) served as the hub of a community. Employees and customers were typically on a first name basis, and any sales conversations began with inquiries about family and life events.

Even if you still live in a small town where that sort of community exists, it’s possible that you make your living online, dealing with customers you’ll never meet face-to-face. Although it takes some extra effort through the web, you can create real relationships that make clients feel special and encourage loyalty, repeat business, and word-of-mouth marketing.…

Continue reading →

Small Businesses and Shipping Providers: What Are the Options?

Depending on the industry, small businesses usually depend on logistics and shipping services at some point. While some choose to facilitate those functions internally, others might consider outsourcing the work. When juggling between the two alternatives, it is helpful to consider a few key points.

Any small business owner knows today’s market is extremely competitive, and many small businesses continually battle large businesses to try and stay afloat. Mistakes can be very costly and drive consumers away from a “mom-and-pop” operation to a big business they know will deliver products and results they need. If a business is too small to employ accurate and timely shipping services, it might be better to outsource the work.…

Continue reading →

Is Your Answering Service Helping Your Business?

business virtual answering service

Call answering services can be a great, cost-effective way to enhance your customer service without taking on a full-time staff member. A phone call is likely to be your clients’ first interaction with your company, so it’s important that you choose the right service for your business.

How can you make sure your service will make your business look good? Remember that:

First impressions matter. Are the virtual receptionists answering your calls happy? Do your callers hear ring after ring before they pick up or are they greeted right away by a live person?

Call your perspective answering service several times before you sign up and you’ll see what your callers will go through when you finally forward your line.…

Continue reading →

How to Pick the Right CRM Software for Your Business

Running a business seems glamorous and exciting – you are not told what to do; you get to pick who you work with; you get to pick out the look of the office; you get paid the most money; get the best office; get to connect with powerful people. The list of exciting decisions truly never seems to stop; however there are plenty of boring and mundane decisions a business owner has to take into consideration – which HR software to choose; which email marketing software to choose; employee background check hassles, and finally, choosing customer relationship management (CRM) software.

hot to pick crm software for your business

For those who are unfamiliar, CRM software helps a company manage their interactions with customers and clients.…

Continue reading →

Embrace Bad Customer Reviews For Marketing Success

bad customer reviewsWhile the dawn of the internet has brought us e-commerce and a brand new channel to market, it has also empowered the consumer in an unprecedented way. Websites like Trip Advisor and Review Centre have given unhappy customers a very public platform on which to vent their spleen about any perceived injustice and this can have business owners running for cover.

All of this can be quite scary for business owners who can start living in fear of the dreaded online bad review. Unlike any other form of review, this is as public as it gets, and often they can appear on the first page of the search results pages when somebody Googles your business name.…

Continue reading →

Angry Customers Mean More than Just Heartburn

Your employees and perhaps even you have dealt with these individuals at one time or another – the angry customer.

In jobs that involve a lot of customer service calls, undoubtedly some of your employees have met the wrath of that man or woman who doesn’t like the service, the product they acquired, the prices charged or more.

In order to placate these individuals, you can take the beating like a man or you can write them off as a customer and never have to deal with them again.

angry customers

For those companies that choose to work with these angry customers, it can take some comforting remarks, coupons and/or discounts on future purchases and more to win them over.…

Continue reading →

Creating Happy Customers: 3 High Impact, Low-Cost Techniques That will Make ‘Em Smile

In a world where consumers have an almost unlimited number of places to shop, small businesses must work even harder to stand out from their competition. One way to differentiate your small business from other small businesses (and big brand retailers) is to humanize customer service by ensuring that your website is as customer-friendly as possible.

creating happy customers

Don’t have a lot of time or money, or you simply aren’t sure how to get started?   Here are three low-cost, high impact tips you can use to help improve your site’s customer service capabilities while generating more conversions at the same time.

Create an FAQ Page

An empowered customer is a happy customer-and nothing empowers your customers more than ensuring that they have all they need to make the smart decision to do business with your business!  …

Continue reading →