Your customers are the lifeblood of your business. If you keep them happy, your business is likely to be healthy. However, if they are not happy, your business will suffer. The following are five tips to maximize your customer service.

Make it Easy to Receive Feedback

If you dread receiving feedback, your customers can sense it. Be open to receiving both negative and positive feedback. You can make it clear to your customers that you are there to listen to what they have to say by providing many opportunities for them to weigh in. This can be through live chat or asking them to fill out surveys to rate your product or customer service. Given them an opportunity to review your product will show that you are confident in what you have to offer. Social media also can demonstrate that you are there to listen to what they have to say, and customers will appreciate that.

Act Quickly - Delays or Lack of Communication Only Irritate Customers More

Whether your customer wants to complain or simply ask a question, not being answered makes them feel as if they are not a priority and that you do not care about them. Make every effort to be prompt in your response. If you can foresee some problem causing the delay, be proactive and let your customers know that the time they will be answered may be longer than usual. Always apologize if there has been a delay and give them your undivided attention once you have their ear.

Remember Your Manners - Please and Thank You Go a Long Way

Don’t treat please and thank you as throw away words, but really mean them. Find other ways to say thank you, too, such as offering them a special deal to show that you appreciate their loyalty. Give them incentives when you can to show why it is worth it for them to do business with you. Also, make your customers feel like individuals and that you have them in mind when creating and marketing your products.

Be Proactive When Rewarding Long Time or Repeat Customers

If your clients and customers have been with you for a long time, they deserve to be rewarded for their loyalty. Give them discounts or find another way to make them feel that they are being paid attention to. For your really dedicated clients, avoid the usual form email; provide a personal, handwritten message or gift to make them feel appreciated. Let them know about deals first and give them special offers, especially if they refer your program or service to other people.

Incorporate Suggestions

If Sandy from Nevada made a great suggestion, let people know about it. In your regular emails or social media, with her permission, of course, you can single her out as a customer who had a terrific idea or an excellent question about your product or service. Other customers will also want some focus for their interesting thoughts, and you are likely to attract loyal customers and show that your customers are names to you and not just numbers or dollar signs.If you want to hit that six-figure income mark, your customer service will help you get there. Once people have purchased from you, they are likely to purchase again – unless your customer service fails them.

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