CentreO Blog

The answer is YES.

No matter what the natural of your business, or your field of expertise, you work in customer service.

How can this be?

In all businesses, especially a small business, where does the cash come from? Customers. At the end of the day the love for your job does not pay the bills and for the staff, the customers do. That’s why it is vital to ensure that they are kept happy, a little effort can go a long way.

Think Long Term not Short Term

In order for your business to survive, you have to think further than the sales you are getting in the ‘now’, there must be a long term plan, this is – customer service. Many businesses today still make the mistake of perceiving their clients as a one off dollar value rather than a valued life customer. Successful businesses build strong customer relationship by showing dedication – follow up, be responsive, personalised, this will then in turn create loyal customers.

Customer Loyalty gives you Credibility

Good customer relationships can generally create of positive word of mouth from clients, this being the most inexpensive and effective form of advertising a business could ask for. Customers spread their first hand experiences, as well as give information (such as through back and forth conversation) about the business to their networks. Customers are a great source in creating creditability that you would not receive from any other forms advertising.

>Tips To Improve Customer Service

Do you ever feel like the day is going by way too quickly? And that even though you put in decent hours every day, you still find yourself facing last-minute deadlines and stressing over handing in projects or reports late?

Well, I definitely know what it feel like. And that’s why one article on Forbes (“Productivity Hacks That Successful People Use Every Day”) drew my attention.

I would like to share a few tips I discovered in the article and I really hope they will help you get the most out of your day.

Keep in mind that not all of these hacks will go in well with your job description. For example, if you work in the fire department letting your call got to voicemail may not work out well)

1.   Set specific times to check email

Checking and responding to emails can prove to be very time-consuming. And you may not see that at first glance. But try monitoring your email usage for one day and you’ll see how much time you spend going back and forth between mail boxes.

Some research suggests that email takes up to 28% of the average worker’s day. So instead of answering emails at every beep of your smartphone or laptop, try doing it at set times during the day (the frequency depends and particular times depend on you, but do try to keep it under ten)))

2. Let your calls go to voicemail

Don’t feel obliged to pick up the phone every time it rings (unless of course your job dictates otherwise).

If possible, take a look at the caller ID and only take calls that must be answered immediately.

Later on, return to the missed calls when you have time.

3. Have a daily plan in place

If you tend to come home with the depressing thought “I didn’t get anything done today” – then this one is for you.

The thing is, it is very easy to get caught up in dealing with small “crises”, requests and visits. However, when others start dictating your day, you lose control.

Set time limits. By giving yourself a specific amount of time to finish a task, you will be hyperfocused and ignore distractions.

4. Monitor your social media usage

We all know that these days social media marketing is an indispensible part of promoting every small business. However, funny pictures on Facebook or Twitter news updates can keep you glued to the screen and using track of time.

Build in time to check, monitor and respond to social media, write blogs and plan your social media activity. Like any other marketing campaign, it needs planning, deadlines and goals.

5.   Keep meetings to a minimum

The average meeting is around 45 minutes. And most days we have more than one. Meetings are a necessary part of our business lives, but limiting their frequency and duration can prove to be not only time-saving but also efficient.

Many meetings can be avoided and replaced by a group email or a quick phone call, so don’t be afraid to suggest alternatives to traditional, in-person meetings.

 6.   Say no to “busy work”

Do not let yourself get caught up. It’s simple: “busy” does not equal “productuive”.

While tasks like organizing your desk, color-coding your files, or fiddling with fonts may seem important in the moment, they can be huge time-wasters. While there is a time and place for most tasks (even seemingly insignificant ones), be sure you’re not just doing them to stay busy.

7.   Use efficiency-maximizing tools

Software tools are a great way to speed up common tasks that otherwise take up bandwidth. Roboform, Boomerang for Gmail, and Dropbox are just three of my most-recommended productivity tools.

With more than 170 million members across more than 200 countries, Linkedin is #1 online business networking tool. But, surely, you already know that.

What you may find interesting are the 4 Secrets of Linkedin developed by Linkedin networking guru – Sarah Hughes.

And here they come:

Secret #1 – Have a Plan!

Make sure you know who your ideal customer is (industry, title, location, company size and so on). Linkedin Advances Search function is a great way to find your “dream client”, provided you have all the gaps filled in.

Next, make sure you offer a high value product/service relevant to your niche.

If you are confident in your offer, jot down a list of 20-50 of those you’d love to turn into customers.

Finally, use Advanced Search to find them on Linkedin and do your best to build a relationship.

Secret#2 – Create a Magnetic Personal Profile

We all are drawn to interesting and charismatic people. And the rule applies to online as well as offline.

One of the ways to do that is to maximize the use of your headline.

In searches, people will see your name, picture and the first line (located under your name).  Use the first line to describe the BENEFIT of what you do rather than simply saying what you offer.

Note: Did you know that now you can also add a video to your profile for maximum impact?

 Secret #3 – Add Value to Your Connections

 We do not like to be sold to. But we prefer to buy from those we trust, know or simply like.

Make sure that 80% of your shares and messages are value added, as opposed to promotional. Share interesting links, research result or insider tips to build trust among your connections.

Note: Tips are especially effective if they are aimed at the problems your potential customers may experience.

 Secret #4 – Take the Online Offline

 Social media are great for building relationships, but why not support them with more traditional activities, such as a phone call, a dinner invitation or even a letter? As these methods are quite rare these days, they will make you stand out in the eyes of your prospect.

 

Do you feel your Facebook page is getting overlooked, or next to none interaction?

When you post updates and images, do you think about what customers may find interesting? How you will communicate with them? What you want them to perceive about your business?

Here are some tips that can help your company get more likes, comments, shares and hopefully business bustling.

Be Authentic – give an opening where people can get to know you, not just the black and white About page of your business. Share what excites you, put a bit of personalisation into the business to build a relationship with the viewers.

Be Consistent – Post regularly, and also qualitatively. You can use Facebook insights to work out when people are online the most, giving more opportunity to connect with people and build up trust.

Add Value – think out of the box, look for other ways or experiences that would make your post more intriguing than quotes or memes that have been shares countless times already.

Do What Works – replicate your success on post that get the most engagement

Engage – reply comments, make post that invite answers or open discussions, show that your business is open ended and welcoming to strengthen the relationship with your customers.

Experiment with different kinds of post, see what your audience prefers, pictures or useful links? It’s all about trial and error, you never know until you try! Happy Facebooking!