Customer service is important for every business, no matter how long it has been around, but even more so when you are just starting out. Customer service is not only an opportunity to make your customers happy but also your pipeline to valuable product feedback and insights, a strong two-way communication channel.
One of the biggest challenges for new small businesses is establishing a solid customer support system. When a company is just starting, it can be easy to get so focused on the product that you forget to explore how to serve your clientele best. Excellent customer support doesn’t need to be complex or innovative. The best customer support is not about having the newest methods but being rooted in the basic principles of service that have driven interactions with clients for years.
Most businesses feel, that customer service refers to the aspect of their operations dedicated to post-sales problem solving, which includes ensuring that the business has met the needs and expectations of the customer. This is an extremely narrow approach to understanding the importance of client servicing. Rather, think of the customer service experience unfolding the second a customer lands on your site or picks up the phone. This is an ongoing conversation through the learning, buying, and usage phases of their product experience.
Here are some reasons why your customer service is so important if you are a startup;
- It’s free marketing
Service that exceeds expectations is talked about by customers and news of a great experience spreads like wildfire until it reaches people who potentially need your product or service and decide to visit your website or shop.
- It builds trust
Trust is important in a new business; customers need to feel confident that they are buying from the right place and good customer service can encourage this.
- It can help with recruitment
We all want to work in a business with a good reputation. Those applying for jobs know that great customer service is integral to the success of a business they will be more inclined to apply. Talent is important for every startup, hence happy customers help in creating happy employees, which will result in a happy business.
- No room for errors
A startup business doesn’t have an established reputation or customer base to fall back on. This means that one small error or one dissatisfied customer can be costly. If you are operating in a sector with high competition, you have to prevent people from taking their business to your competitors.
- It encourages customers to come back
If you have a negative experience in a store you’re unlikely to return and give it your business. However, if you receive excellent customer service you’re more likely to give the business another try. This principle applies to all businesses, and for startups is very important to retain their customers.
Investing in customer service in an unscaleable way is a roadmap for accelerating the path to that success. A startup’s goal is to create transformative products that change or improve the way people and businesses go about their daily lives.
Remember, with so many competing products in the market, customers can afford to be picky. This means startups have to come up with unique ways to ace the game, one of which is exceptional customer servicing.
