Delivering great customer service doesn't guarantee that your company will make any money.
As Julie Rains points out, if your small business is "delivering incredible service but no one seems impressed" it may be that you're providing the wrong kind of customer service (Why Stellar Service Alone Doesn't Produce Amazing Profits, American Express OPEN Forum).
To ensure that you're providing the kind of customer service that will be used and appreciated, you need to define what stellar customer service means to your customers and/or clients.
How? Julie advises that you consider what customers have told you about their needs, directly in conversations and indirectly through purchasing decisions, and/or ask customers directly.
You might adapt this customer service survey, for instance, to ask customers about the types of customer service they value.
Making sure you're providing the kinds of customer service your customers want seems to me to be the logical starting point to ensure that your customer service is making you money instead of costing you money.
More on Good Customer Service
- 8 Rules for Good Customer Service
- How to Provide Customer Service That Outshines Your Competitors
- The Customer Service Makeover
Add Your Advice
- Reader Responses: What Are Your Tips for Better Customer Service?
- Reader Stories: What's Been Your Worst Customer Service Experience?
Image (c) Siri Stafford / Getty Images
Connect with Susan: Free Newsletters | SB Canada Forum | LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter: @SmallBizCanada