Tell us a little bit about your small business (+URL).
My business, LA Wolfe Web & Marketing, http://www.LAWolfe.com, offers web development, and search engine and network marketing services. We specialize in taking sites that have been blacklisted, or never made it into search engines and rebuilding them to get them to work!
My Worst Customer Service Experience
This is embarrassing! 1981: I went unprepared to buy my 1st new car. The sales rep made me give him $1, my driver's license, and sign a “standard” form I did not read. I test drove a car. The sales rep explained that I now owned the car. I signed a pre-statement and gave them $1 down! Long story short, I was locked in a room while the sales rep and manager played good cop, bad cop for 3 hours trying to get me to drive the car off the lot (I did not.) I went back with a lawyer next day: the dealer denied everything. The dealer was later sued by other customers who had the same experience.
How I Make Sure This Doesn't Happen to My Customers
I put everything in writing up front - costs, services, what to expect. There is nothing worse for ruining your customer service reputation than adding surprise "unexpected" costs part-way into a job. The customer is really stuck.
My website has a section "Do you really need us?" because most business owners can do a lot of their own work. And, I do something different than other SEO companies - I analyze a website for free, before giving a quote. The analysis tells potential clients what is wrong, how they can fix it themselves, and if they want me to do it, how much it will cost. Charging a customer to analyze their site before you will even give them a quote is no different than asking them for a $1 down payment before you drive a car.
Lessons learned
- People respond to two things: First, being treated with respect. NEVER and I mean never, talk over your customer's head to scare or impress them. If they are not understanding something it is your job to help them understand - not confuse them more.
- Second, be honest. If you want repeat business or word of mouth business you have to treat every single customer as if they were the one to make or break your business' reputation.
- Oh, one more thing I learned. Do not lock your customers in a room and force them to buy your wares - it is not good for your image and they might come back with a lawyer!
