Small Business Management - Customer Service

Have you as a customer, ever been annoyed by service people who were discourteous, insensitive, or impatient? How might the business owner, through training, avoid such behavior? What rules, policies, procedures and standards could the business owner set up to keep employees from neglecting or insulting customers?

The quality of customer service will make or break a company, which is why this is a crucial topic in successful small business management. Customer relationship management is so important it has become its own area of expertise and study. Companies need to attract customers and then, keep them. This can only be achieved when all employees in the company provide exceptional service to every customer. No matter how small or large a business is, if they do not provide excellent customer service, the customer is going to give their business to someone else. Consumers, especially, are tired of bad service, discourteous employees and being treated with suspicion if they complain.

It is in the area of customer service where small business owners can excel. Small businesses can set themselves apart from the competition by always providing high quality service. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a marketing strategy of maximizing shareholder value through winning, growing, and keeping the right customers [1]. One longitudinal study revealed: Small businesses which put heavy emphasis on customer service were more likely to survive and succeed than competitors who emphasized such advantages as lower prices or type of product [2].

      When training employees to provide exceptional service, there is a need to emphasize certain standards and rules. Everyone in the company must make a commitment to excellent customer service, no matter what their job is, even if they do not have any personal contact with customers. The customer is always first with all employees [2]. Always treat customers with respect and courtesy, whether that contact is in...