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Service Provides Small-Business Edge

Being responsive easier when firm not a goliath
By Tom Culley
Special to the Star
THE TORONTO STAR Wednesday, September 16, 1998

You're confronted by it every day. At home, at work, at play. Lousy service, a sickness of today's world.

Sullen, rude, indifferent employees. Companies that answer you (if at all) with dumb form letters.

Phone calls to businesses that offer only irritating answering services: Sorry, no humans here.

Restaurants with no concerned owner present to handle your complaint. Continuing problems that are never resolved.

You'll hear a litany of excuses, explanations and blamecasting, but there's really only one underlying cause: businesses, usually the bigger ones, that "rationalize" costs at the expense of customer service.

They could improve service if they wanted to, but trading off lower cost against lost customer good will makes economic sense to them. I don't think it does, but that's their problem.

To you, operating a small, flexible personal business, their problem is your opportunity. It represents a major competitive advantage. If you're starting up, it allows you to build a small but fiercely loyal client base.

This service "edge" of a small business over larger competitors has never been greater. As big corporations dumb down, you can smart up.

However, this edge is only yours if you grasp it and exploit it, intelligently and aggressively. It takes considerable personal time and effort. It will happen only if you make it happen.

Here's how:

  • You're your best service employee.
    You want to succeed, right? You care about your business more than any employee, right?
    So forget those cute management theories about delegation. Get personally involved in customer service and handling complaints. You'll do it better.
  • Small is beautiful.
    Your customer base will be small, compared with large competitors. You can afford to give each customer a level of personal attention that would be impossible for a larger business. That's your edge; exploit it.
  • Play the local card.
    Most small businesses operate locally. It's far easier to stay close to customers who are easily accessible. You can intelligently exploit people's natural preference for a local business that offers outstanding service.
  • Your PC is your service tool.
    With an average computer and off-the-shelf software, you can maintain superb customer information files. Names, addresses, phones, and all key details. Plus model letters for every imaginable customer service problem. Managing customer service activities becomes easy.
  • Never let good customers slip away.
    Always remember: Whatever it may cost you, in time, effort and money, to provide superior service to retain good customers, it will cost you much more if you have to hunt for replacement customers. Hold on tight to what you've got.
  • Quality control is your responsibility.
    Quality control and good service are part of the same thing. Consistently successful independent restaurants always have an owner on the scene, to ensure that everything is to their customers' satisfaction. Learn from them.
  • Contact, contact, contact.
    People have short memories. You can gently, constantly remind your customers that you still value their business, without becoming a pain in the butt. Letters, flyers, postcards, birthday cards. Whatever it takes.
  • Good techniques, poor execution.
    Just because you see good techniques for customer service being misused by larger companies (irritating phone surveys, idiotic follow-up letters), doesn't mean they're not valuable. In your personal hands, they may work beautifully.
  • It doesn't have to cost money.
    Great customer service by a dedicated small business operator costs personal time, effort and brain strain. But the money cost is usually low. The cost comes out of your hide. That you can (and must) afford. It's why you're in small business.
  • Don't get cocky.
    When small business owner / operators pay ferocious attention to customer service, they reap the rewards of their dedication. Fast. Yet some stumble later. They get cocky (or lazy) and start neglecting customer service.

If you built your business on good customer service, you must stick with it. Forever.

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