Customer Service Tips 8 Ways to Improve Your Customer Service 

The service you give your customers can make or break your company. Treat your customers well, and you can have so maney referrals and repeat business that you don't even have to advertise. Offer poor customer service and word will travel quickly, sending potential clients the other way before they even meet you.

So how do you ensure that you're giving the best service possible? Here are 8 customer service tips you can use.

1. Start by listening, and you can learn a lot. By listening to your customers, you can find out what they want and be in a better position to give it to them. Ask customers directly or conduct a survey, whichever style works best for your business. For example, "Would you like me to follow up with you next week?"

2. Don't blame the customer. We have all heard it before, "The customer is always right". Well, sometimes. But even if they are wrong... if we want them doing business with us again, we want to let them know that they are right.

3. Encourage feedback from clients. Not only do you get valuable information from current and future buyers, people like feeling valued and appreciate being included in your business "community". More involvement can develop into customer loyalty and usually, increased sales.

4. Resolve all mistakes and accidents quickly. Customers generally like and admire others who take responsibility, and they tend to do business with people they like.

5. Make it easy for shoppers to return items they are not satisfied with and stand behind your products or services with a guarantee. This will make people feel more comfortable buying from you. When people see that you stand behind your product or service and offer easy exchanges or returns, they are less hesitant to do business with you and more likely to refer you to others.

6. Follow up with the buyer a few days after a sale to make sure they are satisfied and to answer any questions they might have. Besides providing great customer service, this contact point may even turn into another sales opportunity if the buyer finds that he or she wants additional products or service.

7. Establish clear and simple customer service policies for your employees to follow. These policies should be determined by what your customers want as far as service. Provide training for employees so that they know exactly what to do in certain situations. Giving staff members the authority and power to make such decisions can also help morale.

8. Keep in touch with clients. Whether it be through holiday gifts, birthday cards or notifications of "discounts for valued clients", continued communication lets customers know that you haven't forgotten about them - and they are less likely to forget about you. If your business is internet-based, you may want to consider a monthly or quarterly e-zine newsletter. You could also mail out a print newsletter. Include topics pertaining to your industry that your clients are likely to be interested in.

The bottom line is that you want to treat customers like you would want to be treated - like a trusted friend.

Home Business Center, Inc lists a variety of do-it-yourself marketing tools and resources that small business owners can use to grow their businesses, see 32 more ideas at Home Business Marketing Ideas