15 customer service tips for small businesses in 2023

According to marketing professionals and leading publications, customer experience is the only true differentiator in competitive markets. With the commoditisation of entire industries, companies must focus on how they make their clients feel. Emotion is driving sales more than product specifications, features, or service provisions.

What does superior customer service look like?

Superior customer service involves meeting customers’ expectations promptly. Top companies focus on active listening, problem-solving, empathy and patience. Customers should feel like the brand is on their side, working with them to find the solutions they’ve paid for.

Why does customer service matter for small businesses?

According to Hubspot data, 80 per cent of customers reported they would be willing to pay more for a better experience.

Customer service is essential for small businesses for the following reasons:-

• It represents a direct connection between your customers and business, helping you generate more value for them
• It can save you a tremendous amount of money by reducing churn, preventing lost sales, and mitigating brand damage
• It delivers insights from customer feedback that improve products, marketing, and services
• It helps you stand out from the competition and build a reputation for trustworthiness and excellence

Customer service tips for small businesses 2023

Check out our top customer service tips for this year to put your business at a distinct advantage versus the competition:

1. Do something awesome

Today’s customers love businesses adding to joy, peace, happiness, and sustainability globally. Therefore, find ways to do awesome things, however big or small.

2. Be grateful

Give your customers a sense you’re grateful for their business. Regularly thank them for spending money with you and choosing your products and services over rivals.

3. Show respect

Make sure you treat your customers with dignity and compassion at all times. Avoid being rude or dismissive about their concerns or opinions. Listen carefully to the feedback they offer. Don’t make promises you know you can’t keep.

4. Prioritise innovation

Use the latest communication technologies to engage your audience. Use the best live chat for small business owners to enhance marketing, awareness and conversions.

Don’t be stagnant or complacent with customer service delivery. Explore the benefits of new modalities and approaches.

5. Keep it flexible

Not all customers will have identical needs and requirements. Therefore, keep your services flexible and convenient. Ensure you adapt them to their preferences or unique situation. They may need additional flexibility that goes beyond the traditional sales script. Bending the rules can be a lucrative approach if done responsibly.

6. Be honest and trustworthy

Customer service departments should also be honest and trustworthy. Don’t lie or try to conceal information from customers that might affect them. Tell them upfront what they can expect from your products and services and any limitations that might interrupt their enjoyment of the experience.

Don’t hide unpleasant terms and conditions in the small print. Offer favourable prices, discounts, and delivery times.

7. Focus on solutions

Customers aren’t interested in excuses or conversations with agents that attempt to side-step issues. They’ve paid for a product or service and expect it to work.

Therefore, instruct customer service agents to focus on solutions. If you can’t meet customers’ needs directly, offer alternative options. Continue following up with them until you come to a resolution. You want them to leave the interaction feeling satisfied.

8. Show empathy

Customers are likely to ring you up feeling angry, frustrated or disappointed. As such, it’s essential to show empathy. Making them feel heard or understood is usually all you require to calm them down and improve their experience.

You can show empathy by:-

• Acknowledging their feelings
• Apologising for any inconvenience caused
• Admitting to a mistake and how it could have caused harm
• Expressing how much you want to help them resolve the issue

9. Be more personable

Customers don’t want to feel like lemmings in a sales funnel or statistics on a page. Therefore, avoid reducing them to transactions or numbers. Always see the people behind the statistics.

Making them feel valued and appreciated when they contact customer service requires:-

• Using their names
• Making a note of their preferences
• Understanding their history with your brand

You can also use specific techniques to make them feel special, such as sending them birthday wishes or hand-written thank-you notes.

10. Offer a consistent service

Customers should receive the same high-quality services, whether they contact you via website chat, email, phone, or social media. They should get the same information in a similar tone (reflective of your brand voice).

Tie your customer contact operations together with a CRM or unification platform. Manage and track all interactions.

11. Respond quickly

Don’t leave customers waiting to hear back from you. Respond immediately or as quickly as possible via human agents or triaging chatbots.

12. Offer a proactive service

Don’t wait for customers to contact you with their issues and complaints. Instead, anticipate their requirements and reach out to them as early as you can.

For instance, proactively send shipping and tracking updates if you ship products. You can also add tips on packaging to help them get the most out of your products when they arrive.

13. Give your team more autonomy

Make sure your agents have the authority and autonomy to solve problems on behalf of customers. Avoid the temptation to micromanage or get them to follow a precise script if dealing with non-standard issues. Furnish them with resources and guidelines to handle various scenarios and situations.

14. Hire the right people

Employ customer service agents who display character traits that make them suitable for customer service operations, such as empathy, professionalism, and expert knowledge. Invest in and train individuals who believe in your corporate values and want to build your brand.

15. Know your customers and clients

Lastly, be sure you fully understand your customers and clients. Know what they need and value by gathering data and segmenting them into groups. Tailor the services you offer based on this information.