Small Business Etiquette

Perhaps you are just beginning your life as a small business owner, or maybe you’ve been in this for a little while now and your business is beginning to pick up. Either way, one thing you have to know and exploit about your status as a small business: You have the ability to provide much superior customer service to that offered by even your largest competitors.

The reasons for this are clear once you give it a little thought. There is absolutely no way a large company can know all of its customers and offer them the kind of personal service that you can as a small business. Don’t make the mistake of treating your customers as if you were a larger company though. Just a few simple rules can help you provide truly stellar customer service that will keep your customers coming back and recommending your product or service to others.

1. Never duck your customer.

There is nothing more annoying to deal with than someone who does not want to talk with you and will do anything to avoid it. If your customer starts thinking that he or she is getting this kind of treatment from you, you can bet that they won’t be your customer for very long! If you find yourself playing phone tag with a customer, sit down and make it a point to catch their call, even if it requires some creative scheduling on your part. This is essential if you want to stay in business!

2. Be honest about your mistakes.

When a small business makes mistakes, the mistakes are often at a small enough level that the customer knows exactly why they happen and can understand it. Unlike bigger companies, where if you want to explain mistakes you have to track it through several different departments, a smaller business can simply say something like ‘We didn’t get the shipment when we thought we did,’ or ‘I ordered the wrong thing.’ Don’t prevaricate, tell them what you did wrong and how you are going to fix it.

3. Care about feedback

Even if a customer has had a negative experience with your company, try to get their input on your product or service, and the company as a whole. Even an angry person telling you things you’d rather not hear may have something to say which can help you improve things from then on. With a bit of diplomacy, you may even be able to talk down an enraged customer, particularly if they feel they are being listened to.

4. Know that your customers are more than just the money they pay you.

A small business can treat it’s customers as who they are: individuals. Everyone prefers a personal touch to being thought of as a demographic abstraction. A large company can’t really do this, at least convincingly. You however, can! Make the most of this - as a small business it’s one of your biggest assets. Remember your customer’s names. It’s the little things that will bring you repeat business.

A small business cannot afford to lose customers. By putting a little work into customer service, you’ll find yourself quickly building a growing and loyal base of customers.