Exceptional customer service can help set your business apart

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4: Recently the Department of Consumer Affairs launched a media campaign highlighting the importance of supporting local businesses. This is important because today local businesses continue to face very challenging economic times and not only are they competing locally, but they also continue to face declining sales as locals shop overseas.

In 2010, 36 per cent of all retail purchases were made overseas and collectively residents spent $29 million dollars shopping online.

That’s a lot of money that has left our community. Every dollar spent shopping overseas is a dollar taken away from our economy and if we don’t keep the money in our community imagine the impact that will have on the economic future of Bermuda.

While I don’t expect that consumers will stop shopping on the Internet or while they are abroad, I would suggest that we strongly consider the importance of supporting local businesses and how we all benefit.

They share their revenue back into the local economy, which is a financial return for all of us.

When businesses close down and disappear, that loss of business and loss jobs has an effect on other businesses — hairdressers, restaurants and bars, garages, plumbers, truckers, carpenters etc.

That’s a lot of people out of work and a lot of revenue that is not going back into the economy.

Local residents have expressed their concerns about shopping locally — limited choices, high prices and rude sales staff are the top three dislikes. It is fair to say that local businesses are listening.

Service

Choices are going to always be somewhat limited, we live on a small island, everything is imported, no one wants to sit on a huge amount of inventory that isn’t moving and costing money and let’s face it, no-one locally has the buying power of Wal-Mart.

And as far as high prices go, retailers want to sell their goods and competition these days is fierce — remember they are competing locally and globally.

One of the main competitive advantages any business has these days is customer service, which brings me to the point of this article.

Customers today are more conscious of value for dollar and will spend more time comparing and evaluating before they buy. They expect more attention, courtesy, appreciation and recognition.

With money being tight and competition being fierce customers are paying more attention to how you treat them and the efforts you make to provide a high quality shopping experience.

They no longer want good customer service; they want exceptional (WOW!) customer service.

So why does customer service matter? First and foremost it has a direct impact on a business’s bottom line. People will support businesses that provide excellent service. They will become repeat loyal customers and they will tell their friends and family.

If they don’t like a business they will not return and they will tell as many people as they can, and more than likely they will use the Internet, which carries news further and faster.

Tips

Businesses today must focus on customer service if they want to survive. As we the consumer endeavour to support local businesses in order to support our economy we expect the same support and loyalty in return.

Here are few tips for local businesses.

Remember, companies don’t help customers, people do and recognise that it costs about six times more to get a new customer than to keep an existing one.

Have a customer service plan in place that makes it easy to do business with you. Truly listen to your customers and what we like and dislike about your business. Feedback is free and will help you improve your business.

Customer Service plays a vital role in a business’s success.

Exceptional customer service sets your business apart from your competitors and in a small country like Bermuda where word-of-mouth is such a persuasive factor, it can be as important as paid advertising.