Operating a customer-facing business means understanding your customers’ needs and expectations. In this way you will have the best chance of growing your business, increasing profits and keeping your investors happy.
A profitable business will also help you obtain a cash injection if needed. This can be drawn from investors, profits, or outside financing services like Merchant Cash Advance. Profits can be bolstered with the right investments and a focus on customer service.
Here are some more ways to help you succeed with your customer-facing business.
Obtaining a Customer’s Eye View
Among the best ways to find out where your business’s weak points are is to hire someone to pose as a customer and pay a visit. This way, you’ll be getting an impartial opinion, and you won’t have to drag your existing staff away from their jobs.
Form the Right Hiring Policy
Businesses depend on the experience and expertise of their staff. If your staff turnover is too high, then you’ll need to constantly retrain replacements at a cost. For some businesses which rely on highly-skilled labour, this can be crippling. You might address this problem by offering your staff higher wages, attractive perks, or more generous holiday time. But ultimately, you’ll need to first understand what the problem is before you take steps to address it – and that means quizzing your departing staff.
Utilize Social Media
Social media offers one more way for customers to interact with your business. In addition to using Facebook and Twitter for communicating directly with customers, you can utilize those outlets to notify customers of upcoming promotions and sales. The style of interaction can also be tailored to your customer’s needs, whether they have a specific situation to discuss or simply want to interact with your company on a more casual level.
Build an Online Presence
An easy to use, fast website is a must. You might be tempted to get by with your presence of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – but now that it’s possible to build a ready-made site via services like WordPress and Wix, there’s no good reason to avoid doing so.
Provide Live Support
Some companies make the mistake of putting their business online without providing the necessary live support customers sometimes need. If possible, include extended hours for your live chat so that customers shopping in the later or early hours of the day can get the help they need. In addition, make it a policy to respond to inquiries by email or social media within a short period of time, so customers get the information they need, when they need it.
Keep in Touch
Keep a database of your clients’ contact details. Send a periodic newsletter to let them know you still are thinking of them. A newsletter is a great way to stay in touch and remind clients of your services and other new happenings to your business.
Operating a customer-facing business means understanding your customers’ needs and expectations. In this way you will have the best chance of growing your business, increasing profits and keeping your investors happy.