Photo (CC) by Ninlan Reid, on Flickr

No doubt about it: We all like to have a “wow” customer experience.

Yet research has found that, while the “knock your socks off” experience is one you remember, what gets customers back in the door is when they receive ongoing solid, good service from your company time and time again.

Consumers like consistency. They want to know what they had today, while shopping in your store, will be the same tomorrow, next week and next year. That is the standard you need to strive for in your small business.

Great experiences get talked about, but through time, the memory fades and other experiences begin to color what happened. As I think back through the years, I can talk about several outstanding experiences I have had. Yet ask me about the company today and I also will talk about how on later occasions, these businesses failed to meet my standards, let alone continue to hit that high plateau.

Thus the one “wow” moment gets your business visibility in the short run only. Companies that offer continued solid customer service though are where the consumer becomes an ambassador.

Focus your efforts on understanding and fulfilling expectations. Achieving that becomes part of your brand. It’s what people are looking for.

Mark Twain’s comments on this still are valid today, “Always do right! This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”

Holder Drug by Becky McCray via Flickr

When you think of good customer service when you have a product issue what comes to mind?

To me it starts with fixing the issue.  Words like prompt, fair and immediate come to mind along with getting having it happen quickly with the first person I contact.

As a business owner, we want to believe that everything gets done right the first time and that customer service isn’t necessary. Yet customer service issues happen.

I recently placed an order for a product and then forgot about it.  It wasn’t until I was going through some old emails I realized the item never came.

I clicked on the online tracking link (a customer service tool I love). Learned that I supposedly had received my item two weeks ago. But it wasn’t around. Checked the likely spots where our delivery people have been known to put things. No luck. Asked my spouse. Still nothing. Contacted the package service directly and they showed it was delivered. So I am batting 0 for 3.

At this point I assumed the worst, I would never see this item. I got mentally tired just thinking about going through the pain of dealing with customer service, especially since I had no documentation on my side. But I needed the item so online I went. One of the customer service options was an online chat so decided to go that route. .

I typed in the situation. Pretty short,  basically one sentence, “I didn’t get my product.” Maybe a minute passes and someone responded. We had a brief chat and the person said they would check and be right back. In about two minutes the service person was back and said it would be reshipped, with an expedited service. I was asked to hold for again a couple of minutes. The person returned and said the item was out-of-stock and offered a choice, wait until it was restocked or get a credit on my charge card.

Since the delivery date was too late I asked for the credit. I indicated I would order a comparable unit. The service person replied that they would cover, at no charge, the expedited shipping costs for the replacement item.

So in less than 10 minutes I have ordered a replacement item, had my account credited for the first item, and have it coming with 2-day delivery. I was impressed.

Now customer service actually is much more than getting a specific issue fixed, but, for many customers, it certainly starts and often ends there.

Good customer service never changes. Make sure your small business scores big in this area.

Now I wonder what happened to the first item I ordered??

Photo (CC) by Terry Johnston, on Flickr

Small-business owners always are looking for opportunities to build their business.

Some of the ways owners do this are through providing what customers want, working hard, and offering the right selection at the right price and trying to attract the right market.

These are all needed elements of a successful business. Yet there is an additional underlying core element that will help you build your business. That element is trust.

Trust or reputation cannot be quantified nor can it be bought. Trust is built by actions, words and deeds.

Business owners need to determine the values or principles that are the underlying support piers for their business. You may have seen a business post its values or print them on statements or elsewhere. It is not uncommon for them to be part of the “About You” section of their web page.

Remember though, trust is not in what you say but what you do.

So what does the business owner need to think about when building trust?

Obviously, you need to focus on your product or service. Does it do what you promise? Is it reliable?

But that is only part of the trust relationship. Trust probably comes more to the forefront when people talk about how you do business.

Customer service is another area where you need to build trust.

Building trust goes beyond your specific business. It involves being respected in your industry. And it certainly means being respected in your community. Are you a good neighbor?

You want to build trust with, obviously, your customers. But don’t stop there. You must also build it with suppliers, other business owners, financial backers, and the community. You even need to build trust between you as the business owner and family members. Family members are an important part of that small business.”

Here are some specific ways to build trust:

• Do what you promise
• Meet, or beat, the promises and the deadlines you set
• Acknowledge a mistake and correct it
• Be authentic
• Be transparent in your actions.
• Be visible and active in your business and in your community

Trust is a big deal in our personal relationships and in our workplace relationships with co-workers and customers. Developing trust and maintaining that trust is key to successful workplace environments, building a strong customer base and the overall prosperity of a business.

Trust builds successful small businesses. Work on building it every day.