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Looking after number 1: making the customer king

Looking after number 1: making the customer king

In business, you learn very quickly that the customer is always right. As a company director, it pays to recognize the importance of giving clients what they want and ensuring that they are treated like VIPs. If you’re keen to grow and drive your business forward, here are some tips to help you ensure that your customer is king.

Focus on quality

When consumers place an order of any kind, they expect a certain standard of quality. This relates to manufacturing and industrial businesses working with companies and contractors, sales teams pitching products to buyers and waiting staff serving meals and snacks to restaurant patrons. Whatever industry you’re in, you need to ensure that you deliver on promises, and exceed your client’s expectations. Products should be developed based on rigorous testing, and any issues should be ironed out long before that item goes to market. If you’re creating and selling products that are designed for outdoor use, for example, you don’t want a customer to return their purchase after a week because it has failed to withstand the elements. Work with businesses that have expertise in elements of testing such as weathering to make sure that you sell products that match the description and deliver the desired results. If you’re marketing yourself as a fine dining establishment, don’t expect your customers to be happy with mass-produced meals that don’t showcase high-quality produce. Think about what your brand stands for, and what you have promised your clients.

Ask for feedback

Customer feedback is incredibly valuable for business owners. You may think that you know exactly what your customers are thinking, but you never really know until you ask. Feedback can highlight potential issues and obstacles, it can underline the best aspects of your business, and it can lead to improvements based on what customers want and how they feel you could develop or improve. It can be difficult to take criticism, but view it as a learning experience. If there are problems, addressing them will only serve to make your business more appealing to clients. If you do ask for feedback, make sure you take comments on board. There’s no point in getting people to fill out surveys or put a note in a suggestions box if you’re going to ignore ideas or you’re reluctant to take other opinions on board.

Make your customer feel valued

There’s nothing better than feeling valued when you’re a customer. If you’re treated like a VIP, why would you even consider going elsewhere? As a business owner, it’s your duty to create an environment where every client is treated like a king or queen. Service is so important, and often, in business, you only get one chance to impress.

To succeed in business, you need clients to buy into your brand. If you don’t value your customers, there’s no reason for them to stick around, and you may find that they’re inclined to shop around. Focus on providing top quality products and services, work with other businesses and firms to establish a supply chain that delivers results, and ask for feedback. Listen to what your clients have to say, and make sure every customer feels like a VIP.

 

*Photo by Scarlet Ellis

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