Business Owners: Deliver Great Customer Service - Follow Up

What do you do after you make a sale? Do you follow up with your clients or customers to ensure they received the product? Do you follow up to ensure they were satisfied? How do you know he or she is a happy consumer? Business Owners – you must follow up. Following up is part of your customer service strategy.

A few months ago, I purchased a Miche handbag for my mother in-law for Mother’s Day. The handbag did not arrive in time for Mother’s Day. When it finally arrived it was missing the inside organizer. I also had found out I had been overcharged and was due a refund. Now, almost three months later I still have not received the organizer or the refund. The handbag has not been given as the intended gift because of the missing organizer. Am I satisfied? Will I recommend this party hostess? I’m sure you can guess the answer to those two questions.

Around that same time I purchased photos from a local photographer. I wanted the photos for Father’s Day. Guess what…I still do not have them. They supposedly were put in the mail at the beginning of June. Will I recommend this photographer?

Now, I can hear you saying why I didn’t pick up the phone to ask where my products were. Well, I wanted to see whether their business was a true business or whether it was a hobby. I only recommend true businesses to my friends and fellow business owners. I did not want to recommend someone only later to have that friend or business owner disappointed or embarrassed by receiving poor service. This was a test for the business owner. The business owner flunked the test. But, in reality I should not have had to test the business owner to see if he or she offered great customer service.

Business owners you must follow up with clients and customers. Following up is one way to offer great customer service. When you don’t follow up you may never find out how unhappy or dissatisfied they really are.

These three tips will help you follow up and offer great customer service:

1. Email: Send an email letting the customer or client know that the product has been shipped and the estimated arrival date. We see this commonly used by all big name business owners and companies.

2. Phone Call: Business owners you can have your virtual assistant or intern call the customer to ensure he or she received the product. Your assistant can also ask at that time if there are any questions on how to use the product.

3. Survey: There are several free survey sites you can use to send a survey asking your customer or client if they received the product in good condition and if they have any questions or conce
s regarding the product.

Remember, people do business with those they know, like, trust and see as the expert. You must employ a follow up procedure to aid you are offering great customer service. When you, as a business owner, do not follow up and offer outstanding customer service you are guaranteeing you will not have repeat customers.