Celebrate Customer Service Day on January 17th

A smart business owner believes “the customer is king” and as such always deserves the royal treatment. January 17^th is Customer Service Day — a time to reflect on the importance of what customer service means to your business.

Customer satisfaction is crucial to the success of any business. You need to deliver the products and services that your customers desire at a price they are willing to pay. In order to stand out from the competition you need to add value to every customer interaction.

January 17^th is also sometimes called “Get to Know Your Customers Day” because you need to find out what makes them tick in order to be able to deliver what customers truly want.

Get to know your customers by giving them opportunities to provide feedback. The following methods can help you decide what approach works best for your business:

Social Media – Twitter and Facebook are two of the largest social media websites that give customers ways to share their opinions about businesses. You should know what people are publishing about your company as well as what they’re saying about your competitors. Social media websites can provide insight and present opportunities to be proactive in anticipating your customers’ needs. You may be able to address challenges or customer complaints before they become too problematic. When handled promptly, courteously and with honesty, you can enhance your company’s reputation and create satisfaction — and perhaps more importantly — build customer loyalty.

Surveys – From a basic paper survey to an online questionnaire, there is a lot that can be learned by collecting valuable feedback from your customers. Questions can be general or specific about their overall customer experience. Ask them what you are doing right and about areas where you can improve. Then act upon the knowledge you receive. Always follow through.

Focus Groups – When you require more detailed information than you can get from a survey, a focus group can provide the in-depth responses you need. Offer an incentive to gather your best customers together (either in person or using an online web application) to discuss your business, your products and services. The feedback you receive can be very useful to determine your next plan of action.

Online Review Websites – Many customers share their experiences with businesses through online review sites. Yelp, Citysearch and Urbanspoon provide business reviews from bloggers, critics and friends that are excellent customer service tools.

Merchant Express® understands the importance of excellent customer service. We know that it is critical for your credit card processing system to be reliable, day in and day out. Merchant Express is committed to serving your needs and can offer assistance 24/7/365 when you call our toll-free number at 888.845.9457.

Contact us anytime to discuss your credit card processing needs. We will help you find the best and most cost-efficient credit card processing rates and fees for our cutting-edge products and services. Call us to discuss how to accept credit and debit card payments—customized to suit the unique requirements of your business.