No matter what type of business you run, no matter where you run it from, remember one thing: the customer comes first.
No, that's not like saying, "The customer is always right," which we all know isn't true. What that does mean though is that you must always keep your customers' needs and wants foremost in your mind. After all, without customers, you have no business to run.
What does this mean for everyday business life? It means you must constantly look for ways to improve your services and products. It means you must keep continual tabs on what your customers think. It means doing everything you can to keep customers happy, and everything you can to avoid alienating them.
The best way to do this is by talking to your customers. Follow up with a phone call or e-mail shortly after anyone buys a product or service from you. Ask what he or she liked best about dealing with you. Then ask what you can do better. You might be surprised by some of the answers you hear.
Finally, remember to approach everything you do from your customer's perspective: are you making your business easy to deal with? Do you provide the information potential buyers need? Are you creating the type of experience people would want to repeat or recommend to others?
The answer to that last question is especially vital. That's because a customer who enjoys doing business with you might provide some good word-of-mouth advertising ... but a customer who's turned off will tell even more people. And that's free advertising no business needs.
Go To Page: 1
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Shirley Gregory's Working At Home topic, please visit the Discussions page.