Good Customer Service Can Grow Your Business, Even in a Down Economy

By Kristina Evey • January 21st, 2010

When I’m first approached to coach a client or give a presentation on customer service, people often ask me what difference good customer service can make on their bottom line. I’m quick to point out that by delivering excellent customer service, they will likely start to see a higher return on investment by means of higher levels of repeat business, much faster than they anticipated.

Service is the distinguishing factor among businesses that are thriving in these times. For businesses that are providing comparable products and prices as their competitors, customers are taking their spending dollars to the place that values and appreciates them by treating them like royalty.

In an article in The Orange County Register, Bob Cohen, owner of the Fast-teks computer service and repair franchise in Los Alamitos, CA, understands the importance of good customer service by listening and following up with his customers.

“I follow up on every call with every customer,” he says. “Customer service is key, and I go out regularly with my technicians. It helps that we do business on the weekends. More of my business is repeat and referral business.”

Cohen says he learned good habits from the founders of Hewlett Packard where he worked many years. “The founders said they treated every customer as if he was going to be a reference,” Cohen says.

When you train for and use good customer service skills, the customers recognize the efforts that you are making to retain their business and to build a long term relationship with them. People are much more likely to do business with those that they know, like, and trust. When you apply these principles into the business equation, any effort put into the relationship to strengthen it will pay off in an increase in growth and profits.