What do happy customers do when they are satisfied with your customer service? They will probably tell their story to their friends.
And what do unhappy customers do when they are unhappy and unsatisfied with customer service? They will more than likely write a review online about it.
This is an unfair reality that businesses face—and with the growth of online platforms, bad news travels like wildfire, whereas good news moves like a snail. For this reason, you must get your online activities—especially the ones dealing directly with customers—right every time.
That said, even if you mess up and receive a bad review, it does not have to mark poorly on your business’ reputation. With the proper actions, you can turn any lousy review to a good one, ensuring that your reputation maintains its positive integrity.
However, the best solution to a problem is prevention. Here is what you can do to improve your overall customer service and business:
1. Share detailed quotes
Even during the quoting phase, how you handle the process can already affect whether you win or lose a customer.
To give yourself the best chances of winning, always make sure to share detailed quotes with your customers. This can include putting down the VAT details, the breakdown of each cost, the timeline of the project, the inclusion of warranties, and much more. All of this information helps you look professional, motivating customers to pick you for the job. Plus, they will appreciate your effort to make everything as transparent as possible, which can affect your ratings positively.
2. Communicate often
Communication is critical, especially between you and your customer. What you communicate can be anything from a daily summary of your activities to the issues you have encountered. This allows your customer to keep up with what you are doing and dealing with.
Other than sharing frequent updates, communication also allows you to share your concerns and ideas. This can be the difference between a project that goes on with little-to-no hitch versus one that presents a serious problem down the line.
3. Check back
While you do not have to contact the customer ever again after the project is done, it is always recommended that you do so! Checking back in to see how things are holding up and seeing if the customer is happy is a great way to create an excellent reputation for what you do. Not only will this allow you to ensure that what you have done has proven to work, but you can also pay a visit if any problems occur.
This may seem like a waste of time, but by checking back on your customers and helping with any problems that may have risen, customers become even more pleased with your services. This can lead to referrals and recommendations, all of which can boost your business!
Conclusion
Be clear with the quotes, do your best during the job, share your concerns, and check back to make sure everything is okay—these are the basics to customer service for tradespeople. Through all of this, never forget to be honest! If you have a concern, think that something is not right, or is facing a problem, always tell your customer. Remember, not all customers are villains.
Many are incredibly understanding, and if you tell them of the ongoing issues, they will trust you more, especially after seeing that you trust them. This goes a long way in building a positive customer service experience, giving your business an excellent reputation and boosting its bottom lines.
Shake and Speare is a digital agency in Bristol that provides a myriad of services for tradespeople, such as website design, SEO, and more. If you are looking to create excellent websites for tradespeople to improve your customer service, reach out to us today!
