When you are looking to becoming a great small business, you need to think about how you can capitalize the fact that you are different from what bigger businesses have to offer. Many small businesses decide to present themselves as being larger than they are, and this tends to be a mistake. You cannot offer the variety and some of the deals that a bigger business can offer, but what you can offer is great customer service that is very customized. If you are looking for a way to provide great customer service as a smaller business, there are a few things that you should think about and keep in mind.

First of all, get your business set up to make it easy for your customers to communicate with you. With big businesses, customers are often frustrated by how long it can take, and how difficult it is to be able to talk to someone outside of the customer service phone bank. Make yourself available to your customers on a regular basis, as much time as you can possibly spare. This will make your customers trust you, which will build loyalty in your business.

When you are working with email, the response turnaround is expected to be very high, if not instantaneous. People are fairly immune to the positive effects of autoresponders at this point, so think about how often you can check your email. Check it at least twice a day, if not more, and make sure that you respond promptly and enthusiastically to anything that you find in there. Having a good response time for personal email is a good way to make sure that your reputation for customer service is high.

Similarly, put your phone number out there, and then answer it when it rings! Make sure that people are aware that this is a line that runs directly to you, and then prove it to them by responding to it in a prompt manner. Having a phone number out there for your customers is ideal because it allows them to immediately place you in their heads as a real person, something that can be a little difficult to do if all they are getting is email. A phone number helps them associate you and your voice with the work that is being done.

Last, but most certainly not least is to follow up with your customers. Give them a call in a few weeks and inquire how your product or service is performing. Be certain to ask if there's anything else you can do for them; every customer appreciates this little bit of extra personalized service. This also lets you evaluate how your product or service is doing by your customers, and ensures that your customer will be left with a good impression of you, your company and your product.

Communication is key to a small business. Don't neglect this; a small business succeeds or fails based on customer service, so be sure to ingrain this idea into your corporate culture.

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