10 Customer Service Tips for Founders: A Cheat Sheet

Customer service is more than just answering emails. For founders, it’s about building relationships, gathering insights, and driving business growth. This article offers 10 practical tips to help you improve your customer service and elevate your business communication.

1. Define Your Customer Service Tone

Your customer service tone should be consistent and reflect your brand personality. Take time to define your desired tone, whether it's casual or formal, hip or conservative, and whether you prefer using emojis or plain text. Having a clear understanding of your tone will streamline your communication and ensure consistency across all channels.

• Casual or formal
• Hip or conservative
• Emojis and exclamation points or plain text and periods

2. Research Your Clients for Deeper Understanding

Every customer interaction is an opportunity to learn more about your clients. Use customer support software to track basic information like social media profiles, job titles, companies, and schools. This information provides valuable context and helps you understand their needs and expectations.

3. Listen More Than You Talk

Listening is crucial for building trust and understanding your customers. Pause to understand their thought process, why they might be doing things "the wrong way," and their preferred methods. This feedback can be invaluable for improving your UX, product design, and identifying new feature requests.

4. Prioritize Customer Service Requests

It's impossible to answer every customer request immediately. Prioritize your responses based on urgency, customer type, or topic. A shared inbox with features like folders, tags, and rules can help you organize inquiries, see trends, and manage your workload effectively.

5. Leverage Templates and Automations

Save time and improve efficiency with canned replies and automated responses. Set up autoresponders to clarify expectations, acknowledge inquiries, and provide initial support. These small efforts can save you hours each week.

6. Double-Check Customer Details

Accuracy is critical in customer interactions. Verify essential information like names, business types, customer types, and subscription plans to avoid mistakes and ensure a positive experience. Consider using customer profile integrations to streamline this process and access detailed customer information.

7. Use Positive Language

Even in challenging situations, maintain a positive tone. Instead of saying "I don't know," try "I'll get back to you ASAP." Reframe negative language into constructive responses that build trust and demonstrate empathy.

8. Break Down Instructions for Easy Digestion

Format your communications for optimal readability. Use bullet points for lists, numbers for chronological steps, visuals for examples, and bold text for highlighting key information. Avoid overwhelming customers with large blocks of text. Clear formatting enhances the customer experience and makes information easier to understand.

9. Treat Customers Like Colleagues

Remember that your customers are real people. Treat them with respect and try to understand their perspective. Tailor your communication based on their business type, level of technical expertise, and specific needs. This approach demonstrates empathy, builds trust, and fosters stronger customer relationships.

10. Take Responsibility for Everything

As the founder, you are ultimately responsible for your company's actions. Even if a mistake is made by another team, acknowledge the issue, apologize, and take ownership. Taking responsibility builds trust and strengthens your customer relationships.

Key Takeaways

These customer service tips are a starting point for building a successful customer experience and driving business growth. Remember, customer service is not a separate department; it's an integral part of your business that should be integrated into every aspect of your operations. By prioritizing customer success, you can build lasting relationships, gain valuable customer insights, and create a positive impact on your business.