Customer Support: Key to Small Business Growth

Customer Service for Revenue Growth in 2017

Small businesses looking to increase their revenue in 2017 should prioritize their customer service team to maximize customer satisfaction and referrals. This article outlines four key takeaways from recent research on small business plans and how they can benefit from strong customer service.

Increased social media engagement means more customer questions and a greater need for responsive and professional customer service on these platforms.

Scaling your business requires implementing workflows and automations to efficiently handle increased customer volume and ensure a seamless experience.

While chatbots are gaining popularity, investing in human customer service representatives remains crucial for providing personalized assistance and building customer relationships.

Expanding to multiple channels like Amazon or eBay requires a centralized inventory management system and a customer support platform that can handle inquiries across different platforms.

Social Media and Customer Service

With 51% of small businesses expecting Social Advertising to be their top revenue driver in 2017, it's crucial to prepare your customer service team for increased social engagement. Social advertising expands your reach to a broader audience who may not be familiar with your brand. It is vital to provide prompt and professional responses to customer questions and inquiries on social media channels.

Remember that social media interactions are public, so always respond professionally and promptly.

Utilize social media platforms for customer service as an opportunity to make a positive first impression.

Learn from successful examples like Dollar Shave Club, who excel at providing excellent customer service on Facebook.

If expanding your social advertising efforts, ensure your support team is well-equipped to handle inquiries on these new channels.

Scaling Customer Support for Growing Businesses

As your business grows, your customer service processes need to adapt to handle increased volume. 45% of small businesses plan to grow their revenue by more than 25% in 2017, making it essential to streamline customer service processes and minimize potential strain on your support team.

Implement workflows and automations to route customer inquiries to the appropriate person or department.

Proactive customer support, such as providing tracking information and updates, can prevent issues and create a smoother customer experience.

Develop a comprehensive Knowledge Base to empower customers with self-service options and reduce the need for direct support.

Prioritize Human Connection over Chatbots

While chatbots are becoming increasingly popular, customers still prefer human interaction when it comes to online shopping and support. Research suggests that 73% of customers favor human assistance over automated channels.

Focus on empowering your support team to build strong customer relationships through personalized communication and genuine recommendations.

Humans are better at empathy and problem-solving, making them more effective at turning negative experiences into positive ones.

While chatbots may offer efficiency, prioritize human interaction to create a more personalized and memorable customer experience.

Managing Multichannel Customer Support

The rise of multichannel retail presents challenges for customer service teams. It's crucial to have a system in place to effectively manage inquiries across multiple channels and platforms.

Ensure centralized inventory management to prevent overselling and customer frustration.

Use an ecommerce platform that integrates multiple channels for seamless order management and support.

Implement a customer support platform that consolidates inquiries from different channels, such as email, live chat, and support widgets, to provide a unified view of customer interactions.

Customer Service is Key to Business Growth