Why Customer Care for Your Home Biz?

I recently contacted the insurance company to send me a change of beneficiary form for a life insurance policy. There have been some changes to my household, which need to be made immediately in the event that something should happen to me. 4 weeks and 3 phone calls without so much as an acknowledgement from the company.

Recently, my printers decided to simply quit printing. When I called the manufacturer, the technician stayed on the phone with me for over 3 hours trying to get the printers to work. They followed up with me every single day for 4 days. In the end, it wasn't the printers at all, but somewhere in my operating system, certain updates had deleted important drivers for both printers.

It is amazing to me how opposite my experiences were with both these companies. The insurance company must be doing so well that they feel they do not need my business as evidenced by the fact that they can't send a simple standard form in the mail. The other company realizes the importance of every single customer and how that affects their bottom line. Not only do I find the quality of their product exceptional, but now they have given me all the more reason to remain a customer for the future.

Much of "big business" has long abandoned customer care. Just walk into any "super store". Everything is 'mega this and mega that". When was the last time you walked into a department store to find sales personnel actually there to help you rather than just to checkout your merchandise?

Years ago, you could go to the butcher who knew exactly what cut of meat you preferred and the day you would be in to his store. The dry cleaner would have your clothes ready as soon as you walked in, the baker knew all your kids names. The business owners became your friends and they genuinely cared about you, their "bread & butter" customer. You became their customer for life. You had no reason to go anywhere else because it became a matter of trust and loyalty.

Today there is a home business boom! However, home & other small businesses simply do not have the same financial resources as large companies for advertising. This presents an incredible opportunity to provide a level of customer care that was represented by those businesses of long ago. The time and effort used to establish the business / customer relationship is valuable. It is well known that it costs far less money to keep existing customers than it is to attract new ones all the time.

What happens when someone walks into your store or lands on your website? What is their customer experience? Who is the first person they see? Will they be welcomed like a good friend or will they be turned off by indifference? What do you do after they become your customer? We are all taught to have a business & marketing plan, but does your business have a well-prepared customer care plan?

The opportunity for small businesses to fill in the gap is incredible! Don't let it pass your business by.

Patty Gale is a successful entrepreneur who exchanged her suits, hose and heels to work from home “in her jammies.” She specializes in helping baby boomers make the transition to a home- based busine

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com