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Your Customers Deserve Answers

You ask your customers to tell you how you’re doing. You send surveys, invite reviews, and encourage them to share their concerns. But once that feedback arrives, what happens next? If you record it in a report and move on, you may leave your customers wondering why you asked in…
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When the Rules Don’t Fit

You’ve created policies, trained your employees, and established procedures to keep your small business running smoothly. But sooner or later, a customer will bring you a situation your handbook doesn’t cover. Customers have a knack for that. In “Every Company Needs a ‘Reasonable Department,’” customer service expert Shep Hyken explores…
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Small Things Done Well

Your customers have choices. Regardless of the industry, there’s almost assuredly a crowded marketplace vying for your customers’ attention, offering similar products and services, comparable prices, and equally convenient hours. How do you stand out from the rest? You actually have an opportunity to distinguish yourself in every interaction by…
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The Best Time to Address a Bad Experience? Before the Review

Your customer expresses a concern. Your employee explains the policy. Your customer doesn’t think the situation is fair, and then your employee gets defensive. By evening, the conversation has moved to Google—and suddenly, everyone has a front-row seat. In “The Power of a Negative Review,” customer service expert Shep Hyken…
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Your Employees See What You Don’t: Put Their Insights to Work

Your next great business idea may already be on the payroll. But have you thought to ask for it? As a small business owner, you bring valuable experience and perspective to every decision. But your employees experience your business in ways you don’t always get to see. They’re the ones…
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No Surprises, More Trust: Why Transparency Matters

Your customers may appreciate the surprise of a complementary upgrade or an unexpected thank-you note. A surprise fee at checkout? Or a warranty with unexpected exceptions? Not so much! As a small business owner, you build trust when you help people understand what they’re buying, what it costs, and what…
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Make Every Employee a CEO: A Customer Experience Officer

We all know that CEO typically stands for Chief Executive Officer—that is, the big boss. But in your business, CEO can stand for something else that is equally as valuable: Customer Experience Officer. And you don’t need to hand every employee a corner office to give them that CEO mindset.…
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Your Employees Know the Policy, But Do They Know the Reason?

Greet every customer promptly. Ask open-ended questions. Follow up with prospective customers. These are all perfectly reasonable customer service standards. You may have some version of them in your own employee handbook or training materials, or even have them printed on poster hanging in the breakroom. But there’s an important…
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When Friendliness Falls Short

Imagine a customer calls your business with a question. Your employee answers promptly, speaks pleasantly, and seems genuinely interested in helping. They don’t know the answer right away, but that’s okay. They promise to look into it and call the customer back. The customer hangs up feeling pretty good about…
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