• Survey
  • Book Becky to speak
  • The book: Small Town Rules
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

Customer Service and Marketing

By Glenn Muske

Customer Service

Photo (CC) by Ron Mader, on Flickr

A Business Truth –There is no need to market if your small business does not offer great customer service?

And by customer service, I am not just talking about a good return policy. Customer service starts in the pre-purchase decision making effort through purchase and then right on to use, today, tomorrow and for the life of the product or service.

If your business isn’t offering top-notch customer service, you may as well save your marketing dollars. Why market if you are focused on a one-time customer transaction? Or certainly, change your marketing strategy to one of getting the customer in the door and making a quick sale.

This sound harsh and callous, but think about it. Marketing, in its broadest meaning, includes building awareness, trust and a relationship. It’s branding of your business so that the customer knows who you are and what you stand for. Part of that effort is your customer service effort. So if you ignore customer service, it just doesn’t pay to market. Your effort can be simply advertising and nothing more.

But realize when doing this that your customer pool is finite. And your reputation spreads. Even if you could maintain the cheapest prices over the long term, it won’t be enough to sustain your business.

Good customer service is more than a sign on the wall or a dedicated department. I would suggest taking the sign down and eliminating the department. It is not a job done by only a few employees. It starts with you and must be practiced by each and every employee every day. It’s shown through your words and action.

Good customer service means consistency and something more than one-size-fits-al. It’s offering the customer your full attention. It’s listening and it’s checking back after dealing with an upset customer.

Good customer service is realizing that not all customers are telling you their problems with your products and services. Search them out. Today’s social media is a great way to stay aware of some of these unspoken issues. Make contact and try to resolve the issue.

Customer service and marketing go together. Building a long-term business means offering both.

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Glenn Muske

Glenn Muske is an independent expert on rural small business, working as GM Consulting – Your partner in achieving small business success. He provides consulting, and writes articles for county extension agents and newspapers across North Dakota. Previously, he was the Rural and Agribusiness Enterprise Development Specialist at the North Dakota State University Extension Service – Center for Community Vitality.
  • Change - December 26, 2018
  • Regular Customers Form Your Base - December 12, 2018
  • Disasters: Is Your Small Business Ready? - December 5, 2018
  • Business Startup: Steps to Remember - November 28, 2018
  • HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM SMALL BIZ SURVIVAL - November 21, 2018
  • Finding a Business Idea - November 14, 2018
  • Does Your Networking Have Punch? - November 7, 2018
  • Build Tomorrow’s Community Business Sector - October 24, 2018
  • Are You Changing? - October 17, 2018
  • Is it really a deal? - October 10, 2018

August 2, 2017 Filed Under: Small Biz 100, success Tagged With: customer service, good customer service, marketing, small business marketing, small business success

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Comments

  1. Becky McCray says

    August 9, 2017 at 7:21 am

    Robin sent in this comment by email:

    I have experienced this first hand and it is painful to help manage social media for a business owner who has a horrible offline relationship with the community (unless they are open to change and are willing to let me help them). We will not work with someone who does not already have a great offline service, it’s like dead air and it’s funny because they think it will just come if they go online, but it doesn’t happen.

    Thanks for keeping the great advice coming,
    Robin Russell
    RCV Web Services
    Director of Social Media

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2021 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in