It seems that all the talk these days is about the economy. All around us, businesses that were once multi-billion dollar giants in their industry are declaring bankruptcy and shutting their doors. Employees are losing their jobs with no other opportunities in sight! With such a great decline in the market, is it really possible to make your small business thrive?

The United States of America was founded on small businesses! Long before corporations came in and took over, small businesses were thriving. So what can you do to make your small business thrive in a declining economy?

I believe that the most valuable asset a company has is customer service. Somewhere between full-service gas stations and self-check-out stands, customer service has been shoved aside. No longer will a friendly clerk gladly assist the customer; now the customer may eventually be waited on by a disgruntled employee who would rather lean on the counter than serve the customer!

The same can even be said in the online world. Rather than prompt, friendly service, more and more companies are simply trying to make the big bucks rather than keeping the customers. One large company I recently ordered from stated that they would ship a free gift with my order. I didn’t ask for it. They simply added it to my order. However, a few days later, I received an email that stated they would not be sending me a free gift after all because I had used a gift card, and they didn’t do two special deals together! When customer service was called by another disgruntled customer, the company said that they were covered in their policy statement and refused to send out the free gift that they had offered!

Rather than give out a few free gifts, this company was extremely rude to customers who had not even asked for a free gift! It wasn’t the free gift that will keep me from ordering from them again; it’s the lack of customer service!

Are you losing customers because you haven’t fully realized the true meaning of customer service? Ask yourself how you can better meet your customer’s needs! You may just save your company from bankuptcy!

To your success,
Katie