How can small companies offer a big company experience to customers?
To help small businesses offer the same, if not better, customer service of big companies, we asked CEOs and small business owners this question for their best insights. From creating a loyalty program to optimizing your brands’ website, there are several ways to help beef up your customer service for years to come.
Here are ten ways small companies can offer the customer experiences of big companies.
Don’t Replicate Large Companies
Adding a Personalized Touch
Be Honest In Your Interactions
Invest in Training Your Employees
Create a Loyalty Program
Offer Strategic Discounts
Provide an Online Shopping Space
Branding Yourself on Products
Optimizing Your Brands’ Website
Offering the Perfect Product
Don’t Replicate Large Companies
Do not try to replicate the practices of large companies and the experience they provide to their customers/clients. The whole point of running a small business is to do it differently, uniquely. If you attempt to replicate a large organization’s practices, not only is it unlikely to succeed because of financial constraints that large entities don’t have, but many of your customers/clients may not like the change in their experience. Some, if not many, of your clients, are working with you because you are not a large company. Embrace it.
Robert S. Reder, Blythe Grace PLLC
Adding a Personalized Touch
We are a small insurance business that prides itself on our customer service. There are several giant insurance companies that can be named without much thought. To compete with these big grand companies, we have ensured that our customer service process is unmatched. It is that “personal approach” that motivates us to perform to the highest level and make sure that all your insurance needs are not only met, but exceeded! This isn’t something that the “big guys” can always provide.
Vicky Franko, Insura
Be Honest In Your Interactions
It’s true what our parents used to say: honesty is the best policy. Being transparent, no matter how big or small something is, is sometimes overlooked as an important detail by larger companies. At a smaller company we have the ability to create a space that thrives on transparency, which customers will appreciate. Don’t beat around the bush, just give them the information they asked for and be honest in everything you do. That alone, could help bring that customer back in the future and allow them to trust any given brand.
McKenzie Nelson, Markitors
Invest in Training Your Employees
Small companies can offer a big company experience by training their employees as if they were working for a big company. Training is often overlooked and rushed through, but it is essential to providing a big company experience to your customers from a small business. Take the time to invest in your employees and train them properly. This will help you provide a big company experience to your customers even on a limited budget and with fewer employees.
Lauren Picasso, Cure Hydration
Create a Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs can offer a big company experience for customers of small businesses. For example, a coffee shop can use a punch card where at each visit the customer can earn points toward a free drink. This allows a small business to get to know customers' habits while customers can enjoy the added benefit.
Fred Geranatebee, Foster Grant
Offer Strategic Discounts
One of the ways that small companies can offer a big company experience to customers is by offering large discounts on some of their products. Of course, this would need to be done strategically as small companies often can't afford to give as big of discounts as large corporations. Set a day each week that you'll have certain items on offer at a discounted price. This can help bring in new customers and give them a big company experience.
Tim Mitchum, WinPro Pet
Providing an Online Shopping Space
One way that small companies can offer a big company experience to customers is by allowing online purchases. For example, a small coffee shop can set up an online store where customers can buy exotic coffee beans in bulk to brew at home. Local companies have experienced quite a bit of success by simply creating an online store.
Randi Shinder, SBLA
Branding Yourself on Products
Putting your company name and logo on your products can go a long way in terms of emphasizing your brand. The more you emphasize your brand, the more people will pay attention to your company. Get your name and brand out there as much as possible and you’ll create a bigger company experience for your audience and customers.
Chris Caouette, Gorilla Bow
Optimizing Your Brands’ Website
No matter how big your company is, designing an excellent website can go a long way. If your website is user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing, this can affect how viewers think of your company. The more professional your website is and the more expertise it exudes, the more likely your viewers will be to hold the company in high regard.
Ben Teicher, Healthy Directions
Offering The Perfect Product
Small companies can offer a big company experience by limiting their selection and focusing on a few products that they can optimize and perfect. Allowing the product to do the talking, they then can establish great customer service and build a strong brand identity that will separate them from the pack. By offering free shipping, free returns, no questions asked, and having a seamless checkout experience all with the help of both real-time automation and human customer support, small companies can offer the same assurance a big company would with a personalized experience.
Katie Lyon, Allegiance Flag Supply
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