{"id":6016,"date":"2019-09-12T20:37:31","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T20:37:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-alliance-virtual-office-blog.pantheonsite.io\/?p=6016"},"modified":"2026-05-28T10:07:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T14:07:56","slug":"6-ways-to-improve-small-business-customer-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/6-ways-to-improve-small-business-customer-service\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Improve Small Business Customer Service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From the smiling barista who serves your espresso to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/ultimate-guide-to-coworking\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">community manager at your coworking space<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, customer service is all around us.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The delivery and authenticity of that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2022\/11\/21\/for-shopping-phones-are-common-and-influencers-have-become-a-factor-especially-for-young-adults\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">service will influence your feelings<\/a> about the brand behind it. Did you receive eye contact, friendliness, and a feeling of authenticity? Or did you feel more like a nuisance than a valued customer?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you felt positive about the experience, you\u2019ll probably be happy to use their services again. If not, you\u2019re much less likely to return. You might even go out of your way to give your business to someone else.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why Customer Satisfaction is Important<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most businesses <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">say<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> they value <a href=\"https:\/\/knowmax.ai\/blog\/examples-of-great-customer-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">good customer service<\/a>. In reality, few companies invest time and resources into the things that really make good customer service a reality, like training programs and customer satisfaction surveys.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a small business especially one operating remotely with a <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/the-importance-of-using-a-virtual-office-when-setting-up-a-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"376\" data-end=\"404\">virtual address for LLC <\/a>it can be difficult to prioritize where and how to spend your budget.. Focusing on customer service isn\u2019t an overnight fix; it takes time to train staff and develop the kind of company culture that encourages your people to engage with your customers in a friendly and professional way, every time they interact with them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But in the long run it\u2019s an investment worth making. Customer service is a key differentiator that can help strengthen your brand, encourage loyal customers, and deliver revenue growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other key benefits of high <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/service\/what-is-customer-satisfaction\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">customer satisfaction<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>New marketing leads:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Happy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/councils\/forbestechcouncil\/2022\/08\/16\/online-reviews-the-customer-reference-that-never-sleeps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">customers write happy reviews<\/a>, which can be used extensively in your marketing efforts. The better your customer satisfaction, the more material you will have to advertise your brand.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>A strong selling point:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Customers are more willing to make a purchase when they know other people recommend it. If your customer satisfaction is high, your sales team should use this as a proof point when working with new leads.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Customer advocacy:<\/b> Highly satisfied customers are more loyal and become natural advocates for your brand. In today\u2019s climate driven by the <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbesmarketplace\/2023\/03\/21\/the-future-of-e-commerce-trends-to-watch-in-2023\/#:~:text=key%20to%20success.-,In%202023%2C%20we%20can%20expect%20to%20see%20continued%20growth%20in,in%20the%20years%20to%20come.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"679\" data-end=\"716\">increase in ecommerce market <\/a>word-of-mouth and peer recommendations carry even more weight. They will freely talk about the positive experiences they had with you, which leads to new business from their friends, family and coworkers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s easy to see why a high quality of customer service is a treasured facet for any business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How does your service measure up?<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>NEXT STEPS:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/customer-service-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">200+ Must-Know Customer Service Statistics<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>6 Tips to Improve Customer Service<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re looking for ways to make improvements to your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eshipper.com\/blog\/is-your-customer-service-strategy-on-point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer service strategy<\/a> without blowing your small business budget, take a look at these 6 actionable tips:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Encourage Active Listening.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every customer is a real person who is looking for guidance. It might be tempting to wrap up a call quickly to move onto other priorities. But taking a little extra time to actively listen to your customers will mean they feel heard and understood. Clarify and rephrase what they have said, and ask follow-up questions to reassure them that you are actually listening.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Be Human, Not Corporate.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can be polite and professional without sounding robotic and scripted. It\u2019s all about being personable and relating to your customers on a human level, which helps them feel like they are speaking to a real, caring person who is invested in solving their problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identify a common ground with your customer &#8211; such as a shared interest or a place &#8211; and refer to it in your conversation. Social media is a boon for supporting this approach; write responses and post photos on your social media pages involving people and consumers, rather than just products or models. Having this point of understanding humanizes the relationship &#8211; it\u2019s a lot easier to warm to a real person than a faceless brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Follow Up After a Problem or Complaint.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sooner or later, every company experiences a problem or receives a complaint. This isn\u2019t the end of your relationship with that customer &#8211; far from it. The way you handle their complaint can actually <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">improve<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your relationship and their perception of your company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Respond as quickly as you can and, if the fault is yours, admit your mistake &#8211; even if you spot it before your customer does. This builds trust and allows you to control the situation. Follow-up as soon as the problem is solved and, naturally, make sure the issue stays fixed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Apologize, But Don\u2019t Do It Profusely.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we said before, if something goes wrong and your company is at fault, you\u2019re right to apologize. Be sincere in your regret &#8211; but don\u2019t ramble. Saying \u201cI\u2019m sorry\u201d too many times won\u2019t help your customer; it will only take up more of their time. What they really want to know is how you\u2019re going to fix it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These examples from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpscout.com\/blog\/how-to-deal-with-difficult-customers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hubspot<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will help put you in the right mindset:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Don\u2019t say:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cHmm, that\u2019s not good.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Don\u2019t say:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cOh my gosh, I\u2019m so sorry \u2014 how did that happen? Yikes! What a terrible mistake. I just can\u2019t apologize enough \u2026 this is absolutely horrendous. I feel awful. What a mess you\u2019re in.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Do say:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI\u2019m so sorry that our team fell short yesterday. We have high standards, and we didn\u2019t meet them with that delivery time. Let\u2019s get this sorted out right now.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The key is to keep it short, sweet, and sincere.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. Give Your Customers Numerous Ways to Provide Feedback.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Customers need to be heard. By providing multiple routes of feedback, you will be able to get in front of any potential issues faster. Whether that\u2019s live chat on your website, social media messages, a <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/front-desk-receptionist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"436\" data-end=\"462\">live receptionist<\/a> who answers calls with a personal touch, or a more proactive method such as a phone or email survey after a purchase or service call, this enables you to learn which parts of your service need attention.<\/p>\n<h3><b>6. Introduce a Customer Advocacy Program<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, so a referral program isn\u2019t strictly a way to improve your<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/service\/customer-service-stats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> customer service.<\/a> But it does allow good service to be rewarded, and you\u2019ll see the effects in new word-of-mouth leads.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are different types of advocacy programs, and the one you choose will depend on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/live-receptionist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">your business<\/a> model. Common types include offering a free gift, a financial reward, coupons, or a discount on your own products or services. This mutually beneficial relationship rewards your <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/service\/customer-service-stats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">best customers<\/a>, helps keeps them loyal, and gives you new leads too.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>One Last Thing.<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer service is worth your time and investment. Whether you\u2019re a startup, a small business, or a large growing enterprise, we\u2019re all on the same journey: to give our customers the best possible experience that rewards their interaction with us, leaves positive memories, and encourages them to come back to us in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Above all, be open to feedback &#8211; take the good, the bad and the ugly. Understand it, learn from it, act on it, and next time, you\u2019ll be better.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Further reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"jeg_post_title\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/customer-facing-crucial-to-your-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What does it mean to be \u2018Customer Facing\u2019?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/tools-for-e-commerce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Best Tools for Ecommerce Businesses<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/key-to-better-customer-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Why a Virtual Receptionist is the Key to Better Customer Service<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"jeg_post_title\">\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>6 Ways to Provide Superior Customer Service without a team, on a Small Business Budget. Use these quick tips to grow revenue through customer excellence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":6018,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override":[{"single_blog_custom":"","sidebar":"","second_sidebar":"","share_position":"","share_float_style":"","post_date_format":"","post_date_format_custom":"","post_reading_time_wpm":"","zoom_button_out_step":"1","zoom_button_in_step":"1","number_popup_post":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"","single_post_gallery_size":""}],"trending_post_position":"","trending_post_label":"","sponsored_post_label":"","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":""},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":""},"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1890],"tags":[102],"class_list":["post-6016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-small-business","tag-customer-service"],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",870,478,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-300x165.png",300,165,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-768x422.png",768,422,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",870,478,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",870,478,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",870,478,false],"web-stories-poster-portrait":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",640,352,false],"web-stories-publisher-logo":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",96,53,false],"web-stories-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",150,82,false],"jnews-360x180":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-360x180.png",360,180,true],"jnews-750x375":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-750x375.png",750,375,true],"jnews-1140x570":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",870,478,false],"jnews-120x86":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-120x86.png",120,86,true],"jnews-350x250":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-350x250.png",350,250,true],"jnews-750x536":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-750x478.png",750,478,true],"jnews-1140x815":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",870,478,false],"jnews-360x504":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-360x478.png",360,478,true],"jnews-75x75":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-75x75.png",75,75,true],"jnews-350x350":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",350,192,false],"jnews-featured-750":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-750x412.png",750,412,true],"jnews-featured-1140":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2.png",870,478,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"<p>6 Ways to Provide Superior Customer Service without a team, on a Small Business Budget. Use these quick tips to grow revenue through customer excellence<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/category\/small-business\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Small Business<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Jo Meunier","url":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/author\/joanna\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","author_meta":{"display_name":"Jo Meunier","author_link":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/author\/joanna\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AVO-Small-Featured-2-300x165.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/category\/small-business\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Small Business<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Small Business<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/category\/small-business\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">customer service<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">customer service<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 7 years ago","modified":"Updated 7 days ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on September 12, 2019","modified":"Updated on May 28, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on September 12, 2019 8:37 pm","modified":"Updated on May 28, 2026 10:07 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6016"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6016\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54334,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6016\/revisions\/54334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}