"Service with a smile" used to be the gold standard in customer centric businesses. When dealing with the general public, it was always good form to smile and be as pleasant as possible to make a good impression. Today, much of your business is properly conducted online, either via e-mail, your website, or social media. So, how do you convey smiles electronically? How do you let your customers know that you are happy to hear from them? Keep reading to learn more about how to smile online and how you can use Stockpile free inventory solution to your advantage.
Your Website
Your website is the face of your business online. It needs to be a clear representation of your business - who you are and what you do. It also needs to project a positive impression. Your website needs to be eye-catching and easy to read. Information should be clear and easy to access. Don't bury important details several pages in, but don't clutter your homepage with too much information either. Keep in mind, many users will be accessing your site from their mobile device. Mobile compatibility isn't a nice to have, it's a necessity in today's marketplace. You don't have to go cutesy to project positivity. Yes, smiley face emojis literally are smiles, but they probably won't make your customers take you seriously. Your best bet is to provide good information and let your customers know that you value your business and their patronage. That should make everyone happy.
Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all of these can be great places to reach your target market. Again, these contacts need to be done deliberately with careful consideration to the image you are projecting. Remember to be professional and positive in your interactions. Avoid overusing emojis, exclamation points, and anything else that could make you look less than sincere. The smile should be implied by your upbeat tone, not stamped out multiple times with hearts for eyes.
Customer Feedback
You should gather customer feedback whenever possible. It's important to respond to customer comments as well. If everyone is singing your praises that's great, but if there are complaints you need to address them quickly. Professionalism is key. You may be upset by something that a customer says, you may even disagree with their comments. You can't, however, just ignore what they've said or go on the offensive. You need to respectfully address the situation and show your customers that you are willing and able to respond in a positive manner to resolve the issue. Your tone in responses will let customers see your smile or feel your displeasure. Don't respond in anger. Take a moment to be sure that you're calm and ready to reply in a professional manner. People used to say that customers can hear the smile in your voice over the phone, they can often read in your keystrokes as well. Be mindful of this when replying whether it's via e-mail or on social media. Keep in mind that tone is harder to discern in the written word so err on the side of caution. If you think your reply sounds snippy, others will probably think so as well. Be very sure that it sounds pleasant and courteous before you click to send or post.
Great customer service is definitely something that can provide competitive advantage and keep your customers coming back. Delivering service with a smile and being sincere in your interactions with customers is a great way to start. Another important aspect of providing superior customer service is successfully managing your inventory. Stockpile can help. Stockpile free inventory solution makes it easy to track inventory within a single location or across multiple stores. Adding item records is quick and easy because Stockpile is fully customizable. Why waste time filling in fields that aren't important to you and your business? You want to access the data that you need. Thanks to Stockpile that's a simple process. Plus, Stockpile free inventory solution is mobile compatible. That means you can access your data anytime, from anywhere on your favorite mobile device. Running reports is quick and easy, as well. All it takes is a few clicks and you'll have the information that you need. The best part is that Stockpile is available for free, so there's no risk to try it. Ready to try Stockpile for yourself? Click here to get started now!
