Grow Your Shop Series: Customer Satisfaction Tips

Hey guys! Here we are for the second topic of our Grow Your Shop Series. As a shop owner, customer satisfaction has to be top priority. Actually if you are in the customer service business anywhere, it has to be top priority. I've had my share of real job experiences on the front line whether it was a fast food cashier or bank teller. It can be difficult to separate our own personal emotions and professional obligations. Let's talk about how we can make sure our customers are satisfied without losing what we stand for or the quality of our business.

Be A Servant.

First thing is first, it is part of our job to make sure we are being servants. That's right. I didn't say "slaves" and let me explain. There are two types of people who work with customers: servants and slaves. The slave does everything the customer asks even if it means jeopardizing quality and integrity. They are a people-pleasers and will sell customers a service for pennies to make them happy. This eventually causes lack of passion for their brand and in turn makes it all about the mula. Slaves are more prone to lashing out verbally to customers whether or not the customer was in the wrong.

We don't want to be slaves. You cannot build a business with that mindset. The servant has the customer's best interests at heart, they are passionate and compassionate but also for what is best for the business. Servants accommodate requests according to the high standards they have for their work. How does this make the customer satisfied? Most people prefer buying or working with someone who has purpose yet is willing to be flexible enough to bring forth a product they want. In the end, they will feel good about spending their hard earned money on something you created.

Being a slave will leave you burnt out because not everyone can be pleased (shocker I know!) Being a servant, however, not only takes care of what the customer wants but your business still maintains it's value.

Reputation Has Worth.

We've seen it many times. A very upset seller takes to the internet and publicly blasts a customer. Many of us have done this especially in the early stages when we are learning and have so many high expectations. There have been a few times that I've even seen shop owners respond to negative feedback in their shop with a rebuttal as if they are on trial and are stating their side of the story. 

Let's think about this. How would we feel about McDonald's if they published a statement claiming one of their customers deserved the service they got because they were wrong. Regardless if the customer was in the wrong, it is never professional or right to argue especially publicly.

Your reputation as a shop owner has worth. I personally would not feel comfortable purchasing from someone knowing they are comfortable with humiliating customers just to be right. This creates a web of distrust. Customers will not be satisfied...CANNOT be satisfied...if they can't trust you. We have to be shields. When someone throws bullets, we need to be strong enough so they don't penetrate but are close enough for us to learn a lesson. And we shouldn't manipulate the situation so that the bullets fire back at our customers. How we handle relationships shapes our shop reputation.

Love On Them.

Leave love notes in their packages. Include sweet gifts in every envelope. Thank them non stop, email them to make sure they've received their order, throw them a discount code for next time. Just be nice and love on them! It's not rocket science. It's appreciation. It always feels good to know someone appreciates you. Our customers need to know we do. We can't just assume they will be satisfied because they bought something they wanted from us. They aren't buying a product...they are buying a piece of you. They are buying a part of your brand.

Take some time to make sure things are wrapped clean and include extra goodies. I learned this early especially since people are buying handmade. It's personal. Customers are real people with real feelings, not just numbers on a stats sheet. Do what you can to make sure those feelings are warm and fuzzy. Showing love doesn't cost anything but the rewards are so much sweeter. 

Read the first part of the series about Social Media Etiquette right here.