On top of a timely response to questions

On top of a timely response to questions or issues, it is especially annoying and even angering to clients when they receive a response that is not relevant to their question, or only answers part of it or dances around the true problem.

I know you've all experienced the "form letter" approach to problem solving, where you get a response that is supposed to resolve your question or issue that only creates more questions, or does not directly address your problem at all. And I also know how frustrating that is as a customer.

Please, as a business owner, make sure you are supplying on-point and direct resolutions to your customers problems. They will appreciate it and remember it.

Last but not least is showing, or training your people to show and actually have, empathy for the customer. We've also shared that similar experience where we've called about a question, problem or issue with a product or service, and are met with a cold, unsympathetic voice on the other end of the line who doesn't seem to care or want to really help.

Hire good people. Hire people who have demonstrated at other jobs a genuine desire to do the best they can for customers, and treat them as they would like to be treated if they had called with the same question or issue.

As a business owner, if you are not a one man show, your business is only as good as your employees, so make sure you are hiring the right people, and training them to handle customers in an empathetic, timely, professional and courteous manner.