Think lifetime value, not transactional value. A good way to keep customers coming back to you and not your competition, is to offer incentives that will them coming back for years to come. Get creative…your bottom line is depending on it!

Another vital issue is customer service and support. If you have a problem running a credit card and a customer is standing right in front of you will you be able to get somebody on the phone in a timely manner to assist? What if you have an issue late at night? Does the provider offer 24/7 support? Is the support outsourced or in house? Customer service in many cases is the number one reason a customer will choose a provider that is even more expensive than their competition. If Telus webmail down is very important to you, make sure you get every detail.

So what are some of the ways that you can start implementing customer service in your business? Well I’m glad you asked. Customer service is a major part of your overall marketing campaigns, and should be on the forefront for making your customers feel special. In fact, here’s the first tip for making customer service work in your business.

These days selling is all about making the personal connection. We are all too cynical jaded and worldly-wise to be taken in my some glib sales person and customer services their sales pitch if that is all they have to offer of themselves.

I’ll cite an example. A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in my home office and noticed two gentlemen walking up my drive. One had one of those “wheel on a stick” measuring devices. I met them at the door and asked how I could help them, then I noticed the logo on the other guys shirt. They represented a national company that provided lawn treatment and service.

Another benefit of this market is that you’ll have a pool of skilled users . Just get a user forum running, and that’ll relieve you from most of the support job. The users would be able to help each other here. Many established companies have a well kept user-forum that acts as a support system. However keep a watch on the forum, to avoid getting back-bitten, though that wont take up much time on daily basis . Phone & chat support can be avoided here. Users would prefer to have an efficient email based ticketing systems like Cerebrus HelpDesk or kayako.

Jeremy and Pearl Izumi have created a lifetime customer and a raving fan! Those of you who are bikers or runners, buy their product-they stand behind it.

These 2 great ways of improving your sales and profits are easy things that you can do in your spare time. Make sure your staff is implementing good customer service skills on a daily basis, so that customers can come back for more on a daily basis.