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Let’s talk about customer service.

A lot of people will say it’s a dying art and most of the time, I agree.

Because of that, I think we have a real opportunity to make people happy with not a lot of effort.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t put in effort. You should.

I’m saying it won’t take as much of your time, money and energy as you think to put a smile on your current customer’s face.

When they are happy they’ll keep coming back.

They’ll also talk you up and send people your way and if you’ve been in business you know that nothing is quite as good as a personal referral.

Here are eight ways you can turn your customer service up a notch:

1. Handwritten notes: this is one of my favorite things to do and I teach it to anyone I mentor. I learned this from my mom when she was a business owner and it still works. People love to get a note that says you’re thinking about them.
2. Friendly auto-responders: it’s hard to keep up with emails and social media messages and while I love the personal touch, a friendly auto-response can serve it’s purpose. Let people know you’re happy for the message and will get back to them shortly.
3. Thank-you and welcome gifts: depending on your business both of these could be awesome. They don’t have to be expensive either. Just a little token to let them know you appreciate doing business together.
4. Loyalty and referral programs: loyal customers are the best and their referrals should be treated like gold. Give them a little something something to say thanks!
5. Fast communication: you don’t need to spend all day waiting for messages, but don’t leave your current customers waiting for long. Prioritize their messages and put a system in place for responding.
6. Holiday cards: I send out thousands of cards at Christmas time and consistently get positive feedback. This one can be time-consuming and costly so grab some help (hello child labor!) and get on it early so you get the best coupons.
7. Respond to every comment: plan some time in your day to go back and respond to every comment, each time you post. It’s important to communicate both ways when you’re trying to grow a following and gain trust!
8. Surprise happy mail: I don’t know a person on this planet (or any other planet really) who doesn’t love getting a little surprise in the mail. Keep it within your budget and remember it doesn’t take a lot to get a smile.

Pick a few of these to start doing consistently and then add more when you can.

A little goes a long way.

XO,