The Customer is Always First

As business owners, we always strive to keep customers as our number one priority. However, anyone can tell you of their own bad experiences as customers, where the customer service did not live up to their expectations. Obviously, there is a disconnect between what the business is providing and what the customer wants.

Yet why does this happen? How is it possible that businesses who are putting their customers first are missing the mark on a consistent basis? Perhaps the problem lies in the little things that the businesses are doing, that make the customer feel unwelcome and unappreciated.

Here are some of the potential areas where customers begin to lose the feeling of appreciation when dealing with businesses.

• Greeting the customer. Some businesses skip this step altogether, to their downfall. Others do have a standard greeting, which falls flat and makes customers feel no different than the next patron. Make your welcomes special and personalized to make customers feel special.
• Lack of enthusiasm. Although everyone has a bad day from time to time, this feeling should never translate into treating your customers as less than special. A warm smile and joy in your voice should be the way you interact with your customers. If you ever appear at less than your best, your customers will pick up on these negative vibrations and not enjoy their experience with your company.
• Proper etiquette. Chivalry may be a dying art, but don't let the simple social graces translate into a poor experience for your customers. Open doors for your customers, and always let them have the right of way. Offer to help them with heavy packages, or if they have any special needs that make mobility difficult. Do whatever it takes to make their experience as simple as possible.

Putting your customer first can be very simple, if you keep the above tips in mind. Skipping over these ideas can put off your customers, and send them to your competitors. Let your customers know that you care, by doing the little things that can brighten up their day.