Communication with your customers is so important.
Don't let this customer reaction happen to you: I am SO over having to dial 1+area code+phone number to call my Mother on the other side of town.
It's been less than a week.
I know many places in the country have had this "issue" for a while now, but in my area, we just made the switch last weekend.
Now instead of simply dialing the seven digits to my Mom's house or my husband's cell phone (the two numbers I dial most frequently), I have to push 10 buttons.
And when I don't, I get this rude "beep beep beep...
we're sorry but..
..
" I hang up before I can find out what they're sorry about because I suddenly remember.
I forgot to dial the previously unnecessary 1+area code first.
Ug.
The way I learned about the switch to "10-digit dialing" as it's called was through a conversation at a networking meeting a few weeks ago.
Did Big Phone Company send me a post card or letter about it?No.
Did they send an email?No.
Did they put any ads anywhere I would see them? No again.
So if it wasn't for my networking friends, I would have thought my phone line was down whenever I wanted to make a call all day Saturday.
What's the lesson for small home-based business owners about communicating with your customers?You don't want to lose your credibility by making these mistakes.
There are five things we can learn NOT to do: 1.
Do not assume your customers will hear about what you're up to.
If you are making a major change in your service, it is your responsibility to tell the people who are paying you for it.
Even if the change you make is minor, the people who are paying for your products and services ought to know about it.
Make sure every single customer is aware of whatever changes you make.
Newsletters, post cards, and email campaigns are all effective ways to get the word out.
2.
Do not allow word-of-mouth to do your talking for you.
As a business owner, you want to be in control of your own communication as much as possible.
That means crafting a well-written message to be sure your meaning is fully and correctly presented.
It's also best to explain your reasoning in your own words rather than relying on the grapevine to do it for you.
3.
Do not think in the short-term only.
You may be small now, but if you plan to get big someday, start THINKING BIG today.
When my family moved to our area in 1980, there was one area code for the entire region.
Then a few years later a new area code was instituted for the suburbs while the city kept the original area code.
A few years after that, chang happened again so that people in the area could have one of six area codes.
Of course then cell phones were added and all those numbers had to be entered into the equation.
With each change, Big Phone Company failed to plan far enough into the future.
If you fail to plan ahead, you could end up with some disgruntled customers who are "over" your service like I am with Big Phone Company's.
4.
Do not inconvenience your customers.
Make it easy for people to buy from you.
The more of a pain it is, the more likely you'll lose them.
Don't make people dial an extra four numbers and give them aninsincere "we're sorry" recording when they forget.
(You know what I'm getting at here!) 5.
Do not forget about customer SERVICE.
The power of small and home-based businesses over ginormous businesses like Big Phone Company is our ability to show unparalleled personal service.
We know our clients by name.
As a small business, if you treat your clients like just another order, you'll quickly be out of business.
Communication for the small business owner is about understanding your customers on multiple levels and providing the best you can to meet their needs and wants.
Your main objective is to keep your clients and customers happy so they keep coming back for more and refer you new business.
If you make any of these mistakes, you'll quickly lose credibility with your customers.