Listen to Your Home Business Customers
March 6, 2007 by Mary Emma Allen
In order to provide services and/or products that interest your customers, you need to put themselves in their place and consider what they want or like. Who are you desiring to appeal to through your home business? How can you find out what they want? How can you listen to your customers?
*Ask questions – As you wait on your customers, ask questions and get to know them. If they’re online customers, encourage them to leave comments.
*Provide questionnaires – Some business owners feel these work and others don’t think they’re efficient. However, you may want to develop a questionnaire or comment sheet you ask customers to fill out. Perhaps there is a small gift if they do.
*Pay attention to feedback – Take note of comments from customers, either in person, on the phone, via e-mail or in questionnnaires. This involves complaints as well as praise. Or they may mention items they wished you carried.
*Consider complaints – This somewhat ties in with feedback. If there are complaints, try to correct the situation and learn from it.
*Put yourself in their place – What would you be looking for? What type of service would you like? How would you like a business owner to treat you?
*Consider why they would buy your product/service? This carries the above reason a step further. Why would someone purchase what your business offers? Then focus on the that. How would they use it? Is there anything you can do to make it more appealing to customers? Emphasize this in your promotion.
Listen to your customers and determine how you can provide more and better services.
Very good observations. I maintain a strong line of communication with my customers either through email or by means of phone conversations. Sometimes both. Working from home is great, but it is easy to slack off on the customer satisfaction part of the equation if you do not remain vigilant.
Thanks, Matt, for visiting Home Biz Notes and sharing your experiences. You’ve reinforced that good communication with one’s customers is very important for home business owners.