Focus on the happiness of your customers, this doesn’t mean they are always right and you should bend over backwards for them. You need to build relationships with them, make them feel they are important (because they are!) and don’t let the communication falter.

After all your hard work, you now have a good client base, but remember the more clients you get on board the bigger the workload which means you may not have the time you once had. It’s more important than ever when you get to this milestone to ensure that the culture you have built is maintained. People talk, whether it’s good or bad, more so when it’s not so good. Word of mouth can make or break your business, especially given that many people now turn to the internet to write a review. If you’re finding it hard to juggle everything make sure you have a team member for back up, whether that be someone you employ or outsource to. Your customer service is thoroughly worth the investment and extra costs. 

As I’ve already touched upon, communication is essential in building and maintaining relationships with your clients. People get really frustrated with lack of communication. If you don’t have the chance to respond straight away to emails and phone calls, at least follow up with a message to say you have received their query and it will be dealt with as soon as possible, keep them updated at all points within the customer journey. Even if your customer is just buying something from you as a ‘one off’ keep the communication going, make sure that they don’t forget you.

As we are using email and text messaging more and more now, you must remember that sometimes these messages can be misinterpreted. Not everyone will read the message they receive in the same context. Keep your communication warm and don’t come across as abrupt. Always read back your correspondence before sending, you may be busy but a little slip up can cost your business in the long term. When you’re on the receiving end of a communication, remember that the person at the other end may not have meant it the way they have typed it. Don’t jump to conclusions, the tone of the email could have been lost in translation. Always respond to complaints with empathy and understanding, putting yourself in your customer’s shoes before replying. It’s usually better in circumstances like this to pick up the phone and speak to them.

Keep your communication clear and jargon free. Don’t use words which your customer will not understand. People in the same profession as you may understand your jargon but your customers may not. Be clear from the outset with people, if something is not achievable let them know, there’s nothing worse than committing to something which isn’t possible, customers would rather hear the truth than be lied to.

We all have bad days, but don’t let your clients know this by taking things out on them. Turn negative vibes into positive ones, and keep smiling! It may be hard but when you’re unhappy this carries through in your voice and manners and even your responses to emails. 

Avoid negative words - Did your parents ever say to you when you were young, ‘there’s no such word as can’t”? That’s because the word can’t is un-motivational it suggests that something is impossible and therefore you can give up making the effort. When actually there’s usually just another way of going about it. So at all costs avoid the word can’t and turn it into, ‘what I can do is…” Customers don’t want to hear the problem, they want a solution and it’s your job to give them that. This shows the customer that you will go above and beyond and you will ensure that the problem that occurred has been put right.

Being friendly with your customers is really important, it doesn’t mean you have to be best friends, but if you have a relationship where you listen to them and ask them questions, even if you ask them if they had a nice weekend, your customer will see that you have the time for them and that they are important. Remember your conversation and refer back to it in future correspondence, knowing that you have remembered that conversation will make them realise that you do listen and absorb information. Tell them a little bit about yourself too, getting to know them on a personal level will seal that bond. Make a lasting impression so that they don’t want to go anywhere else.

Show empathy and understanding to your customers' feelings. When they make a complaint make sure they come away from the conversation knowing that you have taken everything they have said on board and you’re doing your best to put it right. Learn from mistakes which have been made to ensure that they don’t happen again.

Set your standards high from the outset and make sure the standard is maintained. If at any point you feel that your level of customer service is slipping, react straight away. It’s best to nip something in the bud straight away rather than let it fester and become a bigger problem. Reflect on what has gone wrong, put processes in place to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen again. It’s all about learning, we can’t always be perfect but how we go about making it right counts! People understand that mistakes happen but it’s how you react to those mistakes which will give your clients confidence in you to stay loyal. 

Always put quality before quantity, keep to your word, build trust and communicate. Give your customers an experience they won’t forget and they will stay loyal to you.

Our focus here at Bluebells Bookkeeping is our clients and we pride ourselves on the high level of service we offer. If you’re considering hiring a bookkeeper or want something a little different with an exceptional service then please give us a call, we would love to hear about your business.