| Valuable Customer Service Tips for the home based | | | | Armed with these questions and the customer service |
| business. Make good customer service become | | | | tips, you can get a better idea of where your home |
| excellent customer service by finding out what the | | | | based business products or services can fit in. Offering |
| customer needs. These customer service tips will | | | | suggestions if they need them. Excellent customer |
| save you thousands of dollars and create a lasting | | | | service begins with getting the facts. |
| bond with your customers. I was thinking recently | | | | Help the Customer with Volume Amounts |
| about one of my worse home based business | | | | If you have done your pre-qualifying you will know |
| nightmares and how it turned out to be a very valuable | | | | much more about what the decision maker really |
| lesson for creating excellent customer service. | | | | needs. Sometimes you will find out that the decision |
| It started out like a great dream. We just started our | | | | maker is not really clear on their objectives and you |
| toner and ink-jet business and our first business | | | | need to be able to help clarify them. |
| customer was a medical firm of about 20 offices. I | | | | Did they get an accurate volume of products needed? |
| had known the purchasing agent for sometime and | | | | Most times you will need to test the waters. Always |
| before long we got the contract to supply these | | | | go slow you can speed it up anytime. |
| offices with printer products. | | | | Verify Storage Life of Product |
| We were so excited to get the order that we did not | | | | If you are selling a product that has a storage life, be |
| question when the purchasing agent placed a huge | | | | sure that the customer’s volume amounts are |
| order for hundreds of toner and ink-jet supplies. She | | | | safely matched but not excessively over matched. |
| had mentioned that they were going to make the main | | | | You do not want too much product on their shelves. |
| office the headquarters for all the printer supplies. | | | | This is money tied up by your customer and also could |
| The business we had set up was a drop ship | | | | expire. Someone will eat the product costs of this |
| company which meant we would be getting all the | | | | common mistake. |
| products from various manufacturers. We were on a | | | | An extra customer service tip to add to this is that by |
| cash basis with the suppliers, meaning that all funds | | | | keeping your customer too well stocked you may lose |
| were paid up front. | | | | them. If they do not get a call from your home based |
| We ordered all the supplies believing that the | | | | business very often they are more apt to run into |
| purchasing agent knew what she was doing. Well, it | | | | other product suppliers and you will not be “in front |
| became a logistical nightmare when they could not fit | | | | of your customers”. You will want to continue to be |
| all the products into the storage area they had | | | | able to work with your customers helping them identify |
| created. | | | | needs that they may not even know they have and |
| Of course the medical firm was way too overstocked | | | | telling them about new products and services. |
| and we had to send back more then half of the | | | | Test the Product and the Business Relationship |
| orders. Now that makes it difficult when you are | | | | When you start with a new customer, go slow and |
| working with numerous manufacturers and their return | | | | see how the product fits into their needs. Good |
| policies. Our company motto is excellent customer | | | | customer service begins with this but excellent |
| service so we immediately sent a representative | | | | customer service goes beyond this point. See how |
| down to correct the errors. | | | | your home based business products and services are |
| Even though it was the purchasing agent who created | | | | meeting the customer needs. Are your products a |
| the mess, when I look back at the situation it was my | | | | good match and are you offering the correct service? |
| home based business that was more at fault. We had | | | | What can you do to make the business relationship |
| only offered good customer service not excellent | | | | even better? How can they profit from your |
| customer service. | | | | products? Keep in mind the extra customer service tip |
| These customer service tips will save you from | | | | I mentioned above about keeping "in front of the |
| getting into the situation that my company did and | | | | customer". |
| save your time and money. | | | | If the products or business relationship are not a good |
| Customer Service Tips | | | | fit, end the relationship. It will cost your business money |
| Pre Qualify Your Customer and their Needs | | | | and time as well bad public relations. Remember an |
| Help the Customer with Volume Amounts | | | | unsatisfied customer will tell more people about a bad |
| Verify Storage Life of Product | | | | situation then a good one. It is hard to end a |
| Test the Product and Business Relationship | | | | relationship. Sometimes it is better to never have |
| Pre Qualify Your Customer | | | | begun one with the customer in the first place. For the |
| At your first meeting with the decision maker of the | | | | sake of excellent customer service I have refused |
| company you will be doing business with have a check | | | | customers because I knew that our products would |
| list of questions. Your primary objective is to help the | | | | not fit their needs. |
| customer with their needs. First find out how long they | | | | I hope that your home based business will use these |
| have been doing the ordering. Ask if they are new at | | | | customer service tips. Creating a successful |
| this or if this is a new company idea. In our scenario | | | | relationship with your customers is essential for your |
| above, the company did not put a real strong plan | | | | business success. Sales will soar and happy |
| together in regards to using one location as a | | | | customers mean great word of mouth advertising. |
| distribution center. | | | | |