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Providing excellent customer service is vital whether just starting out in business or have been in business for yourself for years. Small business owners don't have someone looking over their shoulder to ensure good customer service is being provided like large businesses do. There are no supervisors and no quality control to answer to. This does not however give you free rein to treat the customer any way you wish. There are somethings to keep in mind when dealing with client needs.

Have I treated my customer as I want to be treated?

You would be shocked at how often people forget to treat the customer like they want to be treated and this is the most important thing to remember in business. It is easy to forget that your customer is an intelligent person when you are a vendor. Vendors can not afford to lose their patience and begin to treat customers like idiots. There are too many vendors that forget and do this when pushed beyond their patience levels though. Treating the customer as an equal takes time and consideration on your part.

Has my customer left happy?

After you have closed a transaction with a customer, ask yourself how happy they were with you? Were they happy with the service that you could provide or were they merely happy to be done with the transaction itself. What created this response to your work? You'll find that with just a little bit of work that you can make sure that your customer always leaves happy; the impression that they take away is what they are going to be sharing with the people who ask them for references!

How do I go above and beyond with customer service?

You may be surprised how easy it is to provide excellent customer service. For some people, it will involve giving them more options and making sure that they are aware of all the choices that they have in front of them. For other people, you'll find that you can take the time to make sure that they understand what you are doing and why. Remember that you can always give them more choices and they will be happy with you for doing so.

Have I been nice?

This may sound nearly childish but a little courtesy will go a long way. You should be nice even if there is no money in it for you. Whether it is just advice or a simple service provide it free of charge when you can. This will get people to suggest you to others repeatedly.