Why follow-up is everything for business

One of the frequent complaints fielded by the Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce about businesses is the lack of follow-up and communication.

This is very detrimental to your business. Why? “Follow-up” is the synonym for customer service. We all know if you make a customer happy they will tell 10 people but if you upset a customer they will tell 100 people. If you don’t follow up you lose potential business. It is better to tell customers that it will be a few weeks or more before you can schedule them than to ignore them. Follow-ups also build relationships with potential customers and ensure they know you care about them. Even if the job isn’t a huge one, if you don’t follow up and they go with someone else you lose a potentially much bigger job down the road.

Here are some tips:

Use social media

If you have a blog and social media encourage your customers to follow you there. Doing so keeps you top of mind in their minds when they see your posts and receive your new blog, and it may remind them of a project they were thinking of doing, a service they have been putting off, or something they wanted to purchase from you. You want to work not only on new customers but also on the retention of the customers you have.

Make it personal

Another great way to establish a personal connection with your customers is to send a thank you note after a sale or transaction. Let them know you appreciate them contacting your business and that you are here to help. Customers like to feel valued and not just a number. This will help you build stronger customer relationships. It only takes a few minutes to dash off an email, write a thank you note, or leave a message thanking a customer for thinking of or using your business. Make those few minutes count.

Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce : 73 W Van Buren Street : Oswego, IL 60543 : 630.554.3505 http://www.oswegochamber.org/