No matter what kind of business you own, customer service is going to make or break your company. If you want to stay in business, you have to know what is going to keep your clients happy and get them to keep coming back to your business.

Below are listed some of the main things that you should strive to always do, no matter what kind of business you own.

Speed is one of the most important things that a company has to provide. This is true regardless of your service. Nobody wants to wait, ever! If you keep people waiting, they will find another place to do business. Customers do not want to hear excuses, they want results. And, they want them now.

Make certain that you pay attention to the way that your customers are handled. Answer emails promptly, even slight delays can lose you clients. Acknowledge people the moment that they enter your place of business and do not make customers wait in line to make their purchases.

Be true to your word. If you make a guarantee of any kind, you have to back it up. If you tell a person that they will have their goods delivered in two days, make certain that you will be able to make it happen. If you make any kind of claims about your product, be certain that it does everything that you said, and that it does it in the way that you described. Sales people often make the mistake of exaggerating a product’s performance. Sadly, all this does is create false expectations in the minds of the consumers. This in turn leads do extremely disgruntled customers.

You will never be able to make everyone happy. Therefore, you must have procedures and policies in place to handle any issues that do crop up. Make certain that everyone in your employ is aware of the policies and knows how to handle bad situations. That being said, you have to listen to the customer and understand their point of view. Simply stating polices will not help. Be sympathetic and do your best to be flexible.

Sometimes bending a rule to keep a customer is more important that adhering to a policy. For example, you may have a no refund policy, but in some cases, refunding the individual’s money will save you a lot of time, effort and grief.

Only offer the very best to your customers. If you are selling or offering sub-par products, do not be surprised if you do not have a lot of repeat business. Additionally, you should be prepared to have more than your fair share of complaints and returns.

You have to provide the best service possible. Treat all of your customers like gold. They are your most valuable assets. Try to not only meet their demands, but exceed and anticipate them. Be on the ball!

To sum it all up, sell quality, stick to your word and be prepared for an unhappy customer. If you want your business to grow you have to know these guidelines and do them well!