Focus on your customer first
We’re all busy. So much so that it’s sometimes easy to forget our number 1 priority: the customer. The importance of managing customer service is crucial to your company’s success and can have a remarkable effect on its reputation.
At October’s MaRS Best Practices session, Mike Rossi and Mohsen Hadianfard, co-founders of Sweet Tooth, introduced entrepreneurs to the secrets of building a customer service strategy that will fuel growth. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Sweet Tooth is the world’s most flexible e-commerce rewards system, offering multi-channel loyalty and rewards programs to customers. The startup has experienced strong growth since it was established in 2009 and recently secured $2.25 million in funding.
Aimed at startups, Mike and Mohsen’s presentation covered the importance of customer service as a culture and how identifying the right channels will build a strong reputation for your company.
Mike and Mohsen highlighted the following strategies to deliver exceptional customer service:
- Build a team culture
- Establish process
- Stand behind your brand
- Respond quickly and follow up
- Get to know your customers
They expand on each of these tips in this five-minute Hot Tips for Startups video.
The number 1 secret to a successful customer service strategy is to get started early. Watch the lecture video to find out how.
Additional resources:
- Lecture slides: Excellence in Customer Service: The forgotten marketing strategy
- Article: “Case study: Salesforce.com—Winning first customers”
- Workbook: Market Strategy Workbook 1: The Analytical Foundation
Starting a business? Check out our Entrepreneur’s Toolkit resources.