Just like their larger counterparts, small business owners expect their channel partners (especially the manufacturers and suppliers with which they interact) to provide superior customer service. They do not want to be neglected or overlooked.
According to a February 2014 study by Cargo and Toluna (as reported by eMarketer): “Nearly half (47.3%) of small business owners (SBOs) said that poor customer service was the most common mistake brands made. Marketers must make an effort to relate to SBOs: Talking at SBOs (instead of with them), as well as failing to understand their businesses, were also big no-nos, cited by 44.7% and 40.7%, respectively.”
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results from a February 2014 study by Cargo and Toluna suggest that marketers should pay attention to their customer service if they’re looking to benefit from such growth.
Nearly half (47.3%) of SBOs said that poor customer service was the most common mistake brands made. Marketers must also make an effort to relate to SBOs: Talking at SBOs (instead of with them), as well as failing to understand their businesses, were also big no-nos, cited by 44.7% and 40.7%, respectively.
Read more at http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Small-Business-Owners-Wonrsquot-Put-Up-with-Poor-Customer-Service/1010723#CmyPSFEfXZZFMPuo.99
results from a February 2014 study by Cargo and Toluna suggest that marketers should pay attention to their customer service if they’re looking to benefit from such growth.
Nearly half (47.3%) of SBOs said that poor customer service was the most common mistake brands made. Marketers must also make an effort to relate to SBOs: Talking at SBOs (instead of with them), as well as failing to understand their businesses, were also big no-nos, cited by 44.7% and 40.7%, respectively.
Read more at http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Small-Business-Owners-Wonrsquot-Put-Up-with-Poor-Customer-Service/1010723#CmyPSFEfXZZFMPuo.99
Customer service is extremely important. It’s all about building long term relationships no matter what business it is. A small business should not be treated with poor customer service just because it is not a big corporation.
Marketers must respect their clients. most of the reasons small business owners change brands is due to mistakes on the part of the brand. Always listen to what your client is saying so you have an idea of how they want to be represented. To effectively market a business, whether big or small, marketers must know about the business and understand what image their clients want to present to customers.
I think customer service is a huge factor in the amount of business someone receives. For example, I have a pizzeria that I love. The food is amazing and I love eating there. However, the service is terrible. Everyone is so rude and unfriendly. Hence, although I love the food, I don’t really enjoy going there and rarely eat there anymore.
Customer service is a major determinant for returning customers. Businesses must be able to understand their customers, and determine how to provide them with what they want. Even if a business has an outstanding customer service department, there is always room for improvement to encourage long-term buyer seller relationships.
This is so stupid that branded manufactures treat big companies and small companies in different way. As we know, everyone expects to be treat special and like to enjoy the feeling of importance and valuable. Actually, respecting everyone/every business no matter who they are right now, is a way to win their hearts and get closer to them. Customer service is very important if you understand how to communicate and react with your clients will benefit a lot.
Customer Service is one of the most important characteristics about your company. You only have one chance to make a good first impression on someone. People remember there first impression of a company and if they had a bad experience or received bad service they will probably think twice before doing business with you again. You are easily replaceable and any company can find someone else to do what you do for them. It is important to hire people that positively represent your brand and company.
Good point! I love what you said that It is important to hire people that positively represent your brand and company. I always think that people who are in lower level in importance to company since they are the one who represent the company communicate with customers directly.
It is extremely important for all companies, whether they are big or small, have great customer service. Having poor customer service can be the ultimate downfall of a company. I think it is smart for companies to switch suppliers if they receive poor customer service. because it can only improve the small company.
A lot of bigger suppliers ignore their smaller franchises which is bad practice because it leads to miscommunication between them and their franchises.
Even ignoring the ethics of the situation, ignoring channels causes unintegrated unintentional brand positioning which could adversely affect the company
Customer service is important for any company, but especially for small businesses. When it comes to small businesses, people are generally paying a premium compared to going to a chain, so making the extra costs worth it is key. With several small businesses, advertising (other than a small ad in a local paper) is really not an affordable cost, so really their only source of advertising is word of mouth. Ensuring that people say good things and not bad can determine the fate of a small business.
I would hope that companies that have business partnerships with small business owners (SBOs) take into account the research that has been done concerning their relationships. It is a big sign that the top 2 reasons that SBOs change companies revolves around bad experience, support systems and customer service. I feel that most companies spend more time with the larger business because they bring in the most money for them. In the future, the bigger issue may be that their reputation is in jeopardy because of how they treat their SBOs. Customer service is always a major factor in a company’s success when they have a large array of working relationships.
Small business regardless its size, still has a great potential to get big. So that it seems to be short-sighted for such suppliers who ignore the customer service to the small clients. and that probably the main reason for those SBOs switching to a new partner.
Customer service are very important in both large business and small business. Unlike mature large business, small business owner may concentrated more to build their brand awareness and customer loyalty. The chart shows us half of small business owners considered the most common mistakes are bad customer services. I think it make sense to every start up companies and small business owners to improve the quality of customer service while they develop the good products.