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No matter what kind of business you run, how you treat your customers will affect whether you are successful or not. Too often, we hear horror stories of poor customer service from larger corporations, but this does not need to be the standard level of customer care. While larger companies may be able to lose customers from time to time, smaller businesses can not. And even if you're not a small business, getting a refresher course in how to treat your customers is always the best way to keep your profits up and your worries down.

Treat Them Like Family

When it comes to your customers, you should treat them like family. Cliché? Perhaps. Effective? Absolutely. If you stop looking at your customers as ways to make money and you start treating them the way you would want to be treated, you will be surprised at the response you get. Customers enjoy it when they feel like they're special and like they're the most important person you know. Even if you do have troubles with a transaction, customers who are treated well are less likely to complain and are more likely to forgive and come back. In order to treat your customers like family, you need to figure out what your customer really needs from you. With each transaction, think about what you would need as the ordering process begins. Would you want to have long descriptions of the items sold so as to see their features? Would you like one on one attention to help you choose the best product? Think about who your customer is and what they would truly enjoy during each transaction – and then make sure you can give this standard of care to them.

Give More Than You Should

Everyone likes to get something they weren't expecting – and so do your customers. By providing your customers with a small token of your gratitude each and every time they shop or do business with you, they will feel like they are getting more than they asked for – and that you genuinely care about their purchases. This doesn't have to be anything expensive – small samples of other products, free shipping, a future discount coupon, etc. Just make sure your customer walks away from each transaction feeling like they've gotten more from the transaction than they expected.

Ask Them for Advice

Customers know your business better than you do. If you stop to listen to what your customers have to say about the way you do business, you will benefit from their candor and from their advice. By creating simple and brief surveys for the end of each transaction, you can see your business through the eyes of your customers and make changes accordingly. The changes you do make can even be attributed to specific customers and they can receive discounts or credits on shopping with you in the future. Everyone wins. Your customers deserve to be treated right each and every time they visit your store. By taking the time to treat them well, to give them more, and to ask them for input, you will create a successful business that can withstand any dips in the economy.