The Power of Putting Customers First: Your Small Business's Guide to Customer Success (Part 1)

Have you heard the phrase “customer success?” Or maybe you’ve heard it called “customer connection” or something else along those lines. The phrase is relatively new. As a small business owner, you may already be working on this, whether you have heard the term or not. Or you may have heard of it and assumed it was only for large businesses or companies. This post aims to give a deeper understanding of customer success by defining the concept, differentiating it from customer support or service, and explaining how it applies to your small business.

On top of my freelance photography and design, I’ve worked at a variety of jobs since I entered the workforce. Some of these jobs were customer service or sales based, some were cleaning and maintenance, and others were hospitality or patient care. In every single one of these jobs, I was told: “the customer always comes first.” Being the people-person that I am, it’s come easy to me, but I understand that some may struggle with this idea. What I’ve taken to heart in all these jobs is that customers are real people with real lives. Whatever job I’m working, I’ve become a part of their day or maybe even a part of their life. Because of that mindset, I strive to make a good impression and hopefully leave them with a smile. I want to become a memory they might remember, not just someone in the background of their boring day.

I’ve come to find a term that sums up this idea: customer success. 

So what is customer success? How does it differ from customer service?

In short, it’s all about the customer’s experience with a company or business. You are thinking ahead about the customer’s experience and making sure it’s seamless. You want them to have a good time whenever they interact with your small business. It’s all about being proactive and solving problems before they arise so you don’t have to spend time solving issues and apologizing to customers later. Customer success is thinking long-term.

On the other hand, customer support or service is more short-term. It’s reacting to problems in the moment. These problems could be negative reviews, issues with your product, or something getting lost in the mail. How can you solve these problems? This might look like offering free shipping or a discount. It could be sending a new product to the customer or refunding their purchase.

Why should I use customer success in my own small business?

All businesses should be thinking about the customer first, but small businesses should especially! The process of buying from a small business is more intimate and the customer is interacting with you personally. Because of this so you want to plan ahead and make sure every interaction with a customer is seamless and positive. Come up with answers to common questions and avoid any possible issues they might have.

By answering their questions and solving their problems ahead of time, you will avoid having to deal with customer service down the road.

Customer success is a key aspect of any business or company, however large or small, and it should be the ultimate goal of your small business. Keep in mind, customer success is an ever-evolving process. Don’t be afraid to change things down the road if your customers are still having issues. 

Remember, “the customer always comes first!” Try to put yourself in their shoes and make things easy for them. If you are struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out to me and I’ll give you a few people-pleasing tips. ;)

Up next, we’ll discuss every step of a customer’s journey in detail and how you can use this process to incorporate your customer success tactics.

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