This could be from not getting a quote in a timely fashion, not having a product I needed and not willing to source it or being unreasonably-priced compared to their competitors.

As a small community we are encouraged to "buy local" and "support local businesses", which I wholeheartedly agree with, however is it enough to purchase from a business simply because it is a "local business"?

I believe it is equally important for our local businesses to understand the fundamentals of "customer service" and "customer experience".

Firstly, lets clarify the two.

Customer services is the direct interaction between a customer and a sales assistant regarding a product or service and customer experience is how the customer feels about their interaction with your business (positively or negatively) before, during and after the entire sale process.

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So, in effect customer service is the first piece of the puzzle in the overall customer experience.

With this in mind, we as business owners and employees need to think of customer service as far more than a friendly "hello" at the door or showing a customer the writing on the product packaging for information.

Great customer service should be about wanting to solve a problem for that customer, no matter how big or small it may be, doing so in a timely fashion, reasonable pricing and with good communication.

Know your products and services well, do extra research, speak to your sales reps to help you sell your products, have staff information sessions so everyone is informed.

Send out quotes to potential new clients as soon as possible, preferably within a day or two, if that's not possible communicate with your customer that you are seeking prices.

Go above and beyond so the next customer that walks into your business you will be confident that you and your staff have the knowledge and skills to help solve that person's problem.

The ripple effects of a positive customer experience results in customer loyalty; repeat business from that customer, positive word of mouth about their experience to family and friends.

This then provides the potential to lead more customers to your business seeking this same experience.

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