Customer service can make or break a small business online. I have been running my own online business selling handmade antler jewelry for almost three years now and this is something I have seen time and time again. Being a part of many different forums for small business owners, I see questions every day about how someone should handle an upset customer, a messy order, delayed shipping issues, poor quality in the eyes of consumers, etc. Knowing how to deal with these issues is not easy and usually has to be determined on a case-by-case basis. Below are some tips and lessons I’ve learned over the last three years.

The customer is ALWAYS the customer.

I used to think that “the customer is always right”. Then, in one of my college classes, I learned that the customer is NOT always right, but the customer is ALWAYS the customer. This is something to consider when deciding how to deal with a problem with a dissatisfied customer. Even if you feel the customer is wrong about the problem, they are still your customer, and without your customers, you cannot have a successful business. If you mishandle a situation, you could lose that customer (and their friends) forever. If you handle it correctly, hopefully you will have a repeat customer for life.

losing money vs. lose customers

This is something I’ve had a lot of experience with, but in a positive way. I’ve found that if anything you need to do to satisfy your customer will lose you a little money, 9 times out of 10, it’s worth the loss. I’m not saying you should do this frequently, but if you are providing quality products, you shouldn’t face this problem frequently. EVERY TIME I have suffered a small loss ($20.00 or less) to make my client happy or correct a mistake, they leave me great reviews, refer their friends and most of the time become repeat customers. This is a touchy subject for many small business owners. I suggest you keep this in mind with every issue that may arise, assess whether you can afford a small loss to increase the chance of creating a repeat customer.

I know that when running a business, you have to do it in a way that makes you money. If you always have losses, your business will not be successful. Despite this, I have found that when I have customer issues and show that I care more about my customers than money, they feel like they matter. Which is exactly how I want my clients to feel because I DO care about them. My approach to customer service will not work for every company or for every person. I think it’s something more companies should consider when deciding what kind of customer service they want to be known for.