Repeat Clients for Small Service Businesses

Keeping clients coming back to a small service business is the means of survival in bad times and profits in good times. Any service business that cannot keep repetitive clients will not stay in business very long. Here are simple ways to accomplish trust, integrity, and customer patronage.

Be quicker than the competition

One advantage a small service business has over a larger corporation is flexibility. The small business owner has the option to rearrange priorities in tasks on a daily basis and when the need arises, the schedule can be changed to optimize better customer satisfaction.

Not all jobs are "rush", but at times there will be requests for speedy service. The small service business owner can make adjustments in workers schedules to accommodate special needs for better customer satisfaction, and garner patronage.

Be cheaper than the competition

It is important that the small service business be slightly cheaper than larger competitors. Price means a lot. When a small service business offers the same quality workmanship as the bigger corporations, at a lower price, the clients will come back. Thorough checking of competition prices, service structures and response times will help in making good business decisions for the small service business.

Give something extra

Dale Carnegie said, "The most important thing to an individual is his/her name." Remember it, write it, copy it, engrave it, say it, or make a logo out of it. In any way possible, show respect to the client by remembering and using his/her name.

In an architectural drafting service business, we could use the client's name many times. We would put the personal name or business name on all drawings, and even create a "title block" reflecting the company logo. It is expensive to have a company logo designed and we provided that service free of charge when the opportunity was given. We felt this was an important step in customer relations and it proved to be a good sales tool. Whatever means available, go the extra distance.

Customer loyalty and patronage are goals that every small business should strive to achieve. Be true to your word, honest in your dealings, and repeat customers will be the life-blood of success.

Additional small business articles by Beverly Bright:

Employee performance
Establishing credit
Understanding commercial loans
How to be a better boss
How to be a better employee
Handling the difficult client
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