As a small business if you want to set yourself apart from the rest, then you will need to focus on providing excellent customer support. As a small business you may not have many employees, and often you are the one left carrying the torch. This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially in light of the fact that you will be able to manage your customer service more effectively. Let's take a look at what steps you need to take to ensure your customer service ranks among the best.

1. Give out discounts

If you have preferred customers, customers who have been with you since you started your business, make sure that you treat them well. They are what your company is based off of, and it is extremely advantageous to make sure that they keep coming back. Make a list of the customers that you consider your best clients and do something nice for them, whether you give them a discount on an order or you simply send them a gift with the next purchase. Word of mouth is still a great way to get business, so make sure that you treat your old customers right.

2. Be Proactive When It Comes To Complaints

Unlike a larger company, you do not have to deal with bureaucracy, red tape and getting confirmations and okays. What this does mean, though is that you need to handle every compliant that comes down immediately, if not sooner! If someone is displeased with your service take some time to investigate. Figure out what happened, why, and think about what you can do to fix it. While the customer is not always right, you can rely on the fact that the customer's good will is an important part of your business, so make sure the issue is resolved in a satisfactory manner.

3. Add a Personal Touch

These day's with all the technology that we have to communicate, many business people are not out there talking face to face with their customers. Provide your customers with a direct line of communication. This is one effective card you can play against the bigger companies. By the very fact that they can talk to you face to face, you will set yourself apart from the rest of the field.

4. When You Say You Will Deliver - Deliver!

If at all possible, make sure that you hit your deadline. Being reliable is extremely important, especially for a small business that is so dependent on its good relationship with its customers and its good reputation. Never give deadlines that you are uncertain about making, and if you have to go over, give your customer as much notice as possible. If they have work that is counting your work for completion, they need to know sooner rather than later.