Providing excellent customer service is vital whether just starting out in business or have been in business for yourself for years. Small business owners don't have someone looking over their shoulder to ensure good customer service is being provided like large businesses do. There are no supervisors and no quality control to answer to. This does not however give you free rein to treat the customer any way you wish. There are somethings to keep in mind when dealing with client needs.

Have I treated my customer as I want to be treated?

You would be shocked at how often people forget to treat the customer like they want to be treated and this is the most important thing to remember in business. It is easy to forget that your customer is an intelligent person when you are a vendor. Vendors can not afford to lose their patience and begin to treat customers like idiots. There are too many vendors that forget and do this when pushed beyond their patience levels though. Treating the customer as an equal takes time and consideration on your part.

Has my customer left happy?

After you have closed a transaction with a customer, ask yourself how happy they were with you? Were they happy with the service that you could provide or were they merely happy to be done with the transaction itself. What created this response to your work? You'll find that with just a little bit of work that you can make sure that your customer always leaves happy; the impression that they take away is what they are going to be sharing with the people who ask them for references!

What can I do to go above and beyond the call of duty?

Providing excellent customer service is so easy you will be amazed. It can be as easy as giving more option or just making people aware of the choices that they have. There are some people that you will have to make sure to take the time to explain what you are doing and why they are you chose this course of action. They will need to have a clear understanding of this as well. It is important to remember that everyone likes to have more choices.

Was I rude or polite?

This sounds simple, and almost childish, but the truth is, simple decency and being kind will get you a long way. Even if there's no profit in it, simply let yourself be nice once in a while. If something doesn't cost you anything to give away, feel free to give it away, whether it's some advice or simply a service that you can easily do. You'll find that this is a great way to make sure that you are someone that they will recommend to their friends time and time again.