Your Customers
Although your employees are important to running your business , it would not exist at all without your customers . With competition high and challenges standing out , it ’ s important that you meet all the needs of customers . Here are a few things to consider when thinking about your customers .
Safety
To keep customers comfortable and feeling safe , many businesses created zero-contact solutions . Brick-and-mortar businesses that sell products implemented solutions like curbside pickup for customers . Meanwhile , businesses that offer a service armed employees with sanitization products to clean anything they touched and created a line of communication via phone rather than face to face . This not only keeps customers feeling comfortable but keeps your employees safe too .
Ease of service
When people are hesitant to interact in person , it is important that their experiences online or over the phone are as seamless as possible . Therefore , you may want to consider upgrading your phone system and website . First , if you currently use a hard-phone system , consider switching to a soft-phone . Soft-phones allow your employees to make phone calls anywhere they have internet , which means you can give your workers a company phone line when they ’ re out of the office . The added bonus of these phone systems is they offer you more features and control over your calling experience than traditional landlines .
Additionally , you will want to make sure your website is up to date with current pricing and contact information . Depending on your type of business , set up an online ordering system , online shop or appointment scheduling system to keep up with your competition . This may seem intimidating , but many website hosting platforms make adding these features easy , and it is worth the effort to set up . If another business is easier to get in touch with , or get information on , consumers will go with your competitor . Don ’ t lose business over something you can control !
Flexible Payments
During the pandemic , cash flow changed for businesses and consumers alike . With uncertainty surrounding job security and income , people ’ s spending habits and budgets had to change significantly . As much as you may need the money you invoice for , rather than demanding the money at once , consider flexible payment schedules . This not only benefits your customer , but it can also benefit your business . While the payments may be smaller , they will be more frequent , ensuring you have some sort of income streaming in over a longer period . As we have learned , there is no knowing what the future holds , so getting a lot of smaller payments during hard times may keep you afloat and take pressure off of your customers .
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Remember , until there is an effective vaccine , the threat of COVID-19 still remains . For this reason , it is important to stay prepared . Luckily , with the first wave , businesses built a wealth of knowledge ; here on out , we will know how to deal with changes due to a pandemic situation . We are all in this together and BBB is here to help . To stay up to date with the latest business tips , head to BBB . org .
BBB TRUST TALK 11