It used to be businesses could get away with bad customer service or even having no customer service at all. But that is no longer the case. In fact, customer service should be one of your business’ top priorities; without it, your business will crumble.  It only takes one really bad review to really hurt sales, and your company may not be able to handle waiting out a recovery time.

Many companies know how that goes, as one bad video or one bad review on Facebook can drastically hurt your chances of getting more customers. Plus, most people can’t even be satisfied with a refund. One survey reported that 80% of respondents said that whistleblowing was much more important to them than actually getting a refund on their purchase. They want to make sure nobody else they have an influence over uses your company again.

Every company will make mistakes. The ability to redeem oneself from the mistake is key, and a solid customer support team is key to that. And we don’t want to forget how essential customer service is on a regular, day to day basis when interacting with customers who simply need a little guidance. Here are some ideas of ways you can improve.

Get the right technology

One of the most crucial steps to providing top notch customer service is getting the best technology put in place. Without the right equipment, you are setting your team up for failure. One thing to keep in mind is that you can use a lot of machine learning and artificial intelligence to do the mundane tasks allowing actual people to be used for more valuable tasks. For example, an AI Chatbot can be used to communicate with customers via chat or texting to allow for 24/7 communication. Your actual staff can then be used to resolve more complex issues that customers may be experiencing. A machine learning company can help you get setup with AI.

Involve in Strategy Meetings

A big mistake businesses make is making a strategy without involving customer support in the process. Bringing in a representative from the customer service team will make it easier to confirm the department’s capabilities and help make sure they are properly staffed and have the right technology. The customer support team is also the group of people who spend the most time in communication with your actual customers, so they are the closest thing you have to a customer sitting in your meeting telling you what they want and what they think will work best.

Do not let their opinions slide by thinking they don’t know what they are talking about. They are much more aware of customer needs than you realize, and they are an extremely valuable asset when it comes to determining strategy.

Try to make the customer happy

The best way to advertise your business is through word of mouth. A customer is much more likely to try a product or service if they know someone else who already uses it and is happy with their purchase. Keeping your customers happy is about as important as any other part of the business.

One way to make sure your customers are satisfied is by treating them like family. Sure, there comes a point where keeping a customer isn’t worth the pain sometimes, but most of the time, going a little extra out of the way for a customer more than pays off. If a bad review on Facebook can hurt your business, just imagine how much a good review on Facebook does to spread the word and increase your customer base.

By focusing on your customer service and ensuring they have the right tools and capabilities to help a customer, you’ll keep current customers happier and will gain new customers.