Most of what we consider “customer service” is the group of people who answer angry phone calls from frustrated customers. And while that is a big part of it, customer service is actually more of a big picture thing that involves any moment your business interacts with a customer. And by being proactive in your customer service, you are able to avoid some of those angry calls and ensure your customers are satisfied before they even buy from you. Here are some customer service tactics every business should follow.

Reach out to them first

One really good way to ensure you get more positive reviews and that your customers are happy is by reaching out to them first. After they’ve made a purchase, a quick email or text asking whether or not they were happy with your product or service is extremely effective. If there was nothing wrong, that’s great. But if something did go wrong, it gives your company the chance to address it immediately and satisfy the customer’s need to have things set right.

Communicate, even if it’s bad

In a lot of businesses, the basic strategy when something goes wrong is to avoid it and hope nobody ever finds out. And that may work in some instances, but most of the time, it is 10 times worse when the truth comes out. It is much better to immediately address the issue and make amends than to hide it and hope it never comes out. Hyundai, for example, had an issue where the mpg ratings on their cars were inaccurate. Rather than avoiding the issue, they immediately apologized to their customers and even offered gas cards to compensate for the difference in price. This was in addition to the fines paid to the EPA. Ultimately, it wasn’t too bad for Hyundai, and it could have been much worse.

On that same note, customers also appreciate knowing about the good news that is happening at your company. By communicating with your customer, you are able to share the news together, whether that is celebrating the good or fixing the bad.

Keep your employees happy

Another trick to proactive customer service is to make sure your employees are happy too. Some businesses are so focused on building their customer base that they overlook whether or not their employees feel satisfied. The happier your customer service employees are, the happier their interactions will be with the customer. The same applies if your employees are miserable, which will spread through your entire business model just as quickly as happiness might.

Research  your audience

Do your research, so you know exactly who your customers are, what they want, and what they need. How are you supposed to meet their needs if you don’t know everything about them? This research can be used to help determine your marketing tactics and how effective your customer service methods will work. You may learn that your customers expect better text customer service, or you may find out your audience is actually a completely different demographic than you were expecting. Do the research, and use it to create more effective customer service results.