When you’re just starting out in the business world, there’s going to be a lot you need to get a handle on. And out of those, one of the most important things to make sure you’ve got on your side is customer loyalty. This is what keeps them coming back to you when you need them most, and it also means they bring their friends and family to your door. It’s all a cycle at the end of the day, and it all starts with you. So in order to make sure your new shop, or your new business model, impresses, take a few of these considerations into account.

The Physical Considerations

Your office or your shop floor needs to be clean and tidy, most of all. You don’t want boxes strewn all over the floor for someone to fall over, and possibly sue over! Similarly, you don’t want products to be in all the wrong places across the shelves, looking extremely messy and bare.

On the other hand, the decorative materials of your shop can also work wonders for someone’s perception of it. Use neutral colors on the walls to make sure people walk into a mellow surrounding in which they feel like they’re in control. Beneath them, something like vinyl flooring is going to be easy to clean and look incredibly professional at the same time.

On the Phone

When you’re on the phone, you need to pretend you’re meeting someone face to face, and use the same tactics you would in a normal conversation. Make sure you smile as much as you would normally, as this can often be heard down a phone line in the bright and cheery tone you’re using on the customer.

Sometimes we have a limited time to be on the phone, and thus we can set up an automated response. If so, make sure you set these stipulations from the start and get a contact number to follow up with. This shows the customer you’re more responsible and worth their time.

When You’re Face to Face

Most of all, you need to come across as helpful. When you’re standing behind the counter serving someone, they need to feel that you’ll do anything you can to make sure they get what they want out of your store. Of course, sometimes that isn’t possible, and working in any kind of customer service situation can be hard. So when something does go wrong, have something else ready to keep the customer on your side.

If you can verify that someone has a problem that is actually on the fault of a product or the till, have a way to rectify it. This can be in the form of a coupon or receiving something for free. Just make sure you’re not constantly handing out these vouchers; people can find a way to abuse the system after all.

If you’re working in a startup, you’re going to need to make sure you can impress from day one.