Press 3, if you’d like to be in a continuous loop without ever making human contact.

One of the advantages of being a small business is customer service. We don’t have layers of management; we don’t have a complex sale force - which means we can actually engage with our clients. The guy that cuts my hair knows I forget to schedule appointments, so he always seems to call when I’m getting shaggy. My local coffee shop always has a dog bone for the pooch. My local video store knows I have penchant for Almodóvar films.

Sure big organizations have many advantages, but not when it comes to engaging customers.

• Am I talking with the owner? - Whether it’s a buying decision with a vendor or solution with a client – they are talking to the decision maker and a decision is made. When I call a big company, I am often told a supervisor will call me back in 3-5 working days – Don’t bother, I’m already gone.
• Let me talk to your supervisor – If a customer isn't happy - being forced to deal with policy instead of people means he will leave. As a business owner, you’re on the front lines - you can be responsive or at the very least offer to make it right. When is the last time a big business took that kind of responsibility?
• Are you being served? - You can provide personal attention because you actually know your customers. You know what they like, you know their histories, and you might even know their hot buttons. And when you make them happy, they tell others. You just can’t beat word of mouth.
  

Customer service matters. We all just want to be treated nicely and given a sense of worth. Like our business matters. And with small business, it really does!