It should be a goal for any company to continuously seek to improve customer service. A great way to do this is to combine the old rules of thumb with newer technologies in order to keep your customers coming back, not to mention referring others.

Rule of Thumb: Listen to their needs! Many businesses jump into Social Media and start ‘talking’. But what many people fail to notice is that Social Media can also be used for ‘listening’. What are bloggers saying about you, your industry or your competitors? How can you improve your organization or better meet the needs of customers?

New Technology Options: Google Reader, Google Blogsearch, & Twitter.

Rule of Thumb: Remember your Customers. Back in the good old days (and in the small towns); they remembered Mr. Smith at the general store, what he bought before and what the conversation was when he came in last.

New Technology Option: From customer relationship management software – to – Google Docs, there are many tools out there to help you keep track of customer information, and make your customers feel appreciated.

“The more you engage with customers the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing.”
- John Russell, President, Harley Davidson