The Small Business Personal Touch- What it Offers that Most E-commerce Just Can’t.
We’re not machines.
We’re all a little too familiar with the monotonous, automated voice on the other end of the telephone when trying to get ahold of a customer service agent at a large company, telling us “our call is important, please continue to hold.” Or the several generic questions we have to answer when trying to place an order online before being transferred to an ACTUAL live person who might be able to help us. Communication is one of the most important steps in solving a problem, in any area of life, so why are so many companies trying to skip over and minimize this important piece? Sure, it allows them to weed out various basic inquiries and thus spend less on human resources, but at the expense of the customer. When did this become okay? Isn’t running a successful business largely based on customer service? We think so.
We stay involved, each step of the way.
One of biggest benefits of dealing with a small company, whether you’re hiring a service or purchasing a product, is the hands on, personal touch they offer. There is a genuine sense that the customer is the priority, with more attention to detail and human to human communication. Naturally, this is increasingly becoming a stark contrast to the world of e-commerce and mass production. In large companies, there are a lot of empty promises and propaganda about “valuing their customers,” but as we learned from a young age- talk is cheap, it’s actions that matter. Small businesses place emphasis on hands-on customer service, and quite often you will find yourself dealing directly with the founder of the business themselves. There is more involvement in each area of the business, which makes for a carefully crafted, high quality finished result. We, for instance, respond personally to all inquiries that come through our website, and personally approve each order that is placed, every step of the way.
We are flexible and cater to our customers.
Customization is also an area in which dealing with a small business can be much more productive. How frustrating is it trying to use a generic template on a confusing website without a real person to help you out? Small businesses not only offer more hands on assistance, but tend to be more flexible in catering to the client’s specific needs. Every business is (and should be) concerned with making a profit, this is what makes the world go round. However, this shouldn’t mean the loss of authentic customer service and personal involvement in the business. If we were to let machines take over our business, then how could we rightly call it ours?
So friends, next time you’re looking to buy something, or hire a specific service, think about the little guys. They may not have the big brand name or be on the fortune 500 list, but they will no doubt give you the attention you deserve, and deliver the quality and excellence they promise, because that is what is important to them.