Many companies today are operating under the myth that improving the quality of their customer service is going to affect the bottom line. Is it true that extending more to the customer is going to cost your company profits? Absolutely not — if you follow these simple tips:

Personalize Your Communications

When your customers try to contact you, how easy is it? Do your Internet-based customers know where you are on the map? Do customers feel like they are talking to a faceless entity, or a company of people? Make customer communications more personal. Include your physical address on your website, and make sure your call center answering services sound like real people with real personalities.

Increase Your Availability

Gone are the days when customers tolerate companies that open at 9 a.m. and close promptly at 4:30 p.m. Today’s consumer expects the companies they do business with to be available after hours, when they are themselves home from work and are able to talk. Extend your office hours to include night and weekend hours, or find a call center that can handle customer questions and issues when your employees are unavailable.

Give Customers Valuable Information

Customers today also expect the companies they do business with to be experts in their relative fields, and to provide them with useful information they can’t get anywhere else. For example, if you’re an insurance agent, offer your customers tips on getting better prices or reducing their chances of having a claim. If you’re a plumber, teach your customers how to better care for the pipes and faucets in their homes. Lawyers, instruct your clients on their legal rights in certain situations. You can distribute this information on your website, via email, or in a personalized letter through the mail.

The company that gives more to their customers gets more back in terms of profits.