During the economic crisis, some companies have tried to limit their costs by cutting corners on customer service and spend that money on advertising; hoping that more advertising would fix ‘things’. However, this is actually the worst thing you can do to your business.

Customer service matters most now more than ever and here are a couple of reasons for our reasoning:

• When customers buy something during an economic downturn they want assurance that they get maximum value for the money that they spend. They are extremely conscious of the hard-earned money, so they often want additional assistance, education, training, installation, modifications and support from your business. The basic product may remain the same, but they want more service and attention from you, not less.

• Customers need assurance that they made the right decision. In good times, a single bad purchase can be quickly overlooked or forgotten, but during financial crisis, every cent of purchase is scrutinized. As a business you need to provide the assurance your customers seeks with generous service guarantees, regular follow-up and speedy follow-through on all queries and complaints.

• When times are good, customers usually move fast and sometimes don’t even notice the efforts that you are putting in to make them happy. In tougher times, people move more cautiously and notice every extra effort you make to make a “difference”.

• In difficult times, customers spend less time traveling and ‘wining and dining’, and more time cautiously shopping for each and every purchase. Giving great customer service enhances the customer’s shopping experience and boosts your own company’s image to the general community.

• When people have less disposable income overall, many people go through a sense of lower self-esteem. When they get a exceptional service from your business, it automatically boosts their self-image. And when they feel good about themselves, they feel good about your company; and when they feel good about you, they just buy!

• In tough times, customers talk more with each other about saving money and getting good value. So positive word-of-mouth is a powerful force at any given time. In difficult times, even more ears will be listening. So make sure that the words spoken about your business are good ones!

It is very common for every business to go through a difficult time during the crisis. However if you are sticking to your principles and giving your customer a good service, it will definitely benefit you to keep up with your commitment and also to increase customer loyalty.

Mystery Shopping is a great way to figure out how well your business is serving your customers and whether your service level is meeting their expectation. Check out the world’s largest Mystery Shopping Company Database that lists many experts on this field that can help you to make a ‘difference’ even on this tough economy.