Everyone loves a well-respected, clean, friendly, and helpful business that makes their shopping trip a wonderful experience. However, many customers will report shopping nightmares with many establishments; those bad habits and bad management maneuvers could have been avoided, but it was the owner’s choice to overlook the efficiency and hospitality of his or her business. Every business owner should keep a close eye on employees, business related tasks and jobs, customer service, and hospitality. You could be losing a lot of customers if your business is currently engaging in any of these bad practices, so ensure that your establishment avoids these and will bring a smile to every customer’s face.

Annoying Large Phone Trees

When a customer has a question or problem, they will usually call your business phone numbers in order to reach you. If you actively use a phone tree to direct customers to the correct employee or department, you should ensure that it is not too large or confusing. The customer wants to reach you quickly and easily, so this should be a priority. Any news which would pertain to many customers should be briefly stated towards the beginning of the phone call, and the options menu should be arranged according to which issue or question is most prominent.

Lack of Hospitality

When your customers come to your business to shop or inquire about services, they should always be greeted with a warm welcome. Customers should also be asked whether they require any assistance, too. If a customer comes into a store unwelcomed, wanders around clueless while trying to locate a product, then is quietly checked out, it is quite possible that this customer will never return. Every customer should be treated valuably, as they are important to the survival of your business.

Obnoxious, Loud, Social-Oriented Employees

Everyone has encountered an employee like this: they continuously talk and gossip with coworkers while ignoring tasks that require attention, continuously take any break as desired, and are very loud and quite rude. These employees are the last ones you want working in your business. It is nice to walk into a business and see the coworkers chatting, smiling, and being polite overall; especially when they get to their job and help customers when needed.

Lack of Devoted Attention to the Customer

When a customer is directly consulting with an employee, the employee should dedicate his or her attention to the customer. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to walk into a business as a customer, and be asked to hold on while the employee is on a cell phone or computer doing only who knows what. Even if it is business oriented, a waiting customer should always be the first priority.

Widely Varying Quality of Products or Services

When you offer products or services, the quality should be consistent and satisfactory. If you begin to offer higher quality one day, then lower quality yet another, you can drive away old and new customers alike. If your business has a reputation as the best, you should ensure that your business lives up to it. Keeping your customers happy with value and quality will ultimately give your business an iron grip in the future among the community.