by Peter Hann

Created on: September 03, 2010   Last Updated: September 23, 2010

Although there are various methods for communicating with customers, no progress can be made unless the business has developed a customer service culture. When customers come into contact with the business, they must be asked about their needs and be given a chance to engage with the enterprise to discuss what the business can do for them. The after sales service must be conducted willingly so as to create trust between the customer and the business.

The first place where many potential customers go for information is the company's website. This is an essential showcase for the business and if it has a poor appearance the public will draw negative conclusions about the business. The website should be informative, introduce the company’s business and products and have a contact button or email address for further questions.

The business should be engaged with the general community and this commitment to society should be evidenced on the website. The enterprise can support local social and community causes with its time and money, and information about the projects supported by the company should be available on the website.

An interactive element to dealing with customers will reinforce the impression that the business is serious about their welfare. The questions received through the website should be regularly reviewed and responded to. The use of social networking sites can be considered, to receive and respond to views of customers and to gain the benefit of interaction between customers.

A business that is manufacturing a product may benefit from customer input at an early stage when developing new products, by providing information to a customer forum about the product being developed. This reduces the market risk, as the likely customer reaction to the new product can be gauged beforehand and the product can be adapted in response to feedback from the customers.

Taking this a step further, the business can use a secure online collaborative space to engage in a continuous dialogue on product development with those customers who choose to register. The business could limit this collaboration (to ensure security of information) to selected groups of customers and certain selected products being developed. Different concepts and solutions can be shown to these “pilot customers” in the collaborative space and they can be given a chance to react to the proposed designs.

After the new products have been marketed and are being used by customers,

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