One of the hardest aspects of running a business is handling customer service. Helping customers who do not read the instructions, are unable to follow directions, or wont read the FAQ can be the number one drain on any businesses profit margin.
The Internet has made it possible to add a dozen tools to help small business owners handle customer complaints, pre and post sale.
Most businesses have tunnel vision when it comes to customer service. They focus all their customer service efforts on the post sale aspect of customer service.
Pre Sale Education
Educating customers is the number one method of retaining customers. Educating customers gives them a chance to avoid problems before they happen. One of the best sales tools is a tutorial that will help users set their own product up. Do not call it a FREE DEMO. Instead, call it Installation video.
Any small business can make good training videos using MS movie maker, or PowerPoint. These can be converted to movies using www.youtube.com and then posted on your website. They should direct users to the forum, FAQ, and other tools designed to help the user.
The trick to a good...