We’ve all experienced bad customer service at some point – the rude, condescending waiter, the shop girl who’d rather chat to her friend than bother to serve you – but, on the whole, most of us wouldn’t complain there and then. Instead, we vote with our feet and choose a different restaurant or shop to spend our hard-earned cash in. After all, why pay for bad service?

Your web design business is no different to any other when it comes to how you treat your clients. You may not be working from an office where potential clients come to you; many web designers, particularly freelance ones, never come face-to-face with their clients at all.  No matter how your business is run, there is only one thing that counts: treat your customers well, and they will return; treat them badly and chances are they won’t actually tell you if they’re unhappy with something, they will just simply stop doing business with you. Not only that, more people will remember and tell others about bad service than good.

Here are four basic rules that our Web Design Wigan team always follow:

First Rule: Communication

The most important aspect of any client relationship is to be able to effectively communicate with each other.. You need to really listen to your client; try and determine his ideas and vision for his website instead of just railroading him into what you particularly like doing. If his ideas have glaring mistakes, gently shepherd him in the right direction while keeping as much of his original concept as possible. After all, it’s his website. It’s also important to keep your clients updated during the creative process so they don’t think you’ve abandoned them.

Second Rule: Patience

The reason most clients have come to you for a website is simple – you’re the expert. Often they’ll want something over-complicated or that just can’t be done, or perhaps they favour an idea which you know from your past experience isn’t going to work with their particular business. You need to be patient when explaining to clients what you are doing, and why; don’t expect them to understand all the jargon and terminology either. Above all, remember that they’re not idiots – they simply aren’t web designers!

Third Rule: Courtesy

It may seem obvious, but far too many people undervalue the use of common courtesy when dealing with a client. Always make sure you respond quickly to client emails. Even if you don’t have the time to accept their project straight away, it never hurts to acknowledge their enquiry and perhaps suggest a phone call or meeting at a later date to discuss their requirements in more detail. It doesn’t take much effort to be polite and the rewards are great. Your friends may know it’s just your nature to be abrupt; someone who doesn’t know you will just think that you are rude and not bother to contact you again. You won’t lose any business for being polite!

Fourth Rule: Respect

If you only regard each client as a means to a paycheck, they will soon notice that you don’t really care about them or their business. Finding out about their line of work before beginning the project shows that you respect them, and most clients will really appreciate this. Also, when you’ve finished the work, be sure to send a follow-up email to check all is OK and thanking them for choosing you to work on their project.

Finally, always remember that it really doesn’t take much to change good customer service into great customer service. It will be the small, thoughtful details in the service you provide that will keep your clients coming back, and hopefully bring new clients with them!

nexusadmin

Bespoke Website Design

Established in 2010, Nexus Websites are a creative digital agency based in Wigan working with clients all over the UK. With a vast range of experience and a proven track record we have everything you need to take your business to the next level.