Start-up companies come with inherent risk at every step. There are many different challenges to overcome as a start-up business owner, with cashflow right up there at the top. One of the things that is often overlooked early on in the journey of a small company is how to implement strong and consistent customer service that will help the company grow. Quite often, a basic customer service protocol and process will be implemented and returned to at a later date when expansion is looked upon as a more viable opportunity. Instead, the best way to approach a start-up company is to instantly look at how you can increase customer service standards and begin growing your brand reputation from the outset.

Even the biggest companies and brands can suffer immensely due to poor customer service. It only takes one bad experience for a customer to stop using your services (even if they have done for years up to that point), to write a negative review online, and to tell all of their friends, family members and colleagues not to use your company. It can take years for a good brand reputation to be built, but just a few minutes in the hands of a poor customer service agent to bring it all tumbling down.

Now, if you can see the damage that can be done to an established brand, think about how much damage can be done to a small business that is still growing. Your customer service team has to be quick to answer the phones. They must be empathetic and actively listen when on a call with a customer. They must understand how to move the call forward positively, always searching for a solution to the call, even if that solution is escalating a customer complaint to management level.

There are challenges of course with a growing business. At first you might be performing loads of tasks that are outside of your comfort zone, taking calls could be one of those. Or you might have a small number of staff, each performing multiple roles until a time when the company has grown enough to hire other specialist staff in those required roles. It would be prudent to have external support during these times, with expert call centre staff acting as your customer service team, allowing you to concentrate on the things you are good at.

Looking at the addition of a specialist contact centre team to work alongside your internal staff or to act independently as your customer service team, will help your start-up company to grow. Call centre agents are highly trained and experienced in dealing with all sorts of customers and temperaments. They are trained in all aspects of your company, products and services, and can deliver a high standard of customer service on a consistent basis, increasing customer satisfaction rates and allowing your company the breathing space to scale without worrying that your brand is being perceived negatively due to an overstretched internal customer service team.