How Startups Can Get Better At Customer Service Your business will surely fail if you are unable to meet the needs of today's customers.

Customers play a very important role in any business. They determine the growth potential of the company by sharing a better picture of what's working and what's not. Therefore, entrepreneurs should not overlook the importance of customer service. Your business will surely fail if you are unable to meet the needs of today's customers. The service can actually vary from company to company, but the key elements to turn customers into longtime clients are timely responses, open communication, reliability and product knowledge. One should never underestimate the importance of happy customers!

Hence, Entrepreneur India is listing out few tips for startups to get better at customer service:

Prompt Redressal Of Queries :

Undoubtedly, for any startup, in any industry, the focus should be to craft a unique customer experience, one which is consistent with the buying cycle. Amar Pandit, Founder, and Chief Happiness Officer, HappynessFactory.in shared absolute must-haves for startups.

"We all know that a happy customer will talk to 2-3 people but a dissatisfied one will share their lament with many more. It's important not to let go of the chance to create unhappy customers to loyal customers. An efficient solution to their problem and a prompt reply will last you a long way. Secondly, in industries where mis-selling is rampant, trust plays a big role. Compromising on their trust will not help you in the long run. Therefore, it's best to set the realistic expectation, right from the beginning," shared Pandit.

Identify the Most Effective Mediums:

According to Anshul Khandelwal, Head of Marketing, Foodpanda, customer service is probably one of the most important pillars of building a loyal customer base in this competitive landscape.

"Being in the business of serving customers, it is imperative for us to keep a robust check on the quality of customer assistance and issue resolution that we provide. Technology comes to the rescue for us to connect with our customers. However, with all means in place- calls, chats and email support, we also have to utilize the more dynamic mediums of today. Social media has become a part of our lives. We have to listen to our customers and what is troubling them 24*7," said Khandelwal.

At Foodpanda, Khandelwal and his team are able to resolve all issues raised on social platforms within 15 minutes on an average depending on the nature of the complaint.

"Only recently, one unhappy customer took to social media and posted about her experience with us in a quirky breakup note. We played along and asked for a second chance like any honest partner with intent would. We utilized our mascot, the panda, to surprise the customer, pampered her with her favorite order and ensured a better experience to her in the future," he added.

Personalization, Engagement And Feedback:

Raviteja Dodda, CEO, MoEngage derives customer service from his obsession of providing value-add on the products, features and company's relentless effort to incorporate customer feedback.

"We've built our customer service on three cornerstone - personalization, engagement and feedback. By engaging with our customers on a personal level and by incorporating their feedbacks, we have earned their trust and thereby achieved customer retention," he said.