Did you know that a warranty question about your LilleBABY carrier will often be answered directly by the Customer Service Coordinator, Keely?
If you have a question, concern, or problem, give customer service a chance and support a small business.
If you call the customer service number for AppleCheeks cloth diapers, you’ll reach a member of their small team. Many customers have received direct assistance from co-owner, Amy.
If you have a concern about your Spray Pal, talk to Jen.
Have a question about a purchase from Itsy Bitsy Bums? Megan or Caitlin are there to answer.
Talk to Customer Service First
Word of mouth isn’t what it used to be. We used to notice a tear or have a fit issue with a product and ask our neighbor for an opinion. Today, we turn to our 10,000 closest friends on social media. A small, isolated problem can spiral into a product panic. People begin to believe that a company is ignoring a larger issue, when they often haven’t had the chance to even address it.
If you’re worried that your question is too small or silly, remember that you are the customer. While you may not always like the answer (that’s normal wear and tear, for example), give customer service a chance to help first.
Small Business Customer Service is Personal
Many small businesses have a small, knowledgeable team to answer customer service questions. You can reach them directly by phone or email and often receive a professional, knowledgeable response within 24 hours (often sooner). They might not be open 24/7, but they are dedicated to satisfied customers.
When you contact a small business, it’s very likely that you will reach a product inventor, business owner, or employee who started off as a customer. These people have a unique passion for a product; they’ve tested it and tested again. They are part of product inception and quality control. You can find their product in their homes, used by their families on a regular basis.
Customer Service is Specialized
Social media managers are awesome, passionate people who almost always work for a company because they love the brand. Bert has a stash full of Smart Bottoms. Calley at Kelly’s Closet is committed to eco-friendly living. Kristin at LilleBABY regularly wears her baby. They are super knowledgeable about the products they sell. While they can answer general questions and offer support, these ladies depend on customer service too. They’re not brushing you off when they provide the number to customer service. They’re part of a team and they want you to talk with the quarterback.
Support Small Businesses. Give Customer Service a Chance.
Want to support a small business? Try their customer service first. It’s pretty likely that your question can be addressed by a fit check, replacement, or reassurance that what you are seeing is normal. If the problem is something larger, I believe most small businesses want to know and they want to make it right for all customers. Contact them for an honest, ethical, amicable solution.
Giving a small business the opportunity to address a problem can make or break their reputation. If we really want to support small businesses, let’s give customer service a chance to do their jobs.
Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this post. Proceeds go to support my blog.
So true – I don’t think it’s fair for any one to blab/gossip on social media before they first discuss & give a chance to the relevant party to fix the problem. In such instances, social media should be the last resort.