Customer Service - The Bread and Butter of Your Virtual Assistant Business

You can slash prices and offer all types of sales promotions at your online business but unless you can create client loyalty, you'll rarely be successful. You need to keep clients coming back to your website over and over again. Sounds easy but how does one create this loyalty?

Stay in regular contact with your clients by sending out a regular newsletter monthly or better yet every other week.

After every sale you have from your website follow up with a client appreciation survey. It's a great way to find out what your client really thinks about your business. Offer them a free gift or discount on their next order as a thank you for filling out the survey.

Why not award a bonus box of chocolates to that client who just made a big purchase from you or signed up as a large retainer client? Better yet, don't charge shipping on orders over $100 or give discounts for large retainer packages.

Always respond to inquiries within 24 hours from receipt of the email. Better yet, respond as soon as they arrive in your email box. Set your email to notify you of new mail every 15 minutes. Responding immediately will gain you the upper hand against your competition and most likely land you that next project or retainer client. Why? Because the customer feels like you care since you responded so quickly and they are more likely apt to put their service needs into your hands since you appear prompt and efficient. This extra attention makes them feel you will get their job done on time.

Have a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) area on your website with phone number and email contact visually prominent for anytime they need a question answered.

Send thank you, birthday, get-well cards or a simple Thinking of You e-card to your clients as the occasions arise. It will bring a smile to their face to know that you thought of them.

Be alert to your client's interests if you see something like a website that may benefit your client or maybe you read a newspaper article that may relate to your clients business. Email them the URL or mail them the newspaper clipping. It makes your customer feel important.

Go that extra mile with your clients. Always give them more than they expect. Kindness goes a long way so always be polite on the phone or in online correspondence. Remember the golden rule too "The Customer is Always Right" whether they are or not. And if you happen to make a mistake, make sure you make it up to them in a big way with a future discount or freebie on the way to them in the mail tomorrow!

All of these suggestions can help build your client's trust and admiration in your business which leads to loyalty. A loyal target market is the bread and butter to your business.

Tawnya Sutherland, founder of Virtual Assistant Networking (VAN) www.vanetworking.com and author of The VAS System, a Virtual Assistant Startup System, is a Certified Internet Marketing Specialist sharing her expertise to help aspiring and successful VAs turn website clicks into cash for them