Customer Service in A Home Based Cake Decorating Business - Part 4

Going the Extra Mile for Your Customers

When you are first starting out in your home based cake decorating business, it can seem like all your energy is used in just getting to grips with the basics: baking, designing, and decorating cakes; marketing your service; dealing with the tax and health departments - leaving you little time to focus on the most important feature of the whole operation, customer service. If you are serious about succeeding in this market, you will already understand the importance of basic things like being punctual, delivering what you say you will, communicating efficiently and returning phone calls and e-mails promptly, and you may think you have all the bases covered in terms of customer service. But it is the little things that count, and while 'going the extra mile' may seem like a bit of a cliche, it is here that you will be remembered and judged. People will remember little personal touches that were not a part of your contract to supply - perhaps a small wedding gift for the bride and groom whose cake you have supplied, or a birthday present for the child whose birthday party features one of your creations. Maybe you can bring cupcake miniatures of your designs to consultation meetings - these are a pleasant accompaniment to the coffee or tea your are inevitably offered at such meetings, and of course a good showpiece for your baking and decorating skills. A good idea as a thankyou gift is some nicely packaged home made confectionery - easy enough to make and store, and another good showcase for your culinary abilities.
Such 'extras' do not have to be big or expensive - you are in this business to make money - but their added value is worth more than the effort or expense involved. Of course, 'going the extra mile' is not solely about material extras or gifts, it is chiefly about service; about making absolutely sure that the client gets the very best experience out of the service you provide. It is about being available when they need you, and about being there to meet their needs, regardless of your own convenience.
Have a look at this brilliant video of a talk given by customer service guru Shep Hyken about the added value he received from a taxi driver - it starts to get a little over the top at the end, but it is a great example of how to provide good and - most importantly - memorable service, for it is this that will keep customers coming back.