Funny as that may seem, the exodus of customer service has been evolving for several years. The latest downturn in the economy has simply caused a bigger impact on customer service, I believe, due to lay- offs and cut backs in middle management and through the downsizing of staff in general, leaving remaining staffers overwhelmed and overloaded doing the job of many.

 

As independent contractors, and small business owners, we have a higher level of control over the results our clients experience through our work together, and the perception of our level of client care.

 

I’m still relatively picky about who I work with, meaning I totally understand my target market, and why matching our business personalities and acumen are so important. I find referring prospects to other providers that better fit their need, simply brings my level of service up a notch.

 

By not working with people who don’t share similar business strategies and standards, I minimize the number of service challenges that could or would be presented to me. Not that I mind being faced with a dilemma or two for its learning opportunities, but to me, it all reverts back to something I learned the hard way, when I first started my business.

 

“The customer is ALWAYS right!” Okay, I know, literally speaking, the customer isn’t always right, but sometimes no matter what I say, or how I say it, I may never be able to convince someone that what they’ve perceived as bad service, isn’t just that.

 

Even if the client is totally at fault, how I address the situation and solve it to some satisfaction makes all the difference. Knowing that I may never be able to satisfy someone, and understanding that I have no control over it, helps me to stay focused on the end result.

 

I have found that making sure that I only do business with those clients that fit my business model, alleviates a lot of these situations.  

 

So let’s make a pact to revive customer service at all levels by establishing good client relations, increased service standards, and give our clients the best possible experience. I believe my business has grown in a more positive direction because of it, which allows me to continue to provide those services I am most passionate about doing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are five reasons I prefer 1SC:

 

I have found 1SC to have a very high level of support and video training options, and the software is much more user friendly making it easy to build the database, handle autoresponders and broadcast emails.

 

Setting up products is a breeze, however, I do suggest that if you have a lot of advanced needs, please hire someone to help, or get some training yourself. 

 

Missing a check box for a recurring payment, or not properly attaching a download, could prove disastrous and cause a lot of additional work, and embarrassment.

 

Some systems provide PayPal as your ONLY option to take credit card payments. 1SC integrates with your merchant account allowing you the freedom to take the credit card information and enter it into a virtual terminal at any time.

 

1SC allows you to segment your list, as well as, export multiple groups into one file. Other systems, like aWeber, require you to export the individual ‘lists’, which is much more time consuming.   In 1SC you can export lists by groups, by the products/services they’ve purchased, by the specific autoresponder series they’ve received, and more. 

 

This is where I believe 1SC really excels. The Options, Customization, and Branding far exceed other systems I’ve worked within. There are scads of options for coloring, background, button size, shape and copy.

 

Having the ability to create an affiliate program right in 1SC is a real time saver. No more separate software, no additional monitoring required, and the system pays your affiliates automatically. Nice bonus to this platform.

 

And of course, you can be a 1SC affiliate, too – like me! If I’ve convinced you to give 1SC a try, please feel free to use my affiliate link, and thank you!  I get the 1SC system under the private label, Kick Start Cart (they have stellar service, too!) http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?pr=31&id=144690  

 

These are just a few of the ways that I believe 1SC excels over the competition. Please share your thoughts on shopping cart software by leaving a comment below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeannine Clontz, IVAA CVA, MVA, EthicsChecked™, owner of Accurate Business Services is a Virtual Assistant (VA). ABS provides ‘as needed’ marketing and social media support, training and consulting to busy entrepreneurs. Clontz is a writer, author, VA Coach, and speaker on business topics including business ethics. For her FREE 10-Step Guide to Finding the Right VA, or herFREE Report, Social Media Marketing Benefits, visit: http://www.accbizsvcs.com. Find out more at www.VAbizcoach.com or her book website http://www.entrepreneurialfreedom.com