When you run a business, the most important thing you can do is provide your customers with a positive experience. Not only will this make them more likely to shop with you again themselves, but also to recommend you to other people. Word of mouth can be one of the most powerful business tools, so by helping this be a success, you can generate even more revenue and a better customer base. Now you know just why providing a positive customer experience for your business is so important, but how do you do it? In this article, we take a look, keep reading to find out more.

Have an easy-to-use website

The first thing you need when looking to provide a positive customer experience for your customers is a website that’s easy to use. You want them to be able to find exactly what they’re looking for, without having to search too high. You should also make sure it’s easy for customers to pay, and that it's secure. If you run a business in a speciality category, a high risk payment provider is integral to making it a smooth process for you and the customer.

Make it simple for them to find out answers to their questions

If your customers have questions, you want them to be able to find out the answers as quickly and easily as possible. You should have a FAQ section on your website, with the answers to these in an easy-to-read format. You should also look at getting a chat feature, with an AI chatbot that can reply to simple queries, and pass their questions onto a human if it’s something more complex. This can help them feel they’re getting the assistance they need right away and can make the experience much more seamless.

Offer a loyalty program

Everyone loves to feel like they’re getting rewards and so by adding a loyalty program, you can make them feel special and as though they’re part of something bigger. This could be something they sign up to on your website or via your newsletter and you can offer things like discounts on future purchases or a reward when they initially sign up. You could also offer a gift on their birthday, or an incentive when they refer a friend, such as money off, or a voucher for both of you. These are simple things that can make customers feel cherished and want to continue to do business with you.  

Reply to any reviews that you get and take feedback on board

Reviews are vital for any business, and it’s important you reply to any that you get, no matter if these are good or bad! Good reviews show what you’re doing well, and it can make customers feel special when you reply, whereas replying to a bad review shows you are being proactive and what you will do to try and rectify a situation. Other customers will see this and not care so much about a negative review if they can see you’re working to make it better, so it can work out much better for you. 

Keep your customer in mind at all times

No matter what you are doing, keep your customer in mind at all times. This applies to your social media, your newsletter, or your website. Think about who your target customer is and what you can do to improve your business to better suit them. This means you never lose sight of what you’re doing and keep yourself focused. You want customers to feel cherished and that you know what they want and what they’re looking for and by speaking to them through things like social media, it can really help to do this.

These are just a few things for you to bear in mind that can help you to provide a positive customer experience for your business. Whether you are starting up a new company or looking to improve visitors to a business you run already, these tips can really help you to boost the way customers feel about your company. Whether you’re already implementing some of these tips, or looking to change up your tactics, you should soon find it makes a real difference. What are some top bits of advice you find helps when it comes to providing a better customer experience for your business? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you. 

If your interest for business lies in food, there are plenty of options for you to consider. There are a lot of people who head straight to opening a restaurant or cafe, but these are not your only options and you need to know that. A great idea for those who would like to be more mobile and travel around is to open a food truck. You can still serve great food, but you can do it from wherever you want, allowing you to work out where it brings you the most money. But, you need to get up and running first, so let’s dive into how you can do this.

Budget Is Vital 

You have to start with your budget because you can’t do anything without money. Money is going to play a crucial role in opening any kind of business, so you have to decide how you’re going to fund your food truck, and it’s not always going to be easy. If you do not have the funds to start yourself, you’re in the same boat as the majority of people so don’t panic.

 What you should do is start looking into your options. If you don’t want to partner with an investor as you don’t want to give up part of your profits or ownership of the truck, you can look into getting a loan from a bank or a lender. As long as you can make the payments, you’re all good.

Taking Payments 

 You also need to look into how you’re going to take payments. Seeing as most people don’t carry cash anymore, you’re going to need to look into a food truck POS that allows you to take payments from cards. Researching the different companies that can offer you this will help you determine which is the best merchant, allowing you to get what you need for the best possible price. Research is your best friend here, so don’t forgo this step and just choose the first one you find.

Work With Suppliers

Another important aspect of running a food truck business is knowing which suppliers to use. The last thing you want is someone who is selling you dodgy food as this could close your business faster than you can say food poisoning. Check out reviews and always opt for the best ones that fit into your budget. Also, don’t be afraid to chop and change if you aren’t getting a good enough deal. 

Attending Events 

Lastly, consider attending events to gain more attention for your food truck. It might be that various businesses are trying to find the ideal food to serve at their events. Advertise yourself, get out there, send menus to every business in the local area and beyond. Without these businesses you will struggle to find customers who will grow to love and adore your food truck. Make friends and they will arrange for you to be at every event going in the future, and there are some businesses who are always hosting events. 

We hope you found this article helpful and it gave you some ideas on how to run a food truck business. It can feel impossible in the beginning but it gets easier with the more customers and clients you have.

Payments should be simple. Customer pays, you get the money, job done. But if you’ve run a business for more than five minutes, you’ll know it never goes that smoothly. Whether it’s tech being annoying, customers disappearing, or fees that make no sense, there’s always something. Here are five common problems that crop up and what you can actually do to handle them.

Card machines dying when you’re busy

There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a rush, people queuing, and suddenly your card reader decides to stop working. Happens all the time. The WiFi drops. The battery dies. The machine freezes. Whatever the reason, it slows everything down and stresses everyone out. If you’re in food service, don’t cheap out on your tech. A proper restaurant POS system is built to handle busy service, dodgy signals, and all the chaos that comes with it. It’s worth spending the money to avoid looking like you’ve got no clue what you’re doing when things get busy. Also, always have a backup. A spare reader, the ability to take payments online, something. Don’t wait until you’re in the middle of a mess to realise you’ve got nothing.

Cards getting declined

It happens. A card gets declined and the customer either looks at you like it’s your fault or says, “that’s weird, it should work” and then disappears. It’s awkward for everyone. Sometimes it’s just a limit. Sometimes they’ve blocked it accidentally. Sometimes they’re trying their luck. The main thing is not to panic. If you’ve got other payment options like Apple Pay, bank transfer, or even a link you can send, they’ll usually sort it out. If not, make it clear they can come back and pay later, but set a proper deadline. Don’t leave it open-ended or you’ll never hear from them again.

Invoices that don’t get paid

You send the invoice. You wait. Nothing. This is probably the most common and most annoying payment issue. You’ve done the work, now you’re chasing your own money. Feels wrong, but here we are. Set clear payment terms up front. Be blunt about it. “Payment due in 7 days. Late fees apply.” You don’t need to sound scary, just firm. And follow up the second it’s overdue. No waiting around hoping they’ll remember. They won’t.

Sneaky fees 

A lot of payment processors look good on the surface. Low fees, easy setup. But then you check your statements and realise you’re getting stung with weird charges you didn’t know about. Fees for contactless. Fees for refunds. Even fees for not selling enough. Compare your options. Don’t just go with the first one that looks easy. And once you’re signed up, keep an eye on it. If you notice money slipping through the cracks, switch. There’s no loyalty in this game.

Chargebacks

You’ll get one eventually. A chargeback where the customer says they didn’t make the purchase, even though they 100% did. And now you’re down the money and stuck proving it. Save everything. Receipts, email threads, screenshots. If it’s a service, get confirmation in writing that it was delivered. If it’s a product, get tracking. You might still lose the case, but at least you’ve got a shot.