It can seem overwhelming to start any small business. But by creating a company with customer service at the core, you can build your business bit by bit. As you see success, you'll likely have a loyal foundation of customers for continued support to help it grow further.
During a recent episode of Office Hours, Diana Ganz, Co-founder of SuitShop, and Jenny Robertson, Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing and Communications at FedEx, discussed why putting customers first – no matter the challenges – can be worth the effort and how to do it smartly and sustainably.
1. Start small.
It’s easy to see a big brand and assume it was always a household name. But FedEx started as a small business, which is part of why the company is passionate about helping other small businesses grow. On its first shipping day in 1973, FedEx moved 186 packages, Robertson noted, and can now move millions in a day.
While prioritizing fast shipping, SuitShop took baby steps to grow, and has seen 150% year-over-year growth since its start in 2016, Ganz said.
"There's been something really nice about our trajectory," she said. "It's also let us fail and not have it be so monumental."
2. Cultivate strong relationships.
SuitShop aims to disrupt the suit industry by offering affordable, diverse, high-quality options and quick shipping. FedEx has been a key partner since the beginning, Ganz explained, helping the brand through its early hurdles.
Taking time to personalize vendor relationships can make building a business more fulfilling, Robertson said, and those relationships can come in handy when you need to be flexible. It’s become clear in the past two years that a diversity of suppliers can be beneficial, she added.
“It’s helpful to try and build flexibility at every point along the supply chain, whether pushing off orders, shipping time, or splitting orders,” Robertson said.
Additionally, making sure to ask questions can help both parties, according to Robertson.
“Subject matter experts appreciate being asked about what they know," she said. "They want to share and teach and are glad you're curious.”
Similarly, companies can prioritize their internal culture to inspire employees to think for themselves, ask questions to learn, and progress into new and exciting opportunities that help grow their careers and the business.
For Ganz, she looks to SuitShop's team as experts who bring diverse skillsets.
“Leadership for me is really just about passion, bringing people up with you, and really building them up to kind of do a job I couldn't do,” Ganz explained. "They become the best brand advocates for SuitShop."
3. Put customers first.
When starting out, customer service can be key to success, according to Ganz.
“Customer service is all we had – that was what we knew we had to nail,” she said. “We had no credibility. We were going against massive brands that have dominated the suiting industry forever. But we knew we could give a better experience, and part of that was great customer service.”
Having solid ties with FedEx from the start has been crucial, said Ganz, especially in one tricky situation: a groomsman needed last-minute pants for a wedding, and FedEx helped SuitShop get a pair of pants on a plane the same day.
"We stuck to our core philosophy – and probably that meant we didn’t pay ourselves that week," she said. "It was worth it – it's a great story and a great example of our ethos going forward of how we want to treat our customers."
In the age of social media, customers’ eyes are regularly on products, services, and experiences their peers recommend. Making sure customers are the top priority can be key to winning repeat customers, including ones who want to naturally share your brand with their friends, family, and online followers.
Great customer service doesn’t just mean being nice and offering high-quality products and services. It means being willing to admit to mistakes and using them to learn and grow along with your customers, Robertson explained.
“It's critically important that you're putting the customer first,” Robertson said. “When there is a mistake, admit it, be transparent, do what you can to make up for it, and you'll have a customer for life.”
The Takeaway
Starting small, building a strong internal and external team of experts, and prioritizing customers can help create the foundation for a successful business. It can be important to learn from challenges and mistakes as well, Ganz said.
“Bring in the right partners, bring in the right network, and make sure that you are not forgetting what gave you that passion to begin with,” she said.
This article is part of Office Hours, a series that connects you with entrepreneurs and expert tips for running and growing a business right now. Find their can’t-miss conversations here.
