Benefits of working with a small company that interacts with customers

Customer service is the main reason consumers choose small businesses over their larger competitors. Their top requirements are for personalized interactions and the supplier’s extensive knowledge of customers’ needs. Today’s business conditions often require suppliers to be agile and able to respond to changes in the market at short notice. This is where small businesses come into their own and why we at Jefferson strive to always keep the customer front and center.

Why work with a small company?

#1 – Culture

Smaller companies are likely to be run by management and staff who have taken the company from a start-up business to become a reputable supplier. During this process, the company will have developed a corporate culture that its employees fully understand and subscribe to. Corporate culture forms a big part of the brand that customers identify and will want to work with.

#2 – Customer Relationships

The customer is the reason for the business. Smaller businesses and their customer-facing staff are more sensitive to this fact than their larger competitors. Customers are more likely to be dealing with the same person regularly when dealing with a smaller company and, in the process, develop closer inter-personal relationships. The person responding to the customer call in a small business is also likely to be an owner or someone who has a deep understanding of the company, its products and be a decision-maker, This makes them able to attend to a customer’s requirements immediately.

#3 – Flexibility

Small companies are inherently more flexible than their larger competitors. The decision-making process is shorter and often only involves a single person. They are, therefore, able to react quickly to any change in customer requirements or any potential problem arising from an order. These businesses have also learned that their survival depends on being able to respond rapidly to changing market conditions or lapses by competitors.

#4 – Specialization

Smaller businesses tend to focus on niche markets where either their specialized knowledge or unique products set them apart from their competitors. By specializing, a small business can often charge a premium for their products and improve margins. Being a specialist in a specific field and delivering a quality product are essential factors in ensuring the sustainability of a small enterprise.

#5 – Communication

Well run smaller businesses place a significant emphasis on internal and external communications. They focus on regular communication and feedback to their clients while at the same time keeping their staff well informed of the latest developments and changes in customer requirements. They also stay abreast of the latest technology and communication aids and incorporate their customer’s needs into these systems.

#6 – Employee Engagement

Staff in smaller companies tend to have a closer relationship with their employer than might be the case in a larger business. Although opportunities for advancement may not be as readily available as in more prominent companies, levels of commitment to quality and meeting production targets are often very high. They are also open to cross-skilling which adds to employee satisfaction levels and ultimately to a better understanding of customer needs.

Jefferson Rubber Works is a leading supplier of custom rubber products based in the United States of America. Their highly skilled staff and a company with more than 40 years of experience can meet every custom rubber molded injection requirement. They will give you a fuss-free “one-stop shop” experience from concept and design to the final high-quality product you need.