The new customer service trends are coming in for 2013 already, and we’re not even done with 2012. Small businesses are getting polled, and one victor has started to emerge: personalization. Most small businesses have put this trend on their top three list, even if it wasn’t the top trend they predicted. The key to customer service plans in 2013 (much like it has been in 2012) will be the ability to present prospects with what they want, how they want it.

So how do experts manage to allow customers to customize their experiences, but still make money?

Start with the Small Things

Have you tried asking your customers questions about your business? You can start with something as simple as how they interact with you on a regular basis. Send out a poll that allows your current customers to pick their favorite way to talk to you (over e-mail, on the phone, live chat, etc). Take the most popular answer and integrate a beta version of it into your system. For example, if customers prefer live chat, grab some live chat agents and open up a beta test for a small group of your customers so see if they like it. If it works, then you have yourself one part of a customized experience for your customers.

One Step at a Time

I know, it’s exceedingly exciting that you’re gaining more steam because you’re listening to your customers. It’s okay to be gleeful, but make sure you still take it one step at a time. Implement one tool at a time and make sure you go through the proper steps – polling, testing, and integrating – with each and every feature. You’ll thank yourself for it later when something doesn’t work and you have a chance to pull it out of beta and move on to the next idea instead.

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