Five Resolutions for Your Business in 2008

• February 10, 2009
• by ServeNow.com Staff
• Marketing

Find out how to improve your process serving or investigation business in the new year

1. Do a Customer Service Evaluation on Your Business.

It’s critical that you take customer service seriously to ensure that your customers either come back to use your services or give you referrals for additional clients. Do a customer service evaluation on your business to find out what it’s like to be one of your potential customers, and look for areas to improve. Call yourself. Does the caller have to jump through numerous hoops before talking to someone? Does your voice mail message convey how professional your business is? Do you return all of your calls and e-mails by the end of each business day? Following simple phone etiquette assures your clients that they are working with a true professional.

Take a walk through your office and think about what kind of first impression your customers get. Is the lobby welcoming? Do you have anyone to greet a potential client and make their interaction more inviting? Your clients are coming to you because you represent an important part of the process for their case. Make the experience as positive as possible for them.

2. Accept Credit Cards.

If you don’t already accept credit cards, now is the time to start. The benefits significantly outweigh not accepting them. First, you can get paid quicker. You don’t have to worry about checks bouncing and the bank fees that come along with them. Credit card companies handle collections so you don’t have to. When you are not concerned with collections you can devote more time to your business.

Secondly, you will attract more customers, which in turn expands your business. Credit cards are more readily available than cash – especially for people who need papers served from out of state at 4 p.m. on a Friday or want an investigation case to start immediately. People using your services often are upset and nervous; by simplifying the payment process you will make this experience much easier on them.

3. Take Advantage of Free Publicity Opportunities.

Newspaper articles carry an enormous amount of credibility and can put your business on the local radar. Look through your local newspaper and get a general idea of which reporters are covering each area of the news. Call the most relevant local reporters and pitch them story ideas that involve your business. Did you read about new infidelity statistics? Offer to be an expert source for a story that will localize the statistics. Are you working on something newsworthy? Invite a reporter to ride along. Your work is unique, which automatically makes it something that would draw reader interest, but it’s up to you to take advantage of these opportunities. If you or your company is featured in the local press, flaunt it. Make mention of it on your website or send an announcement to your clients.

4. Utilize Technology to Save Time.

If you’re not currently using a software program to assist with daily business operations, look into it in 2008. Many software packages are tailored exclusively for process serving or investigation businesses. They can help you manage daily tasks such as serves, automate your accounting and communicate with clients. The time software saves you will quickly offset the cost.

For process servers and investigators who are always on the go, the ability to keep in touch with the office is of the utmost importance. The capabilities of mobile technology are rapidly growing and you should be benefiting from this. With wireless cards from Sprint and Verizon, you can instantly send surveillance photos back to the office, let an attorney know their client was served or get directions to a last-minute client meeting. Take advantage of wireless technology so wherever you are, you are always being as efficient as possible.

5. Create, Review, Update and Optimize Your Website.

If you don’t have a website, you need to build one in 2008. Having an online presence is essential in a world where more and more people are using the Internet to find services they need. It’s critical that your website can be easily found, contains current contact information on every page and properly represents your company. Review your website on a quarterly basis to be positive that the image you’re portraying to potential customers is an accurate depiction of your company.

If you would like to talk about a sixth resolution, contact us regarding advertising on ServeNow.com or PInow.com. For ServeNow.com, contact Mike MacDonald at (877) 737-8366 or submit an online inquiry. If you are a private investigator and would like to be listed on PInow.com, please contact Cyndi Bowie at (888) 997-4669 or submit an online request.