• Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

What Every Business Can Learn From Small Town Customer Service

By Small Biz Survival

Barry Moltz and Becky McCray. Photo by Bob Dunn.

Barry Moltz and Becky McCray. Photo by Bob Dunn.

Barry Moltz is my co-author on the book Small Town Rules. He was a great friend to work with and helped me immensely in understanding the book publishing process. Barry knows a lot about small towns. Even though he lives in Chicago, he’s got a strong small town connection. –Becky 

By Barry Moltz

I grew up in a small town in northwestern Connecticut where I can still remember their customer service. Wherever I went, retailers knew my name and welcomed me into their store. They remembered what I had bought before and what I might want to buy in the future.  When I moved to Chicago over 30 years ago, I lost that experience. Now when I shop at a faceless franchise store, they only call me “sir” even if I have been there many times before.

However, technology now makes it possible for every small business owner to practice the “amazing customer service” we could only expect in small towns. With these tools, every company can give their customers the small town experience.

Greet Them By Name. This made the customer feel special. There is nothing that a person likes to hear more than the sound of their own name. This was easy when there were a small set of customers who would repeatedly visit a business. Now, even when thousands of customers that can be serviced over the Internet, cookies embedded in web browser technology can call every visitor by name and make “personal recommendations”.

Get Questions Answered. Call up the company in any small town and they answer the phone. Now, a customer can help themselves get quick answers through online Q&A, videos or chat. Studies show that most customers prefer to help themselves find the answer than be dependent on reaching someone at the company.

Get Products Fast. It was simple in a small town. A customer visited a store and brought their purchases home with them. Getting products to customers fast has always been a priority for every business. Now standard two day shipping and new same day delivery is becoming popular.

Buying Clothes. Customers enjoyed going to the store in a small town to try clothes on and discuss the best choices with the sales person. Now, online customers can upload their photo and sizes to web sites to have personal online shoppers help them.

Hearing Complaints. It was easy in a small town to have complaints heard by the manager or owner. Now, for all small businesses, customers are complaining to companies through Twitter, Facebook, Yelp and Trip Advisor and getting answers!

How does your business practice Small Town Customer Service?

Barry Moltz gets small businesses unstuck. He is an author, motivational speaker, radio host and small business consultant. He can be found at www.barrymoltz.com. Barry is sponsored by Nextiva. www.Nextiva.com provides small businesses with a unified communication system in the cloud. Small Biz Survival did not receive any sponsorship.

  • About the Author
  • Latest by this Author
Small Biz Survival

The rural small business blog. We talk about small town business, with how-to articles, especially on social media marketing and making your community a better place. We use this “author” for announcements and other things you’ll want to know.

www.smallbizsurvival.com
  • Hands-on and experience-based businesses boost local economies
  • Young Americans Returning to Rural for More than Just Holiday Dinners
  • Rural marketing tip: the name is the claim

September 24, 2013 Filed Under: customer service Tagged With: guest post

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Comments

  1. Greytip Online says

    September 24, 2013 at 6:51 am

    Thanks Barry, it is simple and relevant article with good thoughts on customer service
    Now a days, at least online stores started realizing to keep the personal flavor (sending b’day wishes, greet by name etc)

    Loading...
    • Becky McCray says

      October 12, 2013 at 11:16 am

      Thanks, Greytip. Any business of any size can work on improving their personal connection with customers.

      Loading...
  2. STEVEN J. FROMM, ATTORNEY, LL.M. (TAXATION) says

    October 12, 2013 at 8:55 am

    Great article. My father owned dry cleaning stores so these points were ones practiced every day. I learned them from working there. I now apply them as an attorney. Who would have thought that working in a dry cleaning store would have anything to do with the practice of law?

    Loading...
    • Becky McCray says

      October 12, 2013 at 11:17 am

      Steven, I’m glad your early lessons are still serving you well. Customers are still people!

      Loading...
  3. Zac Pagin says

    October 13, 2013 at 9:59 am

    Business is the ancient barter system getting blown out of proportion with time and change. Sometimes, its best to think traditional when dealing with customers. Cheers

    Loading...
    • Becky McCray says

      October 13, 2013 at 1:08 pm

      Zac, that’s a really interesting way to think about business. Thanks for adding it.

      Loading...

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Partners

We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses. Logo with "Shop Indie Local"Move Your Money, bank local, invest localMulticolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"Save Your Town logotype

Best of Small Biz Survival

A few people shopping in an attractive retail store in refurbished downtown building.

TREND 2025: Retail’s Big Split: what small town retailers can do now

99% of the best things you can do for your town don’t require anyone’s permission

Three kids in a canoe

Get started as an outdoor outfitter without breaking the bank

A shopkeeper and a customer share a laugh in a small store packed full of interesting home wares.

How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

Rural Tourism Trend: electric vehicle chargers can drive visitors

Wide view of a prairie landscape with a walk-through gate in a fence

Tourism: Make the most of scant remains and “not much to see” sites with a look-through sign

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2025 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in
%d