Between determining allocation for new projects and looking at future investments, sometimes the focus of your company can turn away from the customer. It’s something that easily happens when business owners are trying to keep the doors open, and it can even sneak up on you when you think everything is just fine. The point is, it’s easy to get back on track and keep your customers happy. Here are some tips to keep your company customer-centric:

1. Listen to your front-line employees.
The employees that experience the most customer interactions can have extraordinary insight. It may be helpful to periodically survey your front-line employees to give them a chance to improve the company.

2. Learn from your mistakes.
Listen to the complaints that your customers are making and take them with a grain of salt. Sometimes the problem the customer experienced occurred due to a procedural issue, and slightly changing the way you do things could prevent it from happening again.

3. Get to know your customers.
A solid database can make all the difference. If you can incorporate data collection into the customer journey – for example, a newsletter sign-up or rewards program – then you can analyze who your customers are. You might find out that you’re marketing to the wrong group.

4. Enhance your customer service department.
Many customers that experience poor customer service can be converted to loyal, repeat clients if they experience a positive recovery from the company. So, an effective customer service department is typically a wise investment.

5. Experience it for yourself.
Observing the customer journey first hand can help you discover many ideas to enhance your clients’ experiences. Set some time aside to visit your business from the client’s eyes, and you could be surprised what you’ll find.

Meagan McCall is a graphic designer at Imagine Communications.