Businesses thrive on the continuous patronage of happy customers. And it is worth noting that 89% of people will return for repeat business when the customer service is excellent. It is why successful companies do not toy with the very people who bring them business. Failure to do this can be detrimental to your success. If you have yet to finetune your business’s customer service, these are some relevant and helpful guidelines.
- Promise only what you can deliver
In the business world, it is better to underpromise and over-deliver. Your brand can be better protected when you set low standards and exceed them. This is a tricky situation, especially when there is the risk of losing customers when you under-promise. Additionally, your competitors may make bolder claims, likely attracting customers. Unless you have an established positive track record, you must be careful when using this strategy. Some customers may feel you are not up to the task. However, looking at the wider perspective and the long-term benefits is better.
Under-promising and over-delivering is a technique many successful businesses have used to build customer relationships. By exceeding expectations, customers are likely to change a possibly negative impression about you and spread the good word. This is good for business image and reputation; people want to be associated with positive qualities. In the long run, you’re likely to increase profits. What happens next is your customers spreading the news about how well your business exceeds expectations. And this improves profitability.
- Prioritize customer experience
Customer experience is indispensable in every type of business. This involves the total cognitive, behavioral, sensory, and affective responses a person gets before, during, and after an encounter with you. By working to ensure that everything you do is geared toward enriching people’s lives and perceptions of you, you’re solidifying the relationship. It is better if everyone who comes to your business leaves feeling positive about their interaction. Anything in contrast, could spell the beginning of a rocky relationship with your clients.
You can prioritize customer experience by being responsive, capturing and measuring feedback, using the information to develop tailor-made solutions, and knowing your clients. It helps to remember that when customers part with money, they want the value to make it worth it. As a business, you can enhance their expectations by anticipating their needs.
- Vary your communication approach with technology
Have you thought about how your current communication approach may impact your customers? Secondly, did you know that your customers may be bored with your almost predictable mode of communication? For example, if you focus solely on email marketing, you may lose the opportunity to use other modes of digital contact. Technology has helped provide various communication channels.
You will have to upgrade or modify the systems used to communicate with customers. The whole idea is to offer a personalized method of customer interactions. This is what the Microsoft Digital Contact Center platform offers. It employs modern digital tools to intensify customer engagement. The benefits are long-lasting and worth the investment. You can also use chatbots to ensure your clients get timely responses to their questions, so feel free to consider this.
- Understand customer psychology
Customer and consumer psychology are interlinked. So, how do you get into their minds? To do this successfully, you must first understand that their psychology is deeply rooted in satisfaction. A satisfied customer will return to your business because they want a repeat of the positive actions and experiences they received from you. Additionally, they will be more likely to refer a friend to you.
Although customer/consumer psychology is a specialty area, it is best to have a fair idea to enhance business relationships. Knowing their preferences, habits, and purchasing patterns allow your business to align with their diverse needs. The type of product or service you offer will determine to a large extent, how to use this theory to your benefit. Moreover, the knowledge gained can influence your marketing activities while boosting customer relationships, so keep this in mind.
- Reward customer loyalty in diverse ways
Customers love to be appreciated and acknowledged. Doing this promotes loyalty, enhances trust, and increases the chances of maximizing profits in the long term. You can consider loyalty programs to build lasting business relationships with them. This can be done in several ways as long as the underlying purpose is to make them feel appreciated for their patronage.
For a successful loyalty program, carefully developing and implementing a strategy would be best. You may also need to categorize your customers to determine who benefits from what. For example, long-standing customers of one to two years can be rewarded with newly released products or services. Meanwhile, those with you for less than a year could be invited to special events and offered product souvenirs. Another group can benefit from other unique loyalty programs that don’t make them feel left out. In no time, they will become advocates for your products or services.
- Train all staff on modern customer services
Your business’s frontline team is not the only member of staff to focus on when it comes to customer service. It would help if you considered every worker a potential frontline staff for your business. By teaching them basic customer service etiquette, you will avoid involuntarily creating weak links where external engagements are concerned. The last thing you want is for an employee to mar the hard-earned relationships built with customers. For this reason, teaching them basic phone manners, among other skills relevant to your business, would be advisable. Additionally, they can learn how to properly receive customers who show up at the office. You can hire competent experts to undergo this training if you don’t have the expertise.
To conclude, the success of these relationships is based on simple but well-thought-through and executed strategies. Losing your customers when you spent years nurturing relationships would be disappointing. This is why these relationships are to be actively protected.
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