Keeping customers happy is the key to keeping your business
alive and profitable. Effective,
responsive and proactive customer service could mean the difference between
success and failure for your business. Companies lose billions of dollars a
year because unhappy patrons take their business elsewhere after a bad
experience. “At its core, excellent
customer service is really about meeting a consumer’s needs with a quality
product and exceeding their service expectations in a memorable way. Today these efforts are no longer optional;
they’re imperative for business survival.”
So how to keep your customers happy and coming back for more?
Stand out. Think
critically about what separates you from the competition and how you can better
capitalize on that to meet your customer’s demands.
Constantly communicate to your clients. Engage them.
Be attentive. It costs five times
as much to attract a new customer as it does to keep an existing one. Almost 70% of customers stop doing business
if they receive poor service. Experts
say that a happy customer will tell at least five people about your company if
they are pleased and that number has grown exponentially with the rise in social
media.
Always keep your promises.
There’s nothing worse than being lied to. If you promise something to a customer,
follow through. Do whatever you have to
to make good on your word. It only takes
one mistake to lose all credibility with a consumer.
Exceed expectations.
Take things a step further and go beyond what your customer originally
expected from you in terms of service. “Your
goal is to make the customer pause for a moment to say ‘Wow. This company
really went the extra mile for me.’”
Reward loyalty. Think
about giving repeat customers special discounts. Even sending a special gift card or thank you
note can go a long way and make them feel appreciated so they keep coming back
for more.
Be consistently great.
“Consistency is one of the most overlooked aspects in achieving customer
satisfaction.” Customers want to know
exactly what they’re going to get from you when they buy your products and
services. Don’t make them doubt you by
being inconsistent. Strive to be great
every time.
Ask for feedback. Be
upfront with your customers. If you
really have an interest in keeping them happy, go right out and ask them what
it is they need, want and expect from you.
Try sending them satisfaction surveys where they can grade your
performance and make suggestions on how to improve the overall customer
experience. Make sure you actually
listen to your customer and take their comments into consideration.
Be prepared to solve problems immediately. When a customer complains, you should always
have a plan in place to satisfy their concerns and appease them. Don’t waste time trying to pass blame on
someone else or by arguing with the customer.
Your customers want to be validated for their loyalty. Don’t forget that.
Make yourself accessible to your customer or in essence, be
easy to contact. Nothing is more
frustrating for a consumer than when they can’t get a hold of you for a
question or complaint. Publish contact
information, store locators and business hours on your website and do your best
to respond to phone calls and emails quickly.
Hire properly. Good
staff can be the difference between excellent customer service and a poor
customer experience. Especially if you
own a store, hire employees that are friendly and personable and willing to go
the extra mile to improve a customer’s overall experience.
Lastly and quite possibly most important: Stay consistent. Make sure everything, including the overall
experience, maintains your standards – and is something people will want to
return for.
Here are some articles you might want to check out on
keeping your customer happy:
“Keep your Customers happy
and they’ll keep you in business!”: http://www.zoho.com/crm/blog/keep-your-customers-happy-and-theyll-keep-you-in-business.html
“Your Customers are Cranky!
6 Proven Ways to Fix Their Frowns!” http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/satisfaction.htm
“Keep Your Customers Happy –
The Customer Service Infographic”: http://itthing.com/keep-your-customers-happy-the-customer-service-infographic
Until next time…
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