Customers are at the core of every business. After all, there wouldn’t be any business to do without customers to serve. That is why cultivating a positive relationship with your customers is essential to your success.
One of the best ways to achieve this positive relationship? Stellar customer service. This is evident from the data about customer service American Express released through their 2017 study, Customer Service Barometer. Below are some insightful statistics:
- 7 in 10 U.S. consumers are willing to spend more money (17% more) on a company with great customer service
- 47% say that personalized service is key in providing excellent customer care
- 33% say they will consider switching to another company after one case of bad customer service
Simply put, when customers can feel that you care about them and their specific needs, they will be more loyal to your brand. Otherwise, you lose them — and probably end up trending for a negative reason on Twitter.
Of course, you don’t want the latter to happen. But it’s not so easy to achieve the first either. If you want to elevate the quality of your customer care, follow out tips below.
1. Train your customer service staff
As a business owner, it’s safe to assume you know your customers and what they expect from your company. But you’re not the one answering your phone — it’s your customer care staff. And for them to be expert representatives of your brand, they need a deep understanding of your audience and how to interact with and assist them.
2. Assign different people for specific customer needs
While it’s a great thing if every member of your customer service staff can answer all kinds of questions about your goods or services, it’s better if specific teams or individuals are well-versed on specific customer needs. Have someone answer queries about product availability, another for booking or purchasing, and another one for general queries.
If you lack staff members, you can always hire a company that offers services like taking orders over the phone. This technique allows your customer care team to expertly assist your customers instead of spreading them thin.
3. Respond as quickly as possible
For customers, everything is time-sensitive. When they call and you put them on hold for a while or when they e-mail and it takes you two days to reply, they will undoubtedly be unsatisfied with your service. And, if you recall the statistic above, one unsatisfactory experience and some of them will jump ship.
To address this, your reps should always be available during your operation hours. Even if you don’t have an answer to their query yet, let them know you’ve received the message and that you’ll get back right away.
4. Learn from customers’ feedback
Whether you like it or not, your customers are going to give you feedback. It may be through online reviews or dropping by your store and letting you know about their thoughts. Good or bad, be sure to respond with humility. It’s also important to note what they liked, so you can keep doing it and serve your customers better.
The way you treat your customers can make or break your business. Make them feel valued by consistently doing the practices above.
