The costs of poor customer service are well known. If a customer has a bad experience, they will tell an average of 9-15 people, according to the Office of Consumer Affairs. Naturally, those people will probably then steer clear of your business in the future. To avoid this happening, you need to provide outstanding service, which is the key to developing customer loyalty. Below are a few tips that will help you keep your customers happy and loyal:
1. Respond quickly
Companies that respond to customer inquiries in less than 10 hours have an average satisfaction rating of 90%. It’s an on-demand world, and it’s now more important than ever to be responsive to customers. The faster you respond, the more it shows you respect them and their time. If they have to wait too long, or they feel ignored, they’re gone.
2. Analyze customer behavior
There are many ways to do this, and selecting the proper tool will depend on the nature of your business. But whether you use a Customer Relationship Management solution, a website tracker, or some other means of capturing customer behavior data, the important thing is that you do it. Without capturing data, you’re missing out on critical feedback that will tell you if all your clever business plans are paying off, or if they’re turning people off.
3. Let the customer lead
Then listen and respond in the way that works best for them. Don’t ask customers to conform to your program rigidly, unless you can make it very painless to do so through great instructions and a system that is 100% reliable and proven. Otherwise, work with customers not just to make them happy, but to make them happy in the way they want. This could mean sending emails when you would prefer to use phone calls, guaranteeing turnaround times, creating a night shift to meet demands, or other creative solutions. The point is, the customer is ultimately in the driver’s seat. Businesses that forget this will be forgotten.
4. Simplicity
Don’t complicate things. Don’t ask customers to wade through long texts or informational videos. Don’t make it hard for people to use your product or service.
Keep it simple.
Simple is easy, and easy is what everyone wants in this overworked world of ours. If you make people’s lives easier, they will beat a path to your door.
5. Deliver
If you make a commitment, you have to deliver on it, or your credibility will be shot and so will your business. Of course, even the best operator may make a mistake, sometimes, and then the most important thing to do is to apologize and work tirelessly to make it right. Most customer service boils down to respecting people’s time, energy, and the business they bring you. If you don’t deliver, AND you don’t make it right … that 9-15 person figure above? You can probably expect it to increase significantly. With services like Consumerist and Yelp reviews, a single bad experience can cut your revenue significantly, and even destroy your business.
6. Reward continued business
If you’ve got customers than return to you time and time again, sweeten the pot a little with a reward. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate program or a huge gift, just a nice gesture. “Buy x, get one free” is a common one for small-transaction retailers, but you are fairly free when it comes to rewards. A gift card to a coffee shop around Christmas, a basket of wines, or, for large accounts, free cruises and the like are all great ways to remind customers that you appreciate their business.
Remember, a customer saved is a customer earned, so whenever you can, give the people what they want!
