What Do Customers Really Want?

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article
 
Businesses like Zappos and Amazon have set the bar high for customer-centricity. Are you an entrepreneur wondering how to match the big guys in customer focus? Have you spent thousands of dollars for setting up a customer survey exercise to understand what customers really want? And has that left you with no better understanding than you had previously?

Well, you are not alone. Every post-2000 marketer has been obsessed with finding the answer to what customers really want. Gone are the days when big market research companies used to deliver the answers at the end of a fat and dusty survey exercise.

Today the customers are openly and communicating honestly about what they want. Do you have an eye on your customer touch points and an ear on your social media? Let us break down into simple actions how we can answer this question of what customers really want. Read more

How to Create Outstanding Customer Service in Your Company

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management ArticleEvery company in the world needs customer service; whether it is the job of the owner or a dedicated team, it is the lifeblood of the business. However, not every company gets this essential part of their organization right, and that can spell disaster. Larger corporations might be able to deal with a bad customer service reputation for a while, but it might spell the end for a small business. Here are some tips for creating an outstanding customer service team that will build your company’s reputation.

Start with Good Training

Not everyone is a natural at customer service; some have to work on their skills more than others. That is why you need to have a comprehensive training program that can give your staff the background they need to succeed. Not only do they need to be good with people and have a calm nature, but they also need to know everything about how the company works. Your customers will come to them with all manner of problems, and they want to speak to someone that knows what they are talking about. It is also important that your customer service team has access to help as much as possible. For example, if they are not trained or have access to all the systems, then they might not be able to help the customer.

Treat Your Team as You Want Customers to be Treated

There can be a lot of pressure on managers to get results, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be respectful and polite. If you and your managers are not treating your employees with respect, then this will filter down to the customers. Good service is more than a facade, it needs to be the work ethic of the company if it’s to be successful. Part of this includes asking your teams what they think about how the company is running and if they can see any improvements that could be made. Making them part of the process gives them a feeling of value and increases morale.

Good Communication

Communication between your customer service team and the customer is hugely important. If your teams are taking too long to reply to an email, or they say they will ring back when they don’t, then this can be a big barrier to keeping customers happy. You need to encourage your teams to monitor the emails coming into the company closely. As soon as a customer contacts the business, it needs to be acknowledged and given to someone to deal with. There also needs to be guidelines in place that tells the employees how long they have to reply to the customer and what they can do to help them. Utilizing other types of communications can also help, such as social media. By having your customer service team on social media, you are giving customers a fast and efficient way to contact you. You can also use services like business SMS to keep in touch with your customers for ongoing issues.

Listen to Your Customers

There is nothing more frustrating to a customer than not being understood. Some customer service teams are so intent on reciting their company policy that they don’t understand the customer’s complaint or concern. Rectifying this can be simple, all you need to do is to encourage listening to the customer and trying to take on board what they are asking. It is also important not to interrupt them while they are explaining the problem, even if you know what it might be. Of course, there are exceptions to this; for example, the rude or abusive customers. However, even these can be dealt with in a way that is polite but firm. You should also try to avoid passing them onto other team members if possible. If they need another department, then try to connect them first instead of putting them back in the queue.

Try to Offer Solutions

Your customers won’t be happy if their question or request is met with ‘don’t know.’ That reply in itself offers no resolution for the customer and makes the company look unprofessional. Whatever the question might be, it is important to try and find a solution that will be agreeable to the customer. Even if that means that you need to get back to them the next day, at least you are doing something to resolve the matter. Sometimes a suitable solution cannot be found, but the customer will appreciate the effort you used to help.

Go the Extra Mile

Your customers are looking for a great experience from your business. They want to be able to buy their products quickly and easily with a little hassle as possible. However, sometimes there is an opportunity to go that extra mile for your customers and cement their loyalty. It might be something simple like helping an elderly person with their shopping or telling them about a special deal they might not be aware of when they check out. When customers see that you and your staff are willing to do that, they will feel appreciated and valued. That is a powerful feeling that you want all your customers to feel about your company.

Learn from Your Mistakes

No matter how good your customer service is, mistakes will happen. It is part of life, and it shouldn’t be overly punished as you want to maintain morale. However, it is important that you and your teams learn from the mistake and put procedures in place to prevent it from happening again. Have regular meetings with your staff so that these issues can be raised, and solutions can be found. It might mean additional training or a change in the way a system is used.

There will always be those customers that you won’t be able to please, no matter what you do. However, by having the best procedures and staff in place, you can minimize the number of times that happens.

Customer Service: Are You Doing Enough?

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management ArticleBelieve it or not, customer service is the backbone of any successful business across all industries. It only takes a few minutes searching the web for leading causes of customer dissatisfaction and you will clearly see that insufficient customer service tops the list. It is a given that customers will have questions or issues with any product or service but it’s how you deal with those issues and questions that makes a difference. When it comes to customer service, are you doing enough? Here are a few checkpoints you may wish to analyze to see just how well you are doing on that front.

Time is of the Essence

If there is one cardinal rule in business, it would be that time is money. When it comes to customer service, it is vital that anyone running a help desk has instantaneous access to any information the customer may need to resolve their issue. How many times have you been transferred from department to department only to find there is only one person who is able to answer your question, even though it may not be something they would ordinarily handle?

With an IT solution such as SysAid’s help desk, this would not be an issue. It’s only a matter of accessing a user-friendly dashboard to find the solution or department necessary to answer the customer’s question or resolve their issue. Rapid resolution is a way to save time and, consequently, money. Time is money and every minute lost equates to dollars and cents down the drain. Don’t forget that the customer’s time is also valuable. Are you resolving issues or answering questions in the quickest, most direct manner? If not, then you are most definitely not doing as much as you could.

No One Likes Getting the Runaround

One of the most important tools you can give your customer service reps is the information they need to handle calls quickly and efficiently. As mentioned above, altogether too often customers call in to a help center only to be transferred to a wrong department or person. Are your customer service reps equipped with the IT they need to efficiently route calls where they need to go? Do they have the information at hand to answer questions which are not overly technical?

Given the right help desk platform, any customer service rep should be able to answer tier 1 questions quickly and accurately without the need to transfer a call unless the question is beyond what they are legally or professionally allowed to answer. While wasted time is the number one customer service complaint, being given the runaround with repeated transfers comes in at a close second. No one likes getting the runaround which is both frustrating and time consuming.

The Value of Customer Retention

Unfortunately, altogether too many businesses are so wrapped up in customer acquisition that they fail to realize that customer retention is even more important. It takes a lot less marketing money to keep a customer than it does to find a new customer, and this is why customer service is so vitally important to any business.

If you are experiencing a higher than average turnaround in customers or clients, you probably aren’t doing enough in terms of customer service. Although no customer service rep can be expected to be an expert on every level of a business, there are IT tools to give them what they need to satisfy incoming calls. Get this right and you will notice a growing customer base, higher profitability and a customer service desk that does just what it’s supposed to be doing – serving the customer to keep them happy and loyal. In the end, that’s the key to success.

How To Keep Your Customers Truly Happy

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Customers are the backbone of any company; they drive a business forward, and they can be the difference between success and failure. Therefore, to make it in the nail-biting world of business, regardless of industry, you need to first and foremost, keep your customers truly happy.

There are a variety of ways you can accomplish this task. From making sure every customer feels appreciated and valued to ensuring you don’t promise a product or service which you simply can’t deliver, looking after every customer, both current and potential, needs to be your priority, year in, year out. By doing so, you can rest assured that you’ll be rewarded with loyalty and positive word of mouth recommendations. After all, who doesn’t want to do business with someone who makes you feel like you’re number one?

Offer Rewards

Who doesn’t love a freebie? Customers respond well to free giveaways and a chance to win something valuable. On your website and blog, advertise how you’re planning to give something away for free and explain how clients can go about winning it. Try not to be cryptic about what you’re giving away. Instead, be transparent so that individuals know what they could win so they can decide whether they want to enter or not. Opt into a customer rewards program such as the one offered through Sparkage to keep your customers returning to your business time and time again; click here to discover more about how this can work for your company.

Refrain From Over Promising

Try not to claim that your services are the best available on the market unless they definitely are and you have evidence to prove it. You need to find a tone that communicates your intentions, and how you can promise excellence but not perfection, again, unless you can. Be open, honest, and transparent with customers so that they know what to expect.

Let Them Know They’re Valued

Customers like to know that you appreciate them and that they’re valuable to you. You need to demonstrate just how instrumental they are to your success by keeping them up to date with what’s happening in your company. Send them regular updates via email if they’ve opted in to receive newsletters and information about press releases, for example. Encourage new and existing clients to join a mailing list in which you’ll tell them when you’re having flash sales or offering deals and discounts. Email is a great way to get a message across to customers that don’t frequently use social media.

Call Them

Ring your customers to find out more about the interaction with you and ask for their thoughts and opinions. If you receive a complaint, then ensure that it is followed up appropriately and sorted as soon as possible. Communicate with the customers directly if possible and if not, then schedule a time to call them and discuss where they think you could improve. Never call multiple times throughout the day, as you don’t want to be a nuisance. If you don’t get through to your customer on the first try, then leave a message and explain that you’ll try calling at a more convenient time the next day, for example.

4 Benefits of Incorporating Customer Service Into Your Marketing Strategy

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales ArticleIt is no secret that customer service can make or break a business. When customers are satisfied with the products or services that your business provides, they are more likely to continue doing business with your company. Additionally, happy customers are far more inclined to recommend your products to friends or family members. Providing quality and consistent customer service can be a challenge for many businesses. To help you overcome this obstacle, here are four benefits of incorporating customer service into your marketing strategy:

1. Improve the Reputation of Your Brand

Ensuring that customer service is an integral part of your marketing strategy can give your brand a competitive edge over similar types of businesses. This means that consumers will continue coming back to your business to spend their money.

2. Expand Brand Awareness

As an increasing number of consumers are doing the majority of their shopping online, online reviews have become more important than ever. Many prospective customers may read these reviews when deciding whether or not to do business with your company. By incorporating customer service into your marketing strategy, you increase the number of opportunities for positive customer interactions. This may result in an increased number of positive customer reviews which can instill trust and confidence in prospective buyers.

3. Increase Brand Loyalty

Positive interactions with your customers are key to developing a loyal fanbase. Companies like SolidCactus offer call center services and other digital marketing solutions that can help ensure that your customers get the quality service they expect from your brand. These positive interactions can drive referrals and help spread the word about your business. Similarly, negative customer experiences can result in negative reviews which can hinder sales and cause long-term damage to your brand.

4. Encourage Cross-Departmental Communication

Incorporating customer service into your marketing strategy can lead to more unified communication across various parts of your business. When properly executed, a customer support team is made aware of any specials or promotions your marketing team is running. In turn, customer support is able to refer customers to the marketing materials.

Customer service is a cornerstone of any successful business. When you incorporate customer service into your marketing strategy, it can yield some serious results. Creating a positive customer experience gives your business a unique selling proposition which can encourage brand loyalty and lead to repeat customers.