Ensuring Your Customers Feel Valued

/in /by

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Valued Customers|Ensuring Your Customers Feel ValuedIn business, you have to make sure that your customers get everything they want from you. To do that, you’ve got to create a sense of value; your customers want to feel like you care about them, and have more to offer them specifically, as it’s the best way to promote a sense of brand loyalty amongst your customer base.

However, how can you go about ensuring your customers come back when you’ve got so many competitors to deal with as well? Everyone is trying to build a loyal customer base, and drive up sales with both new and repeat custom – what can you offer that’s different? Pure value, especially when you follow the ideas below.

Don’t End Your Customer Service at the Checkout

The customer service you provide for the people who shop with you needs to extend beyond the point of sale. It’s not a one-and-done kind of deal here; you need to check in with your customers after they’ve left, to see what they think of their experience and their product, and whether or not they have suggestions for what can be done better.

So ask for their email addresses at the checkout – it’s the best way to both boost your mailing list and ensure you can easily contact them again once they’re out of the door or have closed down your website. It’s best to make this an optional agreement, as people who are already willing to shop with you are more likely to sign up when they’re simply given the choice to.

Give Them a Reason to Come Back

Giving your customers a reason to return and shop with you is key to building the type of value you’re looking for here. You need them to want to come back, because you’ve got something great for them to spend their hard earned cash on, and moreover, you’ve got some benefits for them to reap at the same time.

Which is why a Rewards Network always works out best in this scenario. You’re offering your customers a program in which, if they subscribe to the idea, they get to enjoy free items or money off coupons in the future. It’s a great incentive, and it shows you value the people who shop with you.

Use Their Feedback

Finally, and following on from our first point, make sure you take the feedback a customer gives you and actually put it to good use. If you get the same kind of feedback from more than one person, you can be sure it’s a problem you actually need to address – maybe there are not enough staff on the floor, or maybe it takes too long to checkout, etc.

Take this feedback and make a change based on it, and then tell your customers you’ve made that change. Announce new and exciting changes to the way your business works, and invite them back to come and see them.

Your customers need value; are you offering it?

How To Make Your Small Business Customers Happy

/in /by

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Small Business Customers|How To Make Your Small Business Customers HappyHaving a small business is an incredible achievement. In the beginning, it is all about coming to terms with how to market your business in order to reach new customers and grow your client base. From thereafter, it is crucial to maintain customer happiness in order to generate regular sales. If you are a small business looking for the best ways to keep your customers happy and keep coming back, keep reading.

Maintain positive customer feedback

Positive customer feedback does not only look good for your business, but it will also keep your customers happy and engaged.

For instance, if you are a new restaurant owner, your restaurant customer feedback is super important to maintain. A bad review can hinder your business and put people off of using your service or buying your products. Thus, ensuring you satisfy your customers and maintain happy reviews, it will look good for your business.

Offer good customer service

To keep your customers engaged, good customer service is key. If you lack customer support, your customers will find it difficult to stay in touch with you. They may want a question answered before purchasing a product. Thus, if you do not offer a quick response, they may lose interest and this could hinder your business sales.

It could be as simple as staying on top of your emails. Or, you could engage with your customer via social media messaging systems. This is a little more informal yet customers like to have friendly conversations to keep respected and familiar with the brand.

Regular rewards

As a small business, you cannot always offer deals and discounts. Yet, for those customers who come back regularly, it could go a long way to offer them a reward. It could be as simple as a free gift, or discount on their next order. You could even offer their friends and family a one time discount. This will keep your customer happy and also reach out to new customers, who may turn into regulars, which will benefit your business.

Assess customer needs

It does not hurt to determine your market and spend some of your marketing time getting to know your customers wants and needs. Doing some market research before you start your business can go a long way and save you a lot of time. Without market research, you may spend the first few months trying to reach out to customers that may never want or need your product. Thus, determining the specific market that will enjoy your product will be better for your business, save you time, and also offer the customer something that they have always been looking for. Understanding who your customers are will help you understand what they expect from your business, which you can implement into future products/services.

Ask for feedback

Keeping up regular conversation with your customers is important. It will make sure that they remember you and build a friendly relationship. When you reach this point, asking for feedback can benefit your business as well as your customers needs. Asking for feedback on your product and customer service will help you learn and also offer the customer what they want in the future.

Remember names or needs

Remembering a customers name makes them feel valued and appreciated. Building a close bond with your customer will also help you understand their needs.

For instance, if you own a small eco-friendly store and you know a customers name and that they like a certain product on a certain day of the week, you can have that product ready for them. This will make their shopping experience easier, keep them satisfied, and always coming back as they will feel valued. A little appreciation and notice goes a long way.

Thank them regularly

Just like appreciation, a thank you goes a long way. Thanking your customers regularly for their service, time, and help will help them feel respected. It will show them that you appreciate them and the help they have brought to your small business. Even if they help you by introducing a new customer to your business, don’t forget to personally thank them and maybe reward them with something your business can afford.

As a small business, a little respect, time, and friendliness can go a long way. Ensuring your customers needs are catered for will keep them satisfied and want to use your business again. Show them you respect them by offering small rewards and good customer service to keep them engaged and content with using your business.

Best Ways To Enhance Your Clients Reports

/in /by

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Client Reports|Best Ways To Enhance Your Clients ReportsEnsuring that your client gets the best quality service from you is a must, regardless of the amount that they are paying you per month. So why not better the experience with a tailored report. To help you out, we will be providing you with a few simple ways that you can enhance your client reports with ease.

Know What Your Client Wants

When you are looking to enhance your client reports, it is important to make sure that you are meeting the needs of your client. By having open communication with you and your clients, you can begin to customise the reports for your clients and ensure that they have all the data that they need all saved within a template to benefit to you in the long term.

Ensure That All Key Data Is Reported On

In addition to making sure that the report you are generating a report that has everything that they require, it is important to make sure that you are ensuring that all the key data is reported on. By using accounting software to help you with this, you can ensure that all data is monitored with ease. Whether this is a report for your own business or a report for a client, having all this information available to you, will make generating the report much easier. Whether you decide to use all the data or you only select parts of it, the information some help you over time.

Avoid Jargon That Could Confuse Clients

When you have inputted all the data into your client reports it is then time to make sure that you avoid as much jargon as possible. By using language that is easy to read, you can ensure that they are happy with the report that they are getting and are able to understand. By minimalizing the amount of jargon that is present in the report, you can ensure that your client can easily digest the information that is being given to them throughout the contents of the report.

Write A Report That Showcases Your Companies Personal Style

When you are looking to write a report it is important to include your companies own personal style within there as well. Whether you are adding your own branding to the corner of each slide or you are adding a colour theme, there are several ways that you can begin to generate a report that showcases your company as well as theirs in a professional manner. These templates can also be used for pitches and several other important documentation to showcase your business in the best possible light with every single piece of official documentation that you send out.

With this in mind, there are several options out there for you to choose from when you are looking to enhance your client reports. Which of these tips and tricks will you be using to enhance not only your internal reports but client reports moving forward.

How to Meet Customer Expectations when Demand is High

/in /by

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Customer Expectations|How to Meet Customer Expectations when Demand is HighSoon after opening a business, you’ll realize that running it is the hard part. You have to keep up with customer demands, make sure that employees are well taken care of, and everything runs smoothly.

Sometimes demand will fluctuate, but you still have to predict and meet customer expectations because when you don’t, you will lose them. No one will give you business when they cannot trust you to deliver on time. To avoid this

Focus on running the business

A lot goes into running a business, and you have to separate your core competencies and other services that boost productivity. What is your main focus? When you concentrate on tasks your business is not built for, you lower productivity and demotivate the workforce.

To avoid this, outsource most of the operations you’re not competent at or take a lot of your time. For instance, have an IT support company take care of all your IT problems.

With a reliable IT expert, you’ll get high-level customer service, up-to-date information on the latest technology, solutions to current problems, and quick response times.

Also, think of outsourcing your human resource, accounting, and manufacturing department. You improve productivity and at the same time have qualified outsourcing companies take care of essential departments. You can entirely focus on the core business.

Focus on the Quality of Your Supply Chain

Although it’s beneficial when you have suppliers who offer cheaper products, it’s more important to have a quality supply chain. You’ll have an able, professional, and dependable supplier who can deliver the goods even on short notice. If you predict a rise in demand, have at least three suppliers you can rely on.

Remember that your customers expect you to deliver their goods or fulfill their orders in the shortest time possible. Having a quality supply chain enables you to quickly get the supplies you need to keep your customers satisfied.

When demand is high, you might be tempted to stock more, but this is not a good solution. When the market is slow, you’ll be left with unsold inventory, holding your money. Also, you’ll have to look for a more extensive storage area to accommodate more stock.

Instead, have a quality supply chain that assures you of quick delivery of the raw materials or products you need to fulfill customer wishes.

Have Scalable Resources

During the low seasons, have the necessary measures in place to accommodate high demand. If your equipment cannot handle the high demand, start looking for leasing options, or if you can, buy extra equipment.

You also need to hire more workers. Have a ready and skilled workforce you can call on short notice when required. For a better experience, work with contracting agencies to provide the required task force at short notice. Also, look into the transportation options you have to facilitate timely deliveries. If you need to increase your storage area, do so on time.

Because the high demand is temporary, you don’t have to make heavy investments to accommodate the change. Instead of buying new equipment, lease for the period the demand is high. You’ll save money that will keep you afloat when orders subside.

Non-Paying Customers and How to Handle Them

/in /by

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Non-paying Customers|Non-Paying Customers and How to Handle ThemIncreasing sales is a top priority for most businesses but, if your customers aren’t paying, extra sales won’t equate to higher revenue. When your cash flow is disrupted due to missed or late payments, it can have a significant impact on your operations. For some businesses, irregular cash flow can cause operations to come to a standstill, which could be devastating to your firm.

To prevent this from happening, take a look at these four tips to handle non-paying customers:

Take a Deposit

When customers are required to pay a deposit upfront, you can ensure that you’ve received at least partial payment before undertaking any work. This may cover the cost of materials or labor, for example, which means you won’t actually make a loss if a subsequent payment is missed.

Additionally, insisting on a deposit also gives you an opportunity to see how efficiently the customer processes their payments. This gives you an insight into whether they’re to continue making regular payments on time and can help you to gauge your future business relationship.

Highlight Payment Terms

If you’re accepting a new customer, make sure that payment terms are clearly defined and agreed in advance. Instead of relying on verbal confirmation, always ensure that agreements are made in writing. Similarly, include detailed clauses regarding when and how payments should be made so that there’s no risk of miscommunication or confusion.
Making payment terms highly visible, such as using a different font or placing the text in bold, will help to draw the recipient’s attention to them and can help to ensure payments are made speedily.

Outsource Collections

Businesses can spend a disproportionate amount of time chasing missing or late payments, which can affect their efficiency and productivity. By outsourcing to a collection agency, however, you can focus on your core business activities instead of chasing customers. As well as freeing up more of your time, using a dedicated agency can have other advantages too.

When customers receive correspondence from a collection agency, they’re more likely to take the matter seriously. As a result, payments are made more quickly, and your cash flow is reinstated.

Automate Your Invoicing

If you don’t send invoices as soon as work is complete, payments will inevitably be delayed. Even if the customer pays within the agreed timeframe, a delayed invoice can affect your cash flow and lead to unnecessary financial difficulties for your firm.

Fortunately, this is relatively easy to rectify. By implementing automated invoicing processes, you can reduce the amount of time it takes to bill customers and ensure that invoices are always sent as soon as work is completed, or products have been dispatched.

Maintaining Regular Cash Flow

The revenue that comes into your business is used to fund continued operations, which means it’s vital to your ongoing success. If you can’t pay your own suppliers or staff, it’s going to damage your professional reputation and harm your operations. By making your cash flow a top priority and ensuring invoices are paid on time, however, you can ensure that your business benefits from consistent incoming revenue.