Separate Yourself with Customer Service
It may seem to be an added benefit, or the last thing on your mind, but its customer service that sets your company apart from the others. A happy customer often translates into a loyal customer, both achieved through exceptional customer service. You can show your customer you care in a number of ways…
1. Listening & Responding
If a customer has a complaint, rather than responding with an empty promise such as, “I will look into that for you”, reply with something along the lines of, “Thank you so much for letting me know”. When a customer hears that you are not only listening to them, but that you are grateful and welcoming of their feedback (be it good or bad), it shows the customer that you do care. Thanking them means that you value their opinion as well as their business.
2. The Purchase is not the Endpoint
One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is to essentially “forget” about their customer after the purchase has been made. One way to show active interest is to continue to check in with them whether it be through phone call or email, to make sure they are satisfied with their product. Not only is this a great way to show your client you are still thinking about them even after the sale, but it also opens a channel for any complaints/comments that might improve your business as well as their view of your business. Another way you can show your clients they are always on your mind is through small unexpected gifts, thank you cards for their business, or maybe a Christmas card around the holidays. All of these things convey to your customer that you care about them and are thinking about them, even if they haven’t made a purchase recently.
3. Knowing Your Customer
This goes without saying, it’s obvious that you should “know your customer”, but I mean really know your customer. Know what they like, hours that work for them, tendencies they have, information that that takes time to acquire and effort to remember. Making your client feel special and in turn, delivering the best experience you can will make all the difference to your customer. It also helps to know them in order to target specific emails that are pertinent to your client. If your customer feels as though you know them and are sending “personal” emails as a result, they are more inclined to pay attention to what you have to say, as well as continue business with you/your company.
At the end of the day, the most important thing as a business is to always go above and beyond. Customer service may be thought of as a bonus, but it really is crucial when building a brand and attracting loyal customers.
Requires a lot of additional work, very practical and good advice for high dollar customers