Grow Your Business …Gain More Loyal Customers
A company can have the best responsive website design, a thriving SEO campaign and the highest ranking in the search results, but if your customer service is not up-to-par, what’s the point? It’s not the quantity of customers you gain that counts, it’s the amount of customers you keep. The following are a few tips on how to grow your business and turn customers into loyal customers.
Provide Exceptional Customer Service
Being friendly and having a superior product is not enough these days. People expect more for their money. A company must be willing to go above and beyond the standard customer service protocol. Often times, companies have good intentions when it comes to providing customer satisfaction, but they fall short because they miss one key ingredient …being a good listener. Being a good listener will help you know the most important things your customer desires – instead of making random assumptions. When you know what they want, it makes it a lot easier to provide a solution that works.
People Like to Feel Appreciated
In 2014, TD Bank started a campaign that involved programing their ATMs to give out surprise gifts to their most loyal customers. It was called the “automated thanking machine.” One woman received tickets to take her children to Disneyland and a $2,000 deposit to start a savings plan for her two children. Another woman received airline tickets to visit her sick daughter in Trinidad. Customers love to feel like they’re appreciated, it exudes a feeling of trust. It doesn’t matter the size of a gift, a simple “thank you” can make someone feel like you value his/her business. An appreciated customer often turns into a loyal customer.
Obtain Feedback Regularly
Give your customers an invitation to provide their suggestions, comments and constructive criticism. One way of doing this is to provide people with an online survey. You can offer an incentive for the first few people who participate – this will encourage them to fill out the survey. The data you gather from the survey is valuable information you can use to improve upon your product or service. There are several online surveys you can utilize, such as Survey Monkey, Survey Gizmo, Zoho Survey – just to name a few.
Take User Experience Seriously
Take a walk in your customer’s shoes with a usability test. There are three reasons why you should start taking usability testing more seriously. For one, it will enhance your client’s interactive experience. It provides more valuable feedback, and it helps you to gain a competitive advantage. When you provide an exceptional user experience, it will have a positive impact on your brand. Anything less than perfect will motivate your customer to leave your company and go with your competitor. Usability tests should be used for your product/service and your website.
Whether you own a large corporation or a small mom and pop shop, your customers will always be the lifeblood of your business. Companies that focus on fine tuning their customer service are the ones that are most likely to have longevity in the marketplace.
Wieting Design | Customer Service