Did you know that 86% of consumers stop doing business with a company after one negative experience? Furthermore, the annual losses of businesses in the United States due to poor customer service goes up to $62 billion. This goes to show that keeping your customers happy is the key to success, but this isn’t new news.
According to studies, customer service is one of the most important factors that contribute to the success of your business. However, with the help of quick business loans, you can craft a great customer service that will help you retain and gain loyal customers.
Satisfied customers equal to happy customers; happy customers equal to repeat customers. When customers are happy with your service, there’s a great chance that they’ll come back to repurchase products and services from your company.
With that said, here are seven customer service tips to keep your customers happy.
Top Customer Service Tips to Remember
1. Give Importance to Customer Feedback
It’s important for your customers to share their thoughts about your company, so make them feel that their opinions matter. You can ask them to fill out customer service forms or send them an open invitation to share their thoughts on social media. If your customers feel that their feedback is important, they’ll become more comfortable with your brand.
2. Solve Problems Efficiently
Your customers are always right – even if they’re not. If your customers have any issues with your business, it’s important to solve these problems ASAP. When your customers are happy on how you handle the situation, you can positively impact your bottom line, increase customer loyalty and gain referrals. On the other hand, poor problem-solving skills can lead to negative reviews about your business. When running a business, expect to encounter difficult customers along the way. Make sure to put your pride aside when dealing with them. Solving problems is one of the top customer service tips that you should do.
3. Treat Customers Equally
It’s very important to provide a consistent service experience for all your customers – from loyal customers to the ones you rarely see. Former customers, existing clients, and referrals are great tools for success. You wouldn’t want to miss out on these opportunities just because of inconsistent service.
4. Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep
If you plan to offer elaborate promotions and discounts, make sure to follow through. Nothing annoys your current and potential customers more than false promises and guarantees. When you’re honest and upfront about your business in general, you’ll easily build a loyal, more satisfied client base.
5. Provide a Personalized Experience
Compared to a Fortune 500 company, your small business probably has a smaller client base. You can use this to your advantage and personalize the customer experience with the help of your sales funnel software. By doing this, your clients will feel more valued. So, when a customer signs up for a free trial or upgrades to a premium service or product, be sure to send personalized emails to thank them. Make your customers feel like family by reaching out to them regularly, getting to know them by name, remembering faces, and actually making friends with them.
Moreover, extending your hospitality can also make them appreciate you more. You can ask them if there’s anything you can do to help. Many customers won’t take up your offer but the gesture, alone, will make a big impact on the impression they have on your business.
6. Give Rewards to Loyal Customers
In personalizing customer experience, it may also be helpful to consider running a loyalty rewards program. For instance, if you run a hotel business, you can provide discounts, upgrades, and treats to returning hotel guests enrolled in your loyalty program. Rewards, no matter how small, help customers feel valued and happy. And when they’re happy, they’ll more likely come back and invite their friends to try the same experience, too.
7. Display a Pleasant Personality
Whether you’re in the retail or hospitality business, a simple smile can make a big difference in making your customers feel comfortable. It helps set the tone of the conversation and helps the customers loosen up and creates a comfortable environment. Moreover, clients are more likely to ask questions about your product or services if they feel cozy around you or your staff.
8. Be Positive and Friendly
Always choose kindness. There’s something to be said for the employee who always has a smile on his or her face and makes an effort to get to know each customer personally. Simply asking, “How’s your day going?” can mean the difference between a sale and permanently losing a customer.
Any employee who brings negativity to your workplace will not help you retain customers. Smiling is literally contagious, whereas negativity can rub off on others. Which would you rather teach your customers?
I believe we can all agree that the less negativity a customer has, the better off we are all. All you have to do to keep bad vibes at bay is to be genuinely nice and smile from time to time. It’s also worth noting that smiling as you answer the phone is a good way to spread the joy. People can actually hear you smiling in your voice, which makes them feel better as they converse with you.
9. Offer Support
This may appear to be a no-brainer, but it is worthwhile to do everything possible to make the customer feel supported. Offering support can range from having a live chat option on your website to asking the customer if there is anything else you can do for them. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, but it should be sufficient to make the customer feel as though you care about their experience.
It is essential that you do your best to resolve every issue in a calm and friendly manner, especially if a customer has a lot of questions or issues.
Another important tip for excellent support is to keep all of your employees informed. This will assist your entire organisation in resolving customer issues and appeasing grievances, so you won’t have to worry about someone falling through the cracks. Customers can become very annoyed if they believe your staff is not knowledgeable or equipped to handle their problems. When a customer feels supported, they are much more likely to return.
10. Stay in Touch
Always assume that the customer does not remember you. To stay top of mind, remind the customer of their positive experience with your company. Following up is one of the most important steps in customer retention. You should assume that if you go silent, the customer will forget about you. However, if you send them an email twice a month (rather than 10 times per day), you can gently remind them that it’s time to renew their subscription, come in for a checkup, or order product refills.
It’s also a good idea to stay in touch with the customer by asking for feedback. Most of the time, all you have to do is ask! Be courteous and ask for a Google Review or send them a customer feedback survey. Making communication a two-way street demonstrates that you value your customers’ feedback and want to improve their overall experience. Simply showing that you care will demonstrate to the customer that you are serious about retaining their business.
Conclusion
Customer satisfaction plays a vital part in running your business. With that, you have to provide stellar customer service that will take your customer’s experience to the next level. With some quick business funding, you won’t have to worry about getting enough capital to make these improvements. An efficient service can go over and beyond in keeping your customers happy. And, the happier your customers are, the better it is going to be for your business.
Read also: How To Successfully Satisfy Your Business Customers
