The cost of customer acquisition is much greater than that of customer retention. Big competitors have a larger budget and resources for advertisements and promotions geared towards retaining loyal clients. They’ll be ready to spend top dollar to get more customers and retain them. On the other hand, small businesses have limited resources to get customers. The only option they have is to retain the customers they have by offering good customer service. Whether you’re running a small or big business, poor customer service will hurt your business and affect sales.
On the brighter side, quality customer service is more about how to ensure that your clients are comfortable while transacting with you and having an interest in their welfare. Sometimes, it’s not about spending money to make your clients happy, but providing them with priceless customer services that will leave them wanting more!
In this detailed guide, we will discuss five ways good customer service can impact the overall health of your business.
1. Greetings and Customer Support
The moment customers enter your business, they expect you to be friendly, attentive, and helpful. Simple things like greetings and the way you interact with your clients are very important for your business growth. The guys from connect-Communications.co.uk insist that greetings can boost customer retention, which is vital for any company. But then again, you need to dedicate a number that will allow you to connect with your clients on a 24/7 basis.
There are various ways you can integrate customer support programs in your business to ensure that your client’s issues are addressed in good time. This may include:
- Integrating social media customer support
- Developing a buyer persona approach
- Messaging
- Sharing customer stories on your website
This way, they can always get in touch with you whenever they have issues that need to be addressed. Studies have shown that repeat customers spend more per visit. If you’re friendly to your customers, they are more likely to tell you what you can improve on, which shows that they’re willing to come back.
2. Being Respectful Impacts Your Company’s Reputation
When interacting with your customers or resolving issues, be polite and respectful. Pay attention to customer service and reviews. Taking your time to address the issues that your customers have raised, will enhance your reputation, which can lead to referrals through word of mouth. When your customers are not happy, they’re more likely to tell other people about that bad customer service experience. If your business is online, angry customers will vent their frustrations all over the internet, which can cause serious damage to your company’s reputation. Happy customers will be inclined to give positive reviews while angry customers are more likely to leave a negative review after a bad experience.
3. Thanking Them Will Build Loyal Consumers and Fans
Show your customer that you’re always paying attention to their various queries and don’t forget to thank them later. Send them “thank you” notes and try to reply to their questions and comments on your social media channels. If you treat your customers with respect, you’ll be in a better position to retain loyal customers and fans. Happy customers will share that positive experience with friends, family, and even post it on social media. Studies have shown that 70% of buying experiences are impacted by the emotional experience of customers. The way you treat your customers will directly impact sales and your business’ growth
4. Employee Training Can Help You Attract New Customers
Educate your employees on customer service expectations and make them feel empowered. This way, even when you’re not around, you’ll rest assured that your staff is taking great care of your customers. There are numerous ways you can train your employees on how to take care of your clients. For starters, they have to know the importance of taking care of the work environment. Secondly, you need to teach them how to greet clients, serve them, and get back to a client who has complaints. Ideally, you can employ an in-house training program or enroll your employees in a customer support training program. At the end of the day, it will be a win-win situation for both of you.
5. Think Like a Customer (TLC)
Putting yourself into your customers’ shoes will go a long way towards helping your business grow. As the owner of your company, you need to be aware of your customers’ movements in your store, their moods, expectations, and expressions. Empathy will make you reach out to help them, which in a way, will make them feel truly appreciated, happy, and give them a reason to come back.
Hold customer service training and teach your staff how to be good customer service representatives of your business. Ensure your team knows how to deal with problems and questions that arise in daily operations. While tarnished reputation can lead your business to lose loyal customers, good customer service can help towards the growth of your business.
