By Jana Love
How do you make your customers fall in love with your business? A crucial part of any business is building and nurturing the relationship. However, today an unhappy customer has a very powerful weapon to voice their opinion- it's called social media and the web. This is why it's even more critical to create memorable experiences so that they can fall in love with your business.
Focusing on creating excellent and memorable experiences for your customers is a business opportunity every day. Too many businesses today fall short of this, which gives you the perfect opportunity to court and nab new customers.
I recently read a blog by Brian Honigman posted in Kissmetrics that I feel gives great focus to areas that will definitely help your customers fall in love with your business. Brian's list:
- Treat your customers right, genuinely interact ~ I was recently at a new restaurant. It was opening night, and I was amazed at the lack of interaction. Owners and managers seemed too busy to say hello or to thank their customers for coming out on their opening night.
- Don't come on too strong, respect your customers ~ I really don't like it when I hear people talk bad about their customer that has just walked away or was on the phone.
- Always listen, hear what your customers are saying ~ Feedback from customers is a true gift. Make sure you listen, react, and follow through on what you have learned.
- Continue to satisfy, offer ongoing support and specials ~ 6 years ago, we started ProActive Specials and the ProLearning Blog and ProTips for our customers. They offer a variety of discounts on certain products as well as free industry helpers/tips. Many of our customers now look for these with anticipation.
- Treat a customer like a valued partner, communication is two way ~ Remember, if you are going to ask your customers for feedback, you need to be seriously willing to act on their requests. Customers want to know their voice is valued as a business partner.
- Build trust, alert customers to large scale changes, good or bad ~ Honigman says it well, "It takes 12 positive service experiences to make up for 1 negative experience. This is how sensitive trust is between a business and its customers. No matter your size, keep your customers in the know when it comes to positive and negatives changes to your products and services that affect them."
- Be transparent, honesty is crucial when it comes to mistakes ~ Transparency is critical when dealing with customers that you want to love you. They don't need to wonder if you are hiding something.
- Follow through on your word, follow up on promises ~ F.W. Nichol said it best, “When you get right down to the root of the meaning of the word “succeed,” you find that it simply means to follow through.”
- Recognize responsibility, the customer is always right ~ Honigman suggests creating a customer service policy and to organize into three parts. He suggests:
- Highlight phrases for your company to use that’ll make your customers happy. Again, consistency and a personal touch go a long way.
- Never let your customers forget your business by following up effectively. Keep it personal by following up on special occasions and consistently sending handwritten follow-up notes.
- Define how to deal with unsatisfied customers with action steps to ensure there is a thorough process for all employees to follow to resolve a customer issue, ideally turning unhappy customers into your strongest advocates.
- Always say "Thank you", kindness and gratitude will take you far ~ I have certainly mentioned this one in a blog or two. I feel companies have a long way to go with delivering a sincere "Thank You." Insist on this!
Why don't you capitalize on putting these 10 ways to help your customers love you into practice and see what your return will be?
