Customer Loyalty
Wouldn't it be great if all your customers became part of your sales team? That is known as customer loyalty. Customers that are satisfied with your company will actively promote your company and refer people to you.
If a company can achieve this, then it is the most effective form of advertising. Most companies have a budget and a marketing plan, but few devote the same resources to ensuring the company provides the highest standards of customer service.
It doesn't matter if you have the best product in the world, if your customers are not happy with the service they receive, they will not purchase from you, they will not come back and even worse, they will tell everyone how bad you are. Not the type of publicity you want to get.
On the other hand, if you have a reasonable product and your customers are delighted with the service, they will keep returning to do business with you. Better than that, they will also tell everyone they know about your product and your company.
So what is a customer looking for? Good service.
Customer assistance - This is not a term that is used lightly. Good customer assistance means that an enquiry is responded to quickly. There is nothing worse than making an enquiry and not getting a response within a reasonable time. Even if you don't have the answers, tell your client that you will get further information and when they can expect an answer. Don't quote tomorrow unless you are going to contact them tomorrow! Keep your client informed on the status of the enquiry, so they know that it is progressing through the right channels. This will impress them and most importantly, build trust in you.
Finalise an enquiry - Your customer needs to feel satisfied that their enquiry or complaint has been dealt with thoroughly. Ensure your customer understands the outcome and how this was achieved. Ask your customer if they have any more questions or problems. It is no point you thinking the matter is resolved when your customer thinks that it isn't.
Record keeping - Every customer needs to feel important. Good records and access to these is vital in dealing successfully with customers. If a customer contacts you, find out if they are an existing or new customer. If an existing client, then look at their files and ensure you understand who they are. If it is a new customer, find out as much as you can about them and record this information. It will assist you in responding to their enquiries better if you know what their needs are.
Dealing with complaints - A customer complaint is a serious matter and companies should take them very seriously. No matter how small the problem is, each complaint should be treated properly. Ensure you understand what the complaint is about, record all relevant information and ensure it is accurate. Complaints should be dealt with promptly. Give the customer a feeling of trust, make them feel confident that the matter will be resolved.
Complaints are a valuable resource for every company. If used correctly, they can be used to improve your product, find out your weaknesses and strengths. Complaints should be analysed regularly, check for patterns, is it a particular product, or maybe a sales point, or a department that needs improving. Perhaps it is just a matter of misunderstanding, in which case it probably means that your staff need further training or product knowledge.
The most valuable thing about a complaint, is turning it into a satisfied customer. If you do it successfully, this will probably end up as a loyal customer for life!
If you want to find out how good your company is at providing world class customer service, then do three things:
Check your sales records and see how many regular customers you have. If they are not coming back, then you probably have a serious problem.
Do some internal checking, either pretend to be a customer and telephone your company with an enquiry. See how if it is handled properly or poorly.
Check your complaint records. Is there a pattern? Have issues been resolved properly and followed through, are your customers satisfied with the results?
Your products are important, but without your customers, you don't have a business!
Read more about optimising your business: Effective Time Management.
By A-K Strategic Business Solutions
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