The aspect of marketing that people do not note is customer service. It is often said that it is cheaper to keep existing customers than find new ones. Customer retention is essential for every business; they will be responsible for referrals you need for your business.
When a customer is made to feel important, they will find themselves advertising your business for you. Nobody wants to go to a business where they are insulted while spending their money.
We have rude and complicated humans, but how you deal with them is essential. They might just be having a bad day or under a lot of pressure. Therefore, your job is to put them at ease and make their patronage a smooth sail.
People would rather have good customer service than cheap service or goods and terrible customer service.
Benefits of excellent customer service
- It helps Generate Repeat Sales: good customer business will persuade people to do business with you more than once. It also helps you create a personal connection with your target audience.
- Greater customer loyalty: you are more likely to win a customer’s loyalty with good customer service than with cheaper products or discounts because you can’t keep giving discounts, and market prices can change. Loyal customers are always willing to share their reviews, which will win you more customers.
- Combats Higher Prices: small businesses are often not able to offer low prices or discounts, unlike more prominent businesses. People are willing to pay more to get a feeling of being valued and wanted, so good customer service gives you the leeway to sell your products at standard prices or even higher prices at times.
- A better organization within the company: when employees are trained to give better customer care service, they can easily be given roles that suit their personalities best. They can also rotate roles and serve as mentors to their peers. This will ensure that they learn new skills and allow brands to be more organized and deliver exceptional services.
- Provides Competitive Advantage: emphasizing customer care service and backing it up will set you apart from your competition; there will be a sense of uniqueness about your brand.
Keys to giving excellent customer service.
- Know your brand inside and out: To sell a product or service, you need to know what you’re selling. To be offered excellent customer service, you need to know the ins and outs of the brand and the services offered to communicate effectively with customers. You should also understand and emulate the brand’s vision, goals, and values.
- Know your customers: you should know them, interact with them, and understand their needs and wants. Get to know their name, log previous conversations so you can refer to them the next time you meet them; people love personalization.
- Anticipate needs: you need to be proactive and reactive to offer excellent customer service. Responding to inquiries is essential. So is anticipating roadblocks even before they arise. You should alert customers about changes or errors before they complain; send out updates on products and services. It builds trust with your customers and shows that you are committed to the goals and values of your brand.
- Remain positive, on and off the phone: you must stay positive while communicating with customers. Your attitude when you are not receiving calls is equally essential. Do not speak ill about a customer with coworkers; the energy will flow indirectly into your conversations with the customer. You should always speak highly of a customer to maintain empathy.
- Know when to put yourself first: A famous saying says customers are always right; yes, you should have this mindset, but when you have a challenging client constantly attacking your employees, you should fire such a customer. Your employees are as important as the client; they make running your business easier for you, and how you treat them will tell on your business.