When running a business, it’s crucial to put your customers first. Providing the best customer experience – including all communications and interactions that your staff have with customers – can give companies a number of competitive edges. From satisfaction to return custom, interactions with customers leads to positive results, here are some essential tips for businesses looking to continue going above and beyond in this area of business, giving customers a first-class experience each and every time.
Designation
It is a smart decision to designate a personable and responsible member of your staff with a customer service role, or to refocus your customer service team so that they have the correct training and role to their name.This might involve everything from complaints management to logistical support to organizing their orders and delivery times – but having the same person or group of people deal with each and every customer will entail a greater degree of cohesion; you’ll recognize the identity of returning customers, to give a small but pertinent example. As this team refines their expertise, they’ll improve their customer interaction to a level at which satisfaction peaks at a high and profitable level.
Contact Centers
Communications between employees and customers and clients once took place primarily on the phone but, nowadays, people expect to chat online and get instant answers without hearing another person’s voice. You, therefore, need to ensure your customers get the answers to their question as quickly as possible, and that they can have a personalized and human experience – without picking up the phone. Companies can do this by integrating a B2B SAP Customer Portal from weaveability.com, where they can raise queries, manage their orders and, if needed, have help from your customer service team. Such solutions offer quick response rates and a level of personalization that keeps customers happy, all while freeing up the time of your customer service team, so that they can focus on the most pressing and important of tasks.
Extra Mile
This tip is possibly defunct if your customers are many and less valuable, but in companies which rely on larger, more profitable deals, it’s entirely worth going the extra mile to get them on your side. Emails and phone calls are run of the mill where high-level business is concerned, and you should really provide face-to-face service and interaction with a certain tier of customer who you expect to deal with you often. Organize a meal or introductory drinks, or perhaps a stay at a hotel with a golf course. Initiatives such as this will show you’re prepared to go the extra mile to help your customer.
Training
Where ‘extra mile’ interaction should be left to the top tiers of the business hierarchy, who have a larger stake in the business, the lower tiers of workers should nonetheless receive training as to how to interact with customers in a professional, courteous and efficient manner. These training sessions can sometimes last a day or so, but will inform your workforce as to what’s expected of them when they pick up the phone: they’re the first point of contact with customers, and their first few words can be incredibly crucial in securing business. You need them to act in a certain manner, be helpful, and, most importantly, know how to handle problem customers.
When thinking of improving your customer interaction, ensure you’ve taken care of the tips provided above to maximize the professionalism and efficiency of your business’s communications.