So, you have state of the art tech, you are qualified, trained and up to speed on the latest biz speak and buzz words – which all amounts to absolutely nothing if you don’t have a solid, loyal and happy client base that trusts you and with which you can communicate effectively.
Competence in the provision of services is vital, that goes without saying. Customers must be confident that they can trust your ability to fulfil your side of the customer contract. There is another dimension though.
Customers need to feel connected
Consider that a customer is an investor in your business. In purchasing a product or service, they are trading their funds, however large or small, for your offering. Whether long term or brand-new customers, they have an expectation of quality of product but also an expectation of the experience. check in kiosks for a better customer support.
Even purchasing a £1 item carries with it the expectation that the customer will buy the item they expect at the price they have been quoted. It seems that customers like to feel appreciated, to be heard, to have a sense of belonging during that transaction.
Dealing with an impersonal and indifferent provider gives a negative customer experience. In this day of social media, the name and shame culture where negative customer experiences are quoted and shared and reshared could ring the death toll of your business.
On the positive side, customers who are satisfied will come back, but customers who enjoy positive communication, and feel they belong will post on social media and share and share again. They will tell their friends, they will recommend and as a result, the business will grow.
According to Michelle from virtual assistant company Virtual Hand “An aspect of Customer Service which most of us would love to avoid is dealing with complaints” – how do we handle the ultimate negative experience. Orders are lost, deadlines are missed, errors are made or perhaps the customer/service provider relationship has come to an end.
If customer service has always been positive the chances are, that the situation can be diffused relatively easily. Your customer has trusted you; they are familiar with your open and honest communication, and they know you will look after their interests in this situation. Tempers may be frayed but the trust will be there. Even if a parting of the ways is on the cards, they are likely to report that a negative experience was treated with consideration, and everything was done that was possible to rectify the situation.
Too often, businesses consider financial resources, human resources and technology as key to success. Positive relationships with customers though, ranks highest of all. Loyal customers will stand by most crises, they will support you, they will recommend you and they will be part of your wins and losses.
If you are aware that your customer service is an aspect – or crux of why your business is stagnant or struggling to grow, we would be happy to chat through possible solutions or find a great VA to help.