Customer, who was the king yesterday, is today an emperor. They have the power to make and break your business. In this technological world, any wrong move your customer support personnel makes will immediately be displayed by the customer on one of the many social media platforms. This can damage your business to a certain extent. Remember, a returning customer is a customer earned. Therefore, if your customer support is not up to the mark at the moment, it’s wise to put it right. Here are a few suggestions.
- User-friendly website – Today, consumers browse anytime anywhere. Therefore, a small business should ensure that its website is not only independent of the type of device, but also easy to navigate. Apart from being visually attractive, the visitors should be able to find their way to the shopping pages easily.
- Have someone answer the queries over the social media platforms – Consumers connect with the brand over the social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. When customers post a query on the company’s social page, someone from the company should make it a point to answer the query. If there are complaints regarding the service or the product of your company posted on the social media, the company should do something to solve the issue in a short time as it will affect the brand. What can be solved over the social media platforms should be solved quickly then and there. If it’s going to take some time, let the customer know but once the matter is resolved, make it a point to put it on social media.
- Engage with your customers – In this fast and competitive world, for a small business to thrive, it has to use every opportunity to communicate with its loyal customers. This makes them feel that they are valued and their suggestions are being respected. Businesses should understand the ever changing need of their customers and think innovatively to keep them happy and coming back for more. This can be done by conducting regular customer feedback surveys to get an assessment of the business, analyze the economy to understand how it will create an impact on the customers. Simply, listening to the customers is not enough. Businesses have to take the necessary actions and also offer what the customer wants. Understand that not all the customers are the same.
- Telephone etiquette – This is a must because many customers would call up your toll free number to ask a query or file a complaint. The person who is the customer care personnel should be pleasant and also have sound knowledge about the services and products that the company offers. Also work on your language and communication skills that are essential while interacting with the customers. Remember, all customers are not the same, there are some who are well- mannered and pleasant while others who would take an axe to grind at every given opportunity.
A startup or any small and medium-sized business has to be true to their word. It’s better to make less promises and deliver more and on time. One of the ways to retain your customer is by providing personalized service. Listen carefully to what the customers are talking about and then take appropriate action.
