The success or failure of any business depends on customer satisfaction. As such, customer experience has become the center of attention for most companies in the current information age. Most business owners are looking for ways of retaining and attracting new customers to gain a competitive edge. If you own a business and would like to give your customers a personalized, convenient, and rewarding experience, here are helpful strategies to try. Check them out:
By improving your customer support
Based on various studies, customers are most loyal to businesses where they can get real-time support. Excellent customer support makes them feel appreciated and also makes them trust you more. If your customer support channels are poor, hire new workers to answer your clients’ calls and handle them. You can also hire a third party to do these services if you have a tight work schedule. There are experienced experts that have courteous communication skills for handling customers. They can direct and advise your customers too. Most importantly, the right service providers can implement the right strategies for dealing with their clients.
By prioritizing on employee satisfaction
Employees are the core service providers in the business. Prioritizing their welfare makes them feel appreciated. This, in turn, provokes them to extend better services to the customers. When satisfied, customers are more likely to return to the business. They may also talk positively about your brand, thus increasing your customer base. You can show appreciation to your employees by giving them a better payment, giving them allowances, showing them trust, being transparent, and appreciating them individually.
By taking surveys and acting on them
Business surveys help the business owners to know whether the customers are happy with their brand. The surveys also help them establish the likelihood that their loyal customers can bring new customers their way. The information collected helps plan for production and other business decisions too. However, if you intend to employ this method to collect customer information, ensure that you use short questionnaires taking a maximum of 4 minutes.
By collecting customer feedback on social media platforms
Today, technological changes have made it possible for many businesses to pass information to their customers. Unlike before, they can now get feedback about their products from online platforms. You, too, can create a business account on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and ask the consumers to comment on their experience with your product. Alternatively, you can generate leads by creating a personal website and link it to social media platforms. Collecting and acting on customer responses is a sure way of convincing them that you are not just after their money, but also offering them quality products and services.
By benchmarking their products and services
Most businesses thrive in the competitive world by comparing their products with similar firms in the industry. They also gain insights by imitating the marketing strategies of businesses operating on a different line from theirs. Comparing and copying ideas from other businesses helps the entrepreneurs identify how they can improve their products and cover their operating loopholes. The idea is to balance the interests of the business and the customer experience.
By rewarding loyal customers
According to experts, more than 79% of consumers love a business that offers a high degree of personalized services. Thus, offering such services to your clients will attract a broad customer base through return customers and recommendations. Also, the rewards can be a convenient way of collecting information on various business aspects. The idea is to keep your loyal customers by rewarding them with something great and related to their line of operation.
By offering after-sales services
As an entrepreneur, you should show value for customers’ assets. The services may include offering your customers discounts, friendly refunds, exchanges, or repairs if the product does not align with their expectations, free transportation on return items, and comprehensive warranties. Offering such services assures your customers of quality products and riskless transactions from your business. It also shows the transparency, accountability, and integrity of your business. Eventually, you can undoubtedly enjoy the comeback of the old and new customers as well.
By offering trial periods
If you deal with software products, you can give a month of free trial to potential customers. Trials could convince customers to make their first buy if the software captured their interests. It also allows them to test the quality of the product before buying to avoid regrets. The trial will also make potential customers less worried about engaging in a risky investment. For best results, allow the customers to register for the trial without requesting credit card details or any other limitations.
Customer retention is the way to go if you want to increase the life of your business. You can retain them by improving communication, offering after-sales services, and adopting other strategies discussed in the article. However, don’t be limited to the tips discussed. Try other ways too to retain your loyal clients.
