Customer service plays a key role in running a successful business. It is something that should be set first on your priority list. Ever since social media gained popularity, customer service has also evolved in these few years and is no more confined till one-on-one interaction through phone calls or a public open forum which is published on the web. Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook lets the customers reach and access their favorite brands in no time, thus shaping a business’s overall image. In a nutshell, Customer services are something that is vital for any sales strategy.
If that is not enough to convince you, then here are some reasons that state how important customer service is and why should you consider improving it:
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Customer service gets an extra weight than price– Several studies and surveys have found that consumers pay more attention towards the customer service rather than price. For them, it is much more important than price and they are even willing to pay more just to get the right experience.
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It helps in building trust among your customers– Since there is plenty of competition out there, people only stay loyal to that company where they find a good reason to stay. So, if you want your customers to stay and build trust amongst them, then you really need to work harder. By providing best customer service, you can easily build and increase their trust and make them stay loyal to you.
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It helps in building brand awareness– What your customers say about your business to others can either make or break it. If you provide good customer service, people will talk good about you and will always remember your company. They will also refer others to you and ask them to visit you which is a great thing.
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It appeals the customers– Gone are the days when business meant closing the sales. But nowadays, one needs to cater to the new customer. Customers no more want to be just a number, they want more from the experience. Better customer service appeals to your customers and ensures that they get what they want.
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It reduces problems– If you own a business, you will always be surrounded with some of the other problems, no matter how hard you work or how much you try to keep them at bay. Of course, running a perfect business with perfect customers is not always possible, but ensuring that friction does not become an issue is. If your customers know that their complaints would be heard and handled properly, they will feel more comfortable doing business with you.
Now that you know how important customer service is for a business, you must also know the ways through which you can improve your customer service, increase sales and generate positive results.
Have a look at these ways that will help you increase referrals and ways to improve your customer service :
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Obtain feedback from your customers– If you wish to improve your business, then you cannot miss out on it. You can try different ways to collect feedback from your customers, for an example, you can ask for your customer’s email addresses and phone numbers and send them to survey links through them. This will help you identify whether your business is able to meet the expectations of your customers. Using these comments can also help in increasing sales.
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Be quick with responding– Social media is easy to use and fast, which is why customers prefer sharing their experiences online over Twitter and Facebook and expect their favorite brands to be responsive within 24-48 hours of their comment. Therefore, as a business, you must be active on these platforms and be quick with responding to your customers.
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Be specific about your mission and set goals for it– If you have just started up then it is very necessary to consider things such as what are you best at, who all need the product/services that you provide and how should you approach those prospects. Once you have figured everything out, set goals to get positive results and to measure your progress.
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Provide knowledge which is appropriate, informative and educational– Customer service is not confined to being responsive, provide them with the right knowledge pertaining to your brand. For example, if you own a clothing brand, then connect with your customers over social media platforms and share things such as styling tips, clothes in trend, styling tips for plus size people and more. Sharing a valuable piece of information gives your customers a reason to come back to you and provides value to them.
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Take negative feedback as an advantage– Instead of getting hurt from negative comments, use them to turn your customer’s experience. When you address a customer’s complaint, then this shows the customers that you value all your customers and hear every one of them. Increasing value and engagement can increase customer loyalty, thus helping in increasing sales.
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Gain referrals in lieu of incentives- Ask your customers to refer you to their friends and family in lieu of incentives. New customers who get referred are more likely to stay with you and help in generating more sales.
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Appreciate your team– Regardless of whether you are the owner of your company or a team leader, your team always looks up to you and supports you in your endeavors. Therefore, you should always go that extra mile and appreciate their work and efforts by giving them credit. Also, when anything goes wrong then you should take the blame on yourself. After all, ‘Company that works together, flourishes together’.
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Train your front-line staff well– It is your front-line staff who deal with the customers. They are the face of your business and hence, need to be trained well. This would give your business an opportunity to define how your customers feel about your products/services. Also, make sure that your front-line staff has a winning personality, are skilled and know how to exceed your customer’s expectations.
All of these things, when taken into account, can lead your business in a better direction, help you achieve your objectives and goals and most importantly, improve your customer service and increase your sales. Customer service today is one such thing that can effectively help you enhance your brand image, therefore, never neglect it! Become a better brand and enhance your customer-client relations with these helpful tips.
Young female operator with headphone– stock image
