When did you last knock the socks off a customer? If you’re struggling to answer, it’s probably not any time recently – and possibly never. And if that’s the case, it’s time for a rethink about your business model and what you have to bring to the market.
Businesses in 2018 have come full-circle. Years ago, in the era of small shops, personal service was what defined a business and won them customers. The web revolution has had the funny effect of bringing that back. Although now driven by technology, the customer voice is heard louder than ever, amplified through the power of the web.
Once again, things are coming back to what kind of customer experience you can provide. The rise in review sites and social media ensures that any business providing a bad service is quickly named and shamed. And this time it stretches far beyond a few neighbours – an unhappy customer can be heard around the world.
The flip side of this new reality is that great service can also be easily communicated. The trouble here is that if you just offer ‘good’ service, it doesn’t get written about. Merely delivering what people expect, when they expect is a hygiene factor for your business, not a selling point. In order to make it something people shout about, you now have to go above and beyond.
The customer experience that you can offer defines what your brand’s unique selling point is. This is a set of values that should underpin everything you do in business, and bring something to the table which is personal – something your competitors can’t hope to match.
Even if you can offer a completely unique, category-creating product, or you have a strongly defined value proposition, being able to deliver an outstanding customer experience is the point of difference that can tilt the stakes in your favour.
Consumer studies tell us that the vast majority of customers are happy to pay more for a better service. So, instead of engaging in competition based around prices – a race to the bottom that may temporarily boost sales, but does nothing to create customer loyalty in and of itself, and so is likely to fold when the current promotion does – you need to make your business a contender on the basis of creating a great customer experience.
Done right, this will have the effect of instilling brand recognition and establishing a relationship with your customer base that runs deeper than just one product or offer. You should see a boost in repeat sales, and the more of your business these make up, the less spend is required in marketing to attract new customers.
You’ll be able to use social media channels, referrals from existing customers, and review sites as a driver to generate new business that is inexpensive and highly effective. Nielsen data tells us that personal recommendations from a trusted source are valued much more highly and perceived as far trustworthier than advertising from the point of view of today’s customer, who is much more aware of the role of marketing tactics.
As a small to medium enterprise, you may never be able to compete with the big boys when it comes to price, but you can offer something big companies struggle to deliver with authenticity – amazing service.
The basics are beautifully simple. It all comes down to taking a genuine interest in the needs of your customer, taking good care of them, and providing them with a point of differentiation – a ‘wow factor’ – that makes them want to start telling others.
Reciprocity is a big motivating factor psychologically that makes people feel valued. And the surprise is, it doesn’t take much at all. For example, if you run a beauty salon, and customer has paid for a manicure, send them home with a small sample tube of hand cream. It’s a little touch, but it can be enough to elevate your business above the competition.
Get those three things right, and you are on track to develop a customer-centric business with the potential to generate large sales, a loyal customer base, and a whole heap of future expansion potential.
Give Them Something
Everyone likes to be treated nicely and to get something give to them. Giving something extra can create a great impression of value that isn’t based around the price of the sold item or service, and if it’s a relevant add-on, can be a strong way to generate customer loyalty, as well as acting as an incentive for them to spread the word. But you can take it a step further, too. If you have customer data available, then you can use it to personalise what you offer to a valuable prospect – this tactic works especially well in business-to-business marketing. It doesn’t have to be something expensive – the best and most thoughtful gifts are often the small ones.
Say Thank You
Not every business can afford to gift it’s customers, especially small start-ups, and that’s absolutely fine. A dose of good, old-fashioned manners can stand out just as much in today’s fast-paced, automated culture. Saying a sincere thank you to a new customer can really make your business stand out, in the best possible way. If you want to engender loyalty and make a customer an advocate for your business, thank you can be a powerful word. It’s nothing new, certainly, but when done in the right way it still has a lot of impact. In fact, in today’s world of electronic communication, when people don’t often get hard-copy mail that isn’t a bill, a hand-written thank you can have a huge effect. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so do it right. You don’t have to confine yourself to people who have placed orders – if someone has spread the word about you, mentioned your business on their social channels or their blog, make the effort to send them a note. Service is the defining factor for a lot of small businesses, and a note shows that you are definitely willing to go the extra mile. Creating that impression is a very good idea. Some basic guidelines: try to use good-quality stationary, a headed paper or a card advertising your latest wares or services, make sure you address the customer by name, and be specific about your interaction. Use the opportunity to introduce the idea of future interactions, such as welcoming them to come back. And use a professional sign-off to end your greeting. It’s a recipe for success.
Stay In Touch
Your main aim is to build relationships – and just as in your personal life, they take a little effort and care. Build your communications around something other than promoting your latest offer. That does have its place of course, but meaningful relationship building depends on providing more than just sales information. Find a method of staying in regular contact with your customer base – one that showcases the business, but doesn’t push an overt marketing message. Introducing a monthly ‘club’ can be a great avenue – all kinds of goods from coffee to beauty products now offer a box service. Get Subscription Box Packaging Tips to produce a beautiful offering – it will get customers talking, trying new products, and encountering your brand on a regular basis, so that you become part of the fabric of their lives. If your product or service is something that has the potential to be ‘habit forming’ – i.e something your customer may begin to do regularly, or perhaps already is – then there’s huge potential to see how they’re getting on after their first purchase. It gives you a reason to talk to them, after all. And it makes them feel like you haven’t just taken their money, but that you actually care about the experience they’ve had. It’s a good time to check in, offer some helpful tips and ensure that they are happy with their purchase. Follow that up with a discount for their next purchase, and you’ll have a very happy customer indeed – and one that is now getting into the habit of making a repeat order from you!
Know What They Want – Before They Do
If you really want to become known for world-class service? The secret lies in anticipating what your customer wants, almost before they know it themselves. Customer service does not have to come after the fact – pro-active service is where you really have a chance to stand out. It’s a trick that the world’s best hotels and restaurants have down pat – but the good news is, it can still happen online. You just have to take the time to really understand who your customer is and what the ‘pain point’ of a transaction is for them. Have they abandoned a cart full of goods because they live overseas and the shipping fees are high? Are they unsure which product or service is right for their needs? Reach out to them – not to secure a sale, but to understand more. After all, if one individual is having a problem, it’s likely that others will encounter the same issue.
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