Customers are the lifeblood of any organization. Keeping them satisfied ensures that they keep coming back. If you are truly making them satisfied, they won’t mind exchanging a few of their dollars for some of your time and expertise. But it can be hard to satisfy everyone, because we all have different wants and needs that must be met in order for a company to do so. We’ve put together a few tips that can help:
- Get to know them – In order to satisfy your customers’ needs, you first need to understand what those needs are. When a new client comes on board, or a new person walks into your store – make sure to take some time to let them express to you how their needs can be satisfied. While they’re doing this, document any notable items, and then make sure to address each one in turn with a response and plan of action.
- Manage expectations – As you’re getting to know your customers’ needs, you should naturally open up a conversation about all of the different ways that they can be achieved. A customer may have a preconceived notion about HOW their need must be satisfied. Many times this may not line up with how you’re able to satisfy the need. Make sure to clearly express how your organization can specifically satisfy each need, even if it is different than the path they had originally envisioned.
- Build trust & integrity – Make sure that you set realistic expectations that can be upheld. This will help build trust and and integrity in your relationship. These things are the cornerstone of any long lasting partnership. If customers come to know and trust you, they will be more accepting when you try to guide them down a path that you know is best for them, even if it deviates from the one that they envisioned for themselves. Continue to deliver on the things that you promise, get things done WHEN and HOW you say you will, and always be up front when challenges arise. DO NOT just tell the customer what you think they want to hear – ESPECIALLY when your opinions differ. If a customer walks away with a false expectation that later goes unmet, they may never trust you again.
- Be consistent – This applies to both the individual level, as well as the organizational. If you give a customer some advice one day, don’t give them different advice a week later. Likewise, if you have multiple people interacting with a customer, make sure everyone is up to date when it comes to the expectations and needs that have already been outlined, as well as any specific advice that has been given or next steps promised. A good way to do this is to have a central place to store customer notes, such as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform.
- Speed – All customers want to get things done (yesterday). While this isn’t always reasonable, customers do expect you to at least acknowledge their requests in a timely manner. We try to adhere to a 1 business day rule – where every request is (at the very least) acknowledged and a next step outlined within 1 day of receipt. A CRM can again help here, as can any kind of modern planning board or task management system.
- Be Transparent – This goes along with building trust and integrity. If you’ve done your homework and acted ethically in the previous steps, then you should already be in the ballpark of possibility when it comes to the deliverables that you’ve promised. The best way to work through any specific challenges that arise is to first do your homework and learn about the issue on your own – then present some options to the customer and gather their input. There are times when you may just miss the mark – and truly can’t deliver something that you’ve promised. In a case like this, a professional conversation is definitely warranted. Let the customer know where your two paths diverged and explore any available alternatives. If an agreement can’t be met, then it may be best to part ways amicably, rather than investing time and effort into a solution that ultimately leaves them wanting.
- Gather feedback – It may sound simple, but simply asking customers how you’re doing can lead to many insightful conversations and even the opportunity to grow the relationship further. Structure your engagements with regular points of feedback ranging from quality check-ins with an account manager, to informal input points such as customer service surveys. Use this information to paint a picture of your relationship together and identify areas of opportunity and correct any deviations before they become significant.
And that is customer service in a nutshell! Ultimately, the best relationships are built on trust and open dialogue. All of these steps help build toward that goal, and if you keep these 7 things in mind, we think you’ll go far. For more tips and insights, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter:
