Competition is tight among brands in this economy. As if the competition among existing players is not enough, newcomers arrive with fresher concepts that aim to outdo their predecessors. This is why your brand needs to implement strategies based on consumer preferences and industry trends. A successful business venture has to make an excellent impression on customers.
One of the things that differentiate an OK brand from THE brand is customer service. A clever advertising move can reel people in to a business, yet nothing can beat a top-notch customer experience strategy that can turn curious testers into loyal customers.
Although any brand can do customer support, which is the single essential interaction between businesses and their customers, not all brands can provide a customer experience. Customer experience involves developing an impactful journey from marketing to after-sales.
Today, as the world faces challenging times brought about by health and financial crises, people’s need to connect with whatever brings about positivity is stronger than ever—be it nature, animals, or even strangers. For brands, the goal is to create a meaningful connection with your customers.
So, the question is: why should you focus your energy in curating the best customer experience your brand can offer? First, as stated above, it creates loyalty. Second, it boosts customer satisfaction. Third, it increases customer retention.
On the customers’ part, they are more than willing to pay extra for quality service. According to research, 86% of customers don’t mind shelling out money for a top-notch customer experience.
The challenge now is how. Despite being on the priority list of major companies, to walk the talk is a different matter altogether. Here are some strategies to help your business in providing a customer experience that is worth the conversations:
- Know who your customers are
Every connection needs a sense of familiarity and understanding. Your customer support team has to know the people they encounter should be more than just Customers 1, 2, and 3. Even if you have a target audience, chances are, your team will be interacting with different types of customers.
Knowing who these people are will make it easier for your team to address your customers’ needs. You can organize training programs and work with employees in creating a character profile of the customers you have, including their probable needs and problems. This way, you can have the foresight on how to help them.
2. Come from a place of understanding
Empathy is needed when interacting with customers. Research from Harvard Business Review suggests that an experience based on emotions is more superior to customer satisfaction. After all, emotions play an important role and are a major driving force in decision-making.
Similarly, customers tend to recount their feelings from a product which drives their loyalty and attachment. Brands that pay attention to developing emotional connections with customers also have better chances of outperforming their competition’s sales growth.
3. Promote a customer-centered culture within the company
The best way to teach your team how to treat your customers is to lead by example. Show your employees that you care for them and have their best interests at heart.
When you treat your team the way you want the brand to treat your customers, you’ll create a cycle of goodness that will keep on rolling. A company that takes good care of its employees tends to have employees who perform well and go out of their way to serve customers.
4. Listen to and act on customer feedback
As much as you know your customers, they know themselves better. Since your brand relies on your customers, it’s best to listen to what they have to say about your product, service, or policies.
One area essential in getting customer feedback is listening, and the other is doing something about it. Customers want both.
If, by any chance, what they say does not fit with your philosophy as the owner, let them know that you, at the very least, are listening to them and that their opinions matter in your brand’s growth.
5. Put your core values in black and white
Speaking of personal philosophy, your brand has its core values. More often than not, your customers are with you because they share the same vision you have. Writing down your brand’s core values will be the guiding force in your team’s training, product development, and customer care.
Parting Shot
People tend to remember the good experiences with the brands they support. Consequently, when good words about your business spread, you garner another set of interested people. Bad experiences, on the other hand, instantly cross you off the list as a customer favorite. Without further questions, customers will move on to the next brand, especially now that many others are on the market. Every business should know that finding a way to the customers’ hearts and genuinely taking care of them can pave the way to its success.
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