As much as we seldom talk about it, we’ve all been there, haven’t we? Oh, you don’t know what I’m talking about. Well, I’m talking about those moments we decide to walk away from patronizing a brand or store just because they stopped treating us well. Well, who can blame us? After all, customers are always right.
Yes, if you’re a business owner, this is exactly the kind of predicament you bring upon your business when you fail to build or develop a strong relationship with your customers. It is not enough to woo a potential customer into patronizing your business and then leave them be. Customers generally love to be treated like kings, and each time they knock on your door, they expect nothing short of this. In fact, it doesn’t matter how great you’ve satisfied a customer base; the moment you deviate a little from what they’re used to, expect them to jump on the next moving train – most likely your closest competitor.
Once you’re lucky enough to capture a certain customer base, it’s expected of you to continually nurture this base if you want to keep thriving in that market. Because a once won customer loyalty and affection must be cared for and nurtured on every occasion. And in case you’re wondering how you can go about this, please read on to find out how.
Spare customer’s time
As much as people understand the fact that they’re not the only ones patronizing your business, they still don’t appreciate it when you ask them to join the queue, even though they know this is the norm. People simply want to walk to a solution-center (your business), drop their cash, and get a solution to their pain points. But the longer you keep them waiting, the more irritated they become towards your brand. A good customer relationship is when consumers know that they can always get a fast and advanced solution to their pain points whenever they come looking for it. Therefore, if you’re looking to nurture and sustain whatever relationship it is you already have with your customers, the best place to start is your delivery speed. However, in the event that you cannot meet up with a certain set standard, be sure to keep your customers in the loop, in the most professional manner. Don’t worry; they are humans, after all, so you can expect them to cut you some slack.
Each customer is a king
Even though you probably offer a generalized solution, you still want to treat each customer like a VIP if you’re looking to build a solid customer relationship. In this day and age, it is not so much about the quality of products or services you’re offering, if not the user experience you’re delivering. Never treat your customers like an academic project that must be completed by the end of the day, but look at them as individuals and deliver a personalized service. As a recommendation, you can start by calling them by names (humans generally love it when they’re made to feel important), keeping their order history, offering them special offers based on their transaction history with you, and going the extra mile for them.
Communication is key
Like we mentioned earlier, the major reason why anyone visits your business is because they need an instant answer to their pain point. More often than not, consumers go online to research products, check reviews, and ask questions online before they make a purchase. In other instances, however, some may decide to put a call through directly to your customer care service. Irrespective of how potential customers are reaching you, always ensure that you have on ground the best of staff so that whenever potential or existing customers are trying to enquire about anything, communication wouldn’t be a problem. And by communication, we aren’t just referring to the level of grammar, but the attitude towards conversations, gestures, mood, aura, and intelligence. To further improve your communication structure with customers, you can implement chatbots in several areas at your business. Unlike humans, these AI-powered products neither underperform nor have mood swings, because they’re custom-tailored to understand the intent of customers and provide a more natural, free-flowing conversation, that will sway both existing and potential customers.
Always exceed expectations
How would you feel as a consumer if you’re getting more value than what you expect from a certain transaction? Exceptionally intrigued, right? Well, this is exactly how your customers feel whenever you exceed their imaginations. But that is not to say that you need to start selling your products at ridiculous prices or start some giveaways you cannot afford. In fact, the best way to exceed expectations is by offering special deals, promo packages, unexpected discount offers, coupons, and several other enticing offers. Customers will always be moved by actions like these, and as a result, you can always trust that your relationship with them will not be swayed.
Offer them more values
There is nothing wrong about the idea of giving back to your customer base provided you can afford it. Another exceptional way to build an excellent customer relationship is by looking for new ideas to benefit customers and keep them close. Why do you think brands in the fashion line organize loyalty programs that aren’t even related to fashion? Why do you think banks organize contests that don’t even pertain to banking at all? Well, the goal is to give something back to their base, thereby building love, trust, and loyalty in the process.
Uday Tank has been working with writing challenged clients for several years. His educational background in family science and journalism has given him a broad base from which to approach many topics. He especially enjoys writing content after researching and analyzing different resources whether they are books, articles or online stuff.
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