In 2020, customer service is less about simply selling products and more about valuing customers. These two go hand-in-hand. If a customer knows you care about them (not just their money) and you understand their needs, it’s your company they’ll look for when they need your product. No wonder CX has become a top priority for any business.
Of course, it’s easier said than done. How can you know your customers are happy without being nosy? How can you improve your business for increased customer satisfaction? Here are a few handy tips.
Track customer interactions from beginning to end.
It’s hard for modern businesses to thrive without automation. The best companies automate their chats, phone calls, and bots by making an impact on their customer service with quick responses.
With Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration, your customer service agents can do the same. A CRM contact center can empower your agents and streamline your workflow with customizable customer journeys. That means you’ll have access to every customer interaction from all communication channels, whether you’ve talked via e-mail, chat, or several phone calls. This helps you store all customer information in one place, avoiding miscommunication and dissatisfaction. Automation means increased agent efficiency and consequently, happier customers.
Use Social Media to Your Advantage
Always keep an eye on and be a user of social media. That’s where customers chat mostly about their pain points and the experiences they’ve had with particular products or services. That’s also where they tend to complain and ask for assistance. It’s important to read your feedback, direct messages, and mentions. That’s how you’ll skip the guesswork and know exactly whether your customers are satisfied or need anything else. Also, make sure to always reply to your customers in a courteous way. Bad manners will make sure you lose customers rather than earn them. Besides, they’ll tell 10 people about it.
Be open to coupons, discounts, and a free online resource.
Nothing piques a customer’s interest more than coupons and giveaways. Not only will they keep customers’ eyes peeled for the next offer, but they’ll help you promote your brand across social media with likes and comments. Even if you can’t take the highest jump and lower your prices frequently, try to think of ways you could help your customers save money.
For instance, take car insurance companies. At BuyAutoInsurance.com, customers can find the best car insurance options thanks to the website’s free online tool for insurance quotes. While there’s no huge, unmissable offer, getting free quotes and giving valuable information on lowering auto insurance rates puts a smile on a customer’s face.
Encourage testimonials and ratings.
If a customer had a great personal experience with your product or service, they’ll be inclined to tell their friends about it. Still, they won’t necessarily write about it. Testimonials are great for you to recognize your business’s strengths and capitalizing on them. Plus, they hold more value when a satisfied customer talks about them. Still, you can’t expect customers to deliberately write you testimonials or leave reviews. That means that yes, you should kindly ask them. And there’s a right way to do it.
Instead of directly asking for a 5-star review and a nice comment, encourage your customers to leave a testimonial and write a comment if they’d like to. This approach takes the pressure off of it and implies that constructive criticism is also welcome.
Know your competitors well.
Market research is what keeps top companies on the top. Knowing what the competition is doing right and wrong helps you avoid careless mistakes, as well as rise above them. If you’ve heard that a strong competitor isn’t investing heavily in better CX, it’s your time to do better and make it your first priority. Know their prices and be competitive. Regardless of the changes you make, treating your customers highly, and avoiding friction in communication will always be a positive way to increase sales.
Key Takeaways
Customers will pay for a better customer experience, so focus on it in 2021. Listen to what your customers have to say and take it into consideration. Understand their needs, and offer practical solutions that not only solve them but do it in the smoothest way possible. After all, customers are the backbone of any business, large, medium, or small.