It goes without saying that being polite and attentive are minimum expectations for quality customer relations, but being nice isn’t always enough. They say actions speak louder than words, and oftentimes it’s businesses who actively focus on customer relations that experience better brand loyalty and repeat business. Here are some top tips to take your customer relations experience to the next level-
TOP TIP: Give Your Customers a Shout Out- Even introverts love to be recognized in subtle ways. Spotlighting a customer can have a ripple effect on everyone. The customer will feel special and set apart, but other customers will imagine themselves in the same situation and get excited about the possibilities.
There are lots of ways to highlight a customer- give them a shout out on social media, send them a personal video via email, use their image (with their permission) in marketing material, or name a product after them. Use your imagination and get creative.
TOP TIP: Understand the 5 Love Languages- According to Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, people are motivated in one of five ways:
1. Acts of service
2. Words of affirmation
3. Gifts
4. Physical touch
5. Quality time
Practice discovering what your customers love language is and deliver customer service based on their preferences. Craft inquiry questions that help you quickly identify the quickest path to connecting with them. Examples could include offering merchandise to someone who loves gifts, offering a one-on-one conversation for someone who loves quality time, or solving a problem for someone who prefers acts of service.
TOP TIP: Learn to Have Fun!: Some of the most popular companies are known for their fun and whimsy. As the Joker says in Batman, why so serious? Find fun and creative ways to deliver customer service and encourage your customers to lighten up and have fun.
Cold Stone Creamery is known for chanting when a customer places a money in the tip jar at the register. CVS is well known as a pharmacy, but did you know they offer road side assistance to people stranded on the road? While being stranded may not be fun, being rescued by the local pharmacy surely helps endear the company to weary travelers and boosts their spirits.
TOP TIP: Use the Element of Surprise- Adding something fun and unexpected to your customer experience can amplify customer satisfaction. Adding a hand-written thank you note, trinket, or merch to an order can add to the perceived value of your goods and services as well as flip the “like” switch for your business.
Try adding classic lifesavers candy to your order with a note saying “Thanks for your business, you’re a lifesaver!” There are unlimited ways to be creative and reflect your unique brand and personality.
Think outside the box and find new and fun ways to elevate your customer relations. One or two small and consistent methods can set your business apart from others, word will begin to spread and you’ll begin to see the benefits.
Top Tips that Take Customer Relations to the Next Level
