5 Effective Ways to Maintain Customer Satisfaction
There are various ways to increase customer satisfaction. Utilize the right tools and build a customer service plan for your business model.
Above all else, the success of a business is contingent on the satisfaction of its customers. In 2021, it is especially crucial to address a customer and inquire about their experience and make each customer feel as though they are the ones who matter most. Making a lasting, positive impression on a customer is one of the most effective business tactics in 2021 – people can now review a company for everyone on the internet to see. Word travels extraordinarily fast. If a customer has an unsatisfactory experience, their one review can be the catalyst for others to jump in and share in their negative experience, or it can draw potential customers away from the company or brand.
There are various ways a company can avoid a situation where a customer is unsatisfied, and this requires building a customer service plan into the company’s business model. Reputation and how a business treats its customers is essential, and creating a model emphasizing the importance of customer relations is critical to long-term success. Companies have a more challenging time getting away with poor customer service, mainly because of the constant advancements in technology and the growing visibility and connectivity of the internet.
Now, not only are there online reviews, but there are also figures on social media who can influence hundreds of thousands and sometimes even millions of people, depending on their following. Below are some effective tactics that will aid in maintaining long-term, positive customer satisfaction.
1) Create A Memorable Customer Experience
According to Wunderman’s study, 79% of consumers only purchase from brands that show they care about earning the consumer’s business. Consumers prefer to have a personalized, connected experience with a brand to do business with them.
Customer service has become a considerable brand differentiator in the consumer’s decision to do business with a particular company. To make a customer feel that they’re cared for, it is important to send personalized messages; SMS for your business will allow customer service to contact the customer in real-time, offering the fastest form of support. Additionally, using an informal tone when interacting with a customer may feel more personalized, depending on the business. Act as if you know your customer and get into their heads – why would someone order from your company? What would the mindset of someone purchasing this item be?
Lastly, if something goes wrong, as it will, it is important to be prepared. If there is a mistake, always go above and beyond to ensure the customer feels that you care. For example, if a customer purchases two items on your site and only receives one, follow up by sending them the missing item and a discount on their next purchase. Creating a lasting, positive impression should always be the goal.
2) Collect Customer Feedback
To understand the needs of a customer, you need to hear from them. Follow up the transaction with a survey, a text message, or an email to ask about the customer’s experience, and this will always be a great way to receive direct feedback from customers. By integrating customer surveys, a company can measure customer satisfaction and make improvements based on the feedback the customer provides.
Feedback should be an integral part of your company’s brand. Sharing customer feedback across all departments at the company will help how each sector of the business runs and operates. The customer is always the top priority and distributing their direct feedback to all departments within a company can only improve each department’s operation. Setting up a business phone system will allow for integral internal communications. You can make the most out of your existing PBX phone system with Microsoft Teams.
Lastly, replying to all customer feedback, both positive and negative, with personalized messaging can be a powerful technique to ensure the customer knows that you are listening. When customers feel that the brand cares about them, they are more likely to return and take note of the changes implemented based on their direct feedback.
3) Provide Real-time Customer Support
Customers appreciate companies that value their time. A timely response to someone’s customer service inquiry will significantly impact the way the customer views your business. According to a study conducted by Forrester, 73% of adults in the US claim that the most valuable attribute of a brand is timely customer support.
Some practical ways to offer timely customer support include hiring someone to respond to social media inquiries, setting up a contact center, providing self-help options, offering omnichannel support, and offering 24/7 customer support.
4) Make Constant Improvements to Your Product or Service
Gathering customer feedback is one thing but making improvements based on customer feedback is an incredibly thoughtful way to operate. Why ask for customer feedback if you’re not using it? A company should constantly be striving to improve a product or service based on the customer’s experience and internal research that will ensure the brand continues to keep up with the capabilities that are out there through technology, customer relations tools, etc.
5) Practice Honesty and Manage Customer Expectations
Customers are very savvy, and they can tell when a company underdelivered in a promise. Practicing integrity and honesty are vital to a company’s success. The best way to practice honesty is through managing customer expectations up front. Marketing should portray an accurate image of what your business offers. One of the most significant ways to dissatisfy a customer is by setting high expectations that will be difficult to meet. Always practice honesty and integrity as a business, and customers will see that and trust your brand. Establishing trust with a consumer can go a long way. As long as you set accurate expectations for your customers, they won’t be disappointed.
Maintaining customer satisfaction is a critical aspect of doing business in 2021. Customer satisfaction has spread further than simply having good PR – it has become a critical aspect of the way companies operate today. Customer satisfaction has taken on a completely different meaning in today’s social media-driven business landscape. It should be one of a company’s main priorities when building a business model and a brand. Customer satisfaction has become more than just pleasing customers; it is about taking your brand to the next level.
SmartChoice is a technology company based out of New York City with a unique portfolio of solutions including UCAAS, collaboration, software and analytics, dedicated contact centers, security, infrastructure, and managed connectivity. Through its unsurpassed white-glove service and 24x7x365 U.S. based support, it has grown to become one of the largest award-winning PBX/SIP providers in North America.
