Key points:
- With ever-evolving technologies, customer requests are drastically turning into demands due to multiple options they can access
- Exceptional customer service is a must-have as masses are competing for customers' attention
- This customer week, we give you 6Rs that can help you enhance the value you offer to your customers
"He profits most, who serves best." ~ Arthur F. Sheldon, Rotary.
Most emerging business enterprises fail to consider this. Customers are as important as your employees. Both are crucial to sustaining any business today. Also, with each customer comes expectations, and fulfilling those to their satisfaction is what we call customer service. Great customer service is at the heart of any exceptional enterprise today.
Ask yourself, who will use your product? Your customers.
Customers inspire you to improvise every day. Therefore, to minimize customer efforts and maximize customer value, it is a good idea to put yourself in the customer's shoes.
The 6Rs are as follows:
1. Relationships
Brussels Airlines has showcased its wonderful customer service through commercials, making it relatable over the years. 15 years ago, a boy was born, and Brussels Airlines decided to communicate this message to Mr. Smith while he was just boarding the flight. Again, after 15 years, they wished that boy – who has grown up now – a happy birthday. Take a look at the video below.
Going that extra mile to make your customers smile is unparalleled. Starting a healthy relationship with your customers is easy. What requires effort is nurturing it in the long run.
Safeguarding customer relationships is a must to keep them glued to you. To achieve this, just serving customers won't be enough. You should aim to exceed customer expectations and attain exceptional customer service.
To deliver awesomeness, it's important first to understand what your customer needs rather than just delivering customer service as a vocation. If your customers feel that you are making an effort to understand their needs well and maintain a trusting, long-term relationship, they'll be more likely to stay for a long time.
Delivering a great customer experience is the top priority, so give your customers reasons to know you—they deserve it!
Also read: A Profitable Business is a Customer-Centric Business. Here’s Why!
2. Raising customer engagement
Serving your customers well should be your prime focus. Hear from them on a regular basis. Meaningful customer engagement allows you to enhance your product according to their requirements continuously.
Keeping your customers engaged helps you understand all those areas of improvisation you may never have encountered. If you never engage them in what you are doing, you will never understand their expectations of you. Taking input from your customers to upgrade the product is significant because, after all, they'll be the ones who will be affected by even the finer changes.
Engaging customers helps you break all the bars of product excellence through their timely involvement. Every feedback from your dear customers can light up your day and motivate you to a different level.
Customers may approach you through multiple channels, such as chats, emails, calls, or texts, and you should be ready to help. Olive Huang, research vice president at Gartner, says, "By 2021, 15% of all customer service interactions will be completely handled by artificial intelligence, an increase of 400% from 2017."
Accelerating response times during every interaction with your customer is one of the major aspects you should consider. ThinkOwl is great customer service software powered by AI. With ThinkOwl, you can automate customer communication and sustainably boost your company's productivity in customer support.
3. Retention
Acquiring new customers is never as difficult as retaining old ones. These are the ones who already use your product and are well aware of it. In case, they encounter any loopholes in the product, they may shift to your competitors. Thus, retaining them might be tough at times. Your persistent customer service could be a savior.
Developing trustworthy relationships with your customers doesn't leave them skeptical. This not only saves time convincing them to hang in but also helps them stay for longer. Your customers support you morally when they understand that you are doing everything you can to meet their expectations.
4. Reduced employee turnover rate
Everybody loves a fair show. If you appreciate your employees' timely efforts and treat your customers right, people will stick with you through thick and thin, leading to reduced employee turnover rates.
After all, a business is of the people, by the people, and for the people. People may be your employees, your customers, or you yourself. Serve them well, and let them serve you well.
5. Recommendations
There are many products in the market fighting for your customers' attention. What should make you distinct is the way you serve your customers. Customers may fail to recall the organization that developed a particular product or forget the product details, but they do remember the person who last made them feel good through customer service. Customers tend to share their experiences with their family and friends. They also give online reviews about their experience and recommend it to others.
Forbes states that 90% of customers read online recommendations before visiting a business. 74% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more. Positive recommendations might open up a gamut of new opportunities for
your business.
6. Reduced business failures
Customers are the driving energy for any business. Customer satisfaction, therefore, implies that the business is moving towards sustainability. Retaining old customers and building and safeguarding relationships gradually strengthens your business and, in the long run, reduces business failures. Customers not only support you in growing but also help you sustain it. Customers thus maintain a proper business ecosystem.
To conclude, exceptional customer service is the only way to achieve these 6Rs. If you pamper your customers and employees well, they eventually become your brand evangelists. After all, it's all about serving more and gaining more.
To experience the power of an AI-powered intelligent customer support software, try ThinkOwl. Sign up now for a 30-day free trial and watch your business grow.