Why do we lose customers? Poor results? Poor service? Or simply poor communication?
Before we can answer this question, we need to start at the beginning - what do our customers want and expect?
In an ideal world, customers would like:
- a brilliant product or service that meets their expectations
- to feel respected and appreciated
- for you to be grateful for their business
Let’s not forget that you've got competitors that would happily take their money and brand loyalty doesn't come easy.
But here's the common mistake...
Delivering a poor service or an inadequate product isn’t ideal, but it's not the end of the world. It might even lead to your customers liking you more.
Perfect communication will make up for many sins
Crackers you say - run away immediately!
Okay, but hear me out first.
It’s not an error with your product or service that drives people away, it's how you deal with it that determines customer satisfaction.
If you ALWAYS communicate well and make people feel like they matter when things go wrong, they will be forgiving of most small issues.
So why do companies shy away from checking in with their customers?
What’s the harm in calling them to find out? What’s the worst thing that can happen? Maybe they'll tell you there’s dissatisfied. Well, I've got news for you, they’ll still be dissatisfied whether you ring them or not. It's hard to hear sometimes but nothing will change that.
However, proactively finding out how they feel will enable you, the supplier, to have control and find a solution to make them happy. This positive behaviour encourages trust and builds healthy relationships. It demonstrates that you care and in turn that you value them and it’s a respectful way to conduct business.
Better aftercare means spending less and selling more
On the brighter side, let’s assume your product or service is brilliant but your aftercare isn’t. You don’t bother to contact them after the initial sale, you make no effort to chat the small stuff, keep in touch, or find out how the product or service has worked for them and what they need.
Failing to talk to your customer means you have a short-term win but no plan to take things forward. It lacks authenticity.
On the other hand, when you focus on building a relationship, it creates new opportunities. You'll open doors to upselling, cross-selling or even reselling.
Be better at customer relationships
Long, happy and lucrative customer relationships all come down to communication.
If you want to do better in this area, talk to us. We can show you how to deliver incredible customer service with integrity that exposes new opportunities.
vicki@straightaheaduk.com | 01778 300073