While there are many factors that affect the bottom
line, customers are the lifeblood of any business. They purchase your products and/or
services and they are the ones who keep your business flourishing. That's why
it's imperative to build a strong and solid relationship with your customer
base.
Understandably, developing strong relationships can
take time and dedication. That’s why it's important to employ the right
customer relation strategies. To help you improve your relationship with
customers, business professional Yoel Wazana provides the
following tips.
1. Establish connections with your customers
Connecting with your customers and keeping them informed about your products/services,
events, deals, discounts, and other such information is a crucial part of
improving customer relations. Whether you keep them informed through social
media, e-mails, texts or your website, your customers should be in the loop
about what's going on with your company and products.
Also,
keep in mind that it only takes one bad experience to send a customer away,
regardless of whether they're shopping in your store or talking with you over
the phone. You should always be courteous and give each interaction with
customers a personal touch.
2. Listen to your customers
Customers respond well when they feel like someone
has a genuine interest in them. They want someone who listens and responds to
their wants and needs. Whether they demand that something be done or changed,
or simply want someone to pay attention to them, it's important that you
address their concerns and do so in a timely and interested manner. Understandably,
you may not always be able to have face-to-face interaction with customers. Get
feedback through a forum on your website where people can voice their concerns.
You can achieve this through customer surveys and e-mails, as well.
3. Reward loyal customers
While your goal may be to bring in new customers, remember that it's
easier and less costly to take care of your existing ones. One of the best ways
to strengthen your relationship with current customers is to show them how much
you appreciate them. You can do this by sending a thank you letter or e-mail,
or free samples of a product. These tokens of appreciation are easy ways to
thank customers for staying with your company, and customers feel special when
they receive them.
4. Provide the proper employee training
In order to
provide customers with the best service, your team of employees should be properly
trained, knowledgeable and experienced. Many customers' opinions are formed by
their interaction with employees; therefore, your employees should know how to properly
respond to customers in all instances.
Labels: Yoel Wazana