The surefire way of success in your business is by retention of customers. Retaining customers is not an easy task and it requires staying connected with your customers throughout. According to the Walker study, by the year 2020, the key brand differentiator will be customer experience and this will surpass price and products. For this reason, the company needs to ensure that they always stay in touch with their customers.
The attractive websites may attract customers but it is absolutely necessary to reach out to them from time to time and make sure that they still show interest in the company. Customer service needs to be impeccable and many more steps need to be followed in order to stay connected with your customers. Give below are some ways which companies can follow in order to make their customer service exquisite and stay connected with them:-
Creating an email list:
A comprehensive email list will go a long way in maintaining contact with your customers. It will help in keeping them updated about new products and events occurring in your company. You can also use this list to mail your customers about social issues and send concern messages to make sure they are safe. This is a way of reaching out to your customers and making them feel that you care.
Maintaining active accounts on various social media platforms to stay connected:
Companies can try maintaining active accounts on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, etc. This is a powerful way of reminding customers about the company and through this broad exposure new clients can also be attracted. For this, the account needs to be active and must be compelling enough so that people will want to visit it. Also, companies can follow their customers on these social media handles.
Reach out to longtime customers:
Companies need to show value to their customers who have been there with them for a long time period. Special care should be taken for them by following some of these steps:
- Giving exclusive discounts on few products
- Offering free branded merchandise along with a purchase
- Sending free samples of new products
- Inviting them to free webinars
- Providing them user guides
- Sending them exclusive article links
Sometimes the company can call in some well-known speaker to talk on a topic which the customers may be interested in hearing. Hence conducting webinars is also a great way to form connections with customers.
Encouraging feedback:
This is one of the most effective ways of staying connected with your clients. Customers need to feel that they are listened to and that their opinions have some value to the company. For this, survey forms can be circulated by email or text to all customers. They can also be handed out after their purchase, to be filled and submitted on spot. In this way, customers can share their honest opinions with the company and the company will become aware of their discomfort or problems which they face.
Online surveys can be created with the help of survey makers like Fynzo Survey, SurveyMonkey, SurveySparrow, Google forms, Typeforms, etc. Through this, companies can browse through a vast collection of templates and create a survey suiting their type. These surveys can be circulated to their clients and in this way, they can stay connected with their customers. The information received helps the company shape its service strategy and make the necessary improvements in service quality.
After receiving any kind of feedback you can send a “Thank you for your feedback” message to them which will show that the company values each and every feedback received.
If any negative feedback is received from the customers, the company can call or email those clients and ask what exactly disappointed them. They can also be assured that such an incident will not happen again and some sort of compensation can be provided in return. In this way, the customers will not lose trust in the company and will remain satisfied.
Pick up the phone and stay connected with customers :
Gil Effron, cofounder of the Growth Team (a coaching and consultancy firm) had said- “There’s nothing more direct than picking up the phone to call a customer or client”. In a world that is saturated by one-way communication, calling a customer to apologize or inform them about ongoing incidents is a prime way of keeping connection with your customers. Being accessible over the phone makes the customer understand that the company is available to hear out their problems whenever they are in need.
Do not forget special dates:
For some B2C companies like restaurants, retail chains, hotels, etc. special dates like their customer’s birthdays and anniversaries must not be forgotten. Special offers or discounts can be given on those dates. At least a “Happy birthday” message will make the customers feel important. In this way, companies can establish a deeper connection with customers by allowing special privileges on the day of their birthday or anniversary.
Moreover, it is seen that building a good rapport with your customers is more important than focusing extensively on digital technology. In spite of having great content, some companies fail to attract and retain customers due to their inability to maintain a strong connection with them. An impressive customer service helps the company stay in constant connection with their clients. By offering facilities like access to exclusive content, free trials, webinars, and many other techniques, companies can build a consistent bond with their customers.
