They say the customer is always right, and when it comes to your business, putting your customers first is certainly a must. After all, satisfied customers will spread the word, speak positively of you and come back to do business with you again.
The key to putting your customers first is managing the experience they have with your business, from an inquiring phone call to shopping at your online store. So how can you do just that?
Here are some key areas to pay attention to:
First Contact (and Second and Third)
Getting in touch with you should be easy. However your customers find you, it should be clear to them how and when they can contact you, be that by phone, email or on social media.
Offering more than one contact option matters too, so your customers can get in touch in the way that best suits them. Once your customers get in touch, make sure they have a positive experience. That means short wait times whether by phone or for an email response, and knowledgeable, courteous and caring staff who know their stuff.
You can also use tools such as auto attendants to help you route your customers to the right person straight away, or remembering customer preferences on your website to make subsequent visits easier.
Focus on Usability
As the white paper “Put the Customer First: Managing the User Experience” points out, IT customers, for example, expect instant access to systems on any device at any time.
The same is true of any customer. Whatever you sell, customers should find doing business with you easy and intuitive.
You can apply this principle to everything from getting in touch with you to making sure your website loads quickly and is easy to navigate, or making it easy to log into and shop at your online store.
Hire and Train Well
Your team is key to making sure your customers have a positive experience with your business. By building a team that is both passionate about your business and committed to good customer service, you will be providing a good customer experience.
You can start by hiring staff that show genuine understanding of why customer service matters. You can also provide quality training that helps to cultivate and grow the skills needed to stay focused on the customer.
Model a customer-focused culture in your business to encourage your team to follow in your footsteps and put the customer first.
Meet Customer Needs
If you want your customers to have a good experience with your business, make sure you’re meeting their needs. That covers not only your products or services but also what your customer needs when they deal with you.
When it comes to your products and services, listen to your customers and find out what problems they have. You can do this by talking to your customers directly, by looking at what else works in your industry, or by getting on social media and listening to what they say.
You can also ask yourself what your customers need when they do business with you. From getting answers to problems, to speedy delivery, find out what they need and deliver it.
Putting the customer first means making doing business with you easy.
From browsing your website to getting in touch to receiving a high quality product and exemplary customer service, every transaction with your business should be smooth and enjoyable.
About the Author: Tristan Anwyn is an author who writes on topics including social media, SEO that works, and how to manage customer experiences.
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