Share this
The introduction of social media provides the opportunity for consumers to speak directly with a brand and live chat systems allow customers to troubleshoot problems or complain without picking up the phone. All of this means customers have become more demanding.
There is an increasing need to deliver top class customer service that will keep you front of mind for your customers, help to encourage more referrals and spread awareness of your business.
A recent study proved that UK consumers have become more demanding and more easily disappointed by bad customer service. On this note, we’ve decided to put together five top tips to help you deliver first class customer services at your business.
1. Listen
Many of your customers lead very busy lifestyles that mean they don’t have the chance to sit at their computers typing out, or even writing, lengthy complains. You might think this is a good thing, but this now means customers are using much more accessible and quicker ways of complaining – or praising – your service. It’s important to Google your business name regularly, or set up Google Alerts which will automatically send you the results to your email. Also search on Twitter to see if anyone is tweeting about you – this could be a great opportunity to turn an unhappy customer into a returning one!
2. Give Options
Not everyone likes the same method of communication. Give your customers options on how to contact you. Some might like traditional snailmail, whereas others might prefer a Facebook post on your business page. In your ‘Contact Us’ section of your website, list out the different ways you can get in touch. For some inspiration, have a look at how Innocent Drinks do this.
3. Respond Quickly
Last week, we ordered a book twice on Amazon (silly us…). Within an hour of contacting them, Amazon had emailed us back and refunded the money. That was impressive service. Although an hour might be a bit of a stretch, try to respond quickly to your customers. You could respond just to let them know that their request has been received and is being dealt with.
4. Be Honest
This one is easy – don't lie to your customers. It will only cause more problems down the line. If you lost their parcel, or forgot to send it, apologise and make sure another one is sent out first class.
5. Encourage Return
If you have really annoyed a customer, it’s seriously worth giving them something to make it better. This could be a gift voucher, a free gift or even a bunch of flowers. Leave a good taste in their mouth and they will remember you and hopefully return.
If you are looking to improve the design of your website to give your customers a better experience, or want some training in how to use social media to make your customers happy then get in touch with us.
