One fact remains in business; you can’t survive without customers. A business without clients is like a well without water. Whether you are into products or services, a business is worthless without clients. In business today, sales representatives go through a lot to secure new clients and face a lot of challenges to retain old ones. Customer retention is a critical aspect of business. Achieving customer retention entails much more than selling a good product or offering good services.
As Henry Ford said,
it is not the employer who pays the wages, employers only handle the money. It is the customers who pay the wages.
Good companies always know how to regain lost customers and turn them into loyal ones as well as keep the ones they have. If you’re looking to retain your customers and nurture those long-lasting, loyal relationships, here are some rules that you should consider following.
Your Best Employers Should Be on the Front Line: A strategic way of handling things is to put your best people on the frontline. Competence really matters in customer care; not everybody is suited or well equipped for the role. One must have the capacity to relate well with clients, exceptional personality, a positive attitude, as well as great listening and problem solving skills. Only people who possess such attributes should be allowed to relate with your clients.
Know What Customers Want: Knowing what your customers want at all times is vital. A feedback form is very important if you plan on sustaining a successful business.
Product and service knowledge from the customer’s side is imperative because based on their feedback and suggestions, you can make major improvements. Never neglect criticism, rather welcome it with an open heart and improve on it. Clients will always be loyal when they see their thoughts and suggestions are being implemented. Listen and keep record of what your clients are saying.
Create 24 Hour Presence: Customer care, like the nameimplies, is caring for your customers; both new and old. Your presence means a lot to your clients; be there for them around the clock if possible. Quick responses via telephone, e-mail and social media, both on and off business hours, matters. Create a designated team that can handle such services, they should be able to access all customer information remotely in order to provide solutions where necessary.
Go the Extra Mile: Everyone loves to be treated special, most especially a faithful and paying client. Sometimes you can give out products or render services with high value at low cost. It’s a special way of showing your clients that you care them. Some ways you can do this is through offering free services, deliveries, and giveaways. In the real sense, it costs the company nothing but from the customer’s point of view it’s a great deal.
Know your customers closely: Good relationships tag along with high sales.Once you develop a strong relationship with your customers’sales follow. Think about what’s best for them, i.e. product updates, deals, improvements, and helpful tips for using new products. Ask for personal information like interests, hobbies, birthdays etc. This is one strategy that keeps clients and makes them feel significant as opposed to just a tool for money making.
Alongside all of the aforementioned, always remember the customer comes first so immediately take responsibility for inefficient services and always apologize when a customer is dissatisfied. Remember happy customers make a happy company.
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This article was first published on 24th May 2014
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One fact remains in business; you can’t survive without customers. A business without clients is like a well without water. Whether you are into products or services, a business is worthless without clients. In business today, sales representatives go through a lot to secure new clients and face a lot of challenges to retain old ones. Customer retention is a critical aspect of business. Achieving customer retention entails much more than selling a good product or offering good services.
As Henry Ford said, it is not the employer who pays the wages, employers only handle the money. It is the customers who pay the wages.
Good companies always know how to regain lost customers and turn them into loyal ones as well as keep the ones they have. If you’re looking to retain your customers and nurture those long-lasting, loyal relationships, here are some rules that you should consider following.
Your Best Employers Should Be on the Front Line: A strategic way of handling things is to put your best people on the frontline. Competence really matters in customer care; not everybody is suited or well equipped for the role. One must have the capacity to relate well with clients, exceptional personality, a positive attitude, as well as great listening and problem solving skills. Only people who possess such attributes should be allowed to relate with your clients.
Know What Customers Want: Knowing what your customers want at all times is vital. A feedback form is very important if you plan on sustaining a successful business. Product and service knowledge from the customer’s side is imperative because based on their feedback and suggestions, you can make major improvements. Never neglect criticism, rather welcome it with an open heart and improve on it. Clients will always be loyal when they see their thoughts and suggestions are being implemented. Listen and keep record of what your clients are saying.
Create 24 Hour Presence: Customer care, like the nameimplies, is caring for your customers; both new and old. Your presence means a lot to your clients; be there for them around the clock if possible. Quick responses via telephone, e-mail and social media, both on and off business hours, matters. Create a designated team that can handle such services, they should be able to access all customer information remotely in order to provide solutions where necessary.
Go the Extra Mile: Everyone loves to be treated special, most especially a faithful and paying client. Sometimes you can give out products or render services with high value at low cost. It’s a special way of showing your clients that you care them. Some ways you can do this is through offering free services, deliveries, and giveaways. In the real sense, it costs the company nothing but from the customer’s point of view it’s a great deal.
Know your customers closely: Good relationships tag along with high sales.Once you develop a strong relationship with your customers’sales follow. Think about what’s best for them, i.e. product updates, deals, improvements, and helpful tips for using new products. Ask for personal information like interests, hobbies, birthdays etc. This is one strategy that keeps clients and makes them feel significant as opposed to just a tool for money making.
Alongside all of the aforementioned, always remember the customer comes first so immediately take responsibility for inefficient services and always apologize when a customer is dissatisfied. Remember happy customers make a happy company.
