When was the last time you took the pulse of your customers? If you don’t recall, now would be a good time to take a look at your relationship with your customers. Over half of consumers have simply taken their business elsewhere after receiving less than satisfactory customer service according to a report from Microsoft. That’s a lot of unhappy customers when you should be concerned with your customer satisfaction.
So, what should customer satisfaction look like? It’s not rocket science. It’s all about being available to provide assistance and guidance for the people that help you pay the bills. It comes down to how much you are invested in making those people happy. If you regularly give them the kind of service they think they should be getting, you have an excellent chance of retaining them for years to come. On the other hand, if you don’t treat them as important and show genuine concern for their satisfaction, you shouldn’t be surprised when they take their business elsewhere.
So, is there some mysterious, top-secret formula for keeping your customers happy? Not really. The key is to commit from the top on down providing an unmatched experience every time you engage customers.
Keep It Simple Stupid – Customer Satisfaction
When potential customers are searching for a product or service, they aren’t looking for an exhaustive explanation of your business or a description of everything your business has to offer. They want a solution to a problem or need they have and they want it in a timely fashion. This produces the highest customer satisfaction.
Putting obstacles in their way or giving them the run around is only going to frustrate them. At this point, you run the risk of them looking elsewhere.
By making the method of getting support clean and simple, you avoid further frustrating someone that may already have spent more time than necessary in their search for a solution. Treat your customers like you wish to be treated. Make it easy for them to change or cancel orders and make a return. And, don’t make them wait for help.
Show Some Love – Customer Satisfaction
By offering individual attention, you will leave a lasting impression with your customers. If they know they can get quick answers and help, they will be more likely to return. And, just as importantly, recommend you to their friends. Referrals are a huge source of potential revenue.
Think about a time you were frustrated searching for an answer only to be transferred from one person to another. Along the way, you have to repeat your story and still don’t get the resolution you are after. Now, imagine how much better your experience would be if you had individual assistance from someone you could count on. Providing that one-on-one service goes a long way to cultivating a long-term relationship. But, it doesn’t stop there.
Now that you have started the relationship with your customer, you need to nurture it, just like any relationship. Once the problem is solved, follow up with your customer to ensure the solution satisfies their need. According to SuperOffice, almost 70% of customers who leave a company say it’s because they think you don’t care about them.
This relationship-building goes for every aspect of your business. After onboarding a new client, is there someone assigned to check back and make sure that the new customer is satisfied and has all of their questions answered? You need to make sure they know your business is truly committed to their satisfaction.
Be Ready to Get Your Hands Dirty
If you don’t make the effort to do whatever it takes, your workers and your customers will assume you are not really committed. Your customers need to know that the dedication to customer service begins at the top.
Not only will having your management roll up their sleeves and pitch in to show that your company as a whole cares about customer satisfaction, but it will also provide some great insight for upper management. Unless you know what your customers are actually experiencing when they interact with your company, you won’t be able to address what changes may need to be made.
Keep it Local for Customer Satisfaction
If you think outsourcing your customer service department is going to be the solution to saving money, consider the big picture. Cheaper does not mean better – especially when it comes to keeping your customers happy. The savings you may see in the short run may be offset by problems down the road dealing with communication issues, differing time-zones, or response time. Consumers are willing to spend more for exceptional service.
Just like any long-term relationship, customers need to believe that you care about their needs. To grow the relationship, your customers need to trust you enough to gain a sense of loyalty. If you give them a reason to trust you, they will repay that trust with loyalty. Eventually they may even promote your business. Carolina Digital Phone has all the tools you need to provide your customers with timely and superior customer service.
Of course, Carolina Digital Phone is committed to providing the best possible customer service to our customers. We provide one-on-one service and our support staff is located at our company headquarters in Greensboro, NC.
If you would like to learn more about our commitment to customer satisfaction, call us at (336) 544-4000. Or chat with us during business hours by clicking the chat icon on the bottom of your screen. We are a local Greensboro, North Carolina-based business with over 100 5-star reviews!