7 Strategies to consider in enhancing good customer relationship
They say the best experiences are the ones we go through ourselves. I was surprised when my own banker wrongly debited my account twice for a loan re-payment I had already paid off since December 2013.
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Taking the issue up, I was told nothing could be done about the situation for that moment. My monthly budget had been drawn only on the amount so deducted. I knew I had nothing on me so the second amount deducted was going to be my saviour for that hot and ‘hack my soul’ month of January in 2014.
This was when all had been spent on the festive season during the holidays. Guess what? I threatened to sue them and also close my account. By the close of the day, my account had been credited. I could survive that month. But must I be treated this unfairly by those I make money for? Certainly not; when it was a mistake on their part.
This was when all had been spent on the festive season during the holidays. Guess what? I threatened to sue them and also close my account. By the close of the day, my account had been credited. I could survive that month. But must I be treated this unfairly by those I make money for? Certainly not; when it was a mistake on their part.
Indeed, your clients are the reason why you are in business. They provide you with the money you need and invariably pay your cheques. They, therefore, form the core aspect of your business, without which you don’t have anything doing at the market place. If there is any business to do, it’s because there are clients to
If there is any business to do, it’s because there are clients to serve. If businesses are going to be successful too, it’s because they are supplying what customers also demand.
Finding ways to satisfy your clients is the most important thing to do. This can only be a reality when good relationships are established. It will promote and facilitate easy interaction for smooth business operations that will be rewarding in both customer satisfaction and shareholders’ wealth in dividends and or in profits. Trying to improve and keeping a good relationship with customers will preserve your business in these days of competition. Remember industry players all try to
Trying to improve and keeping a good relationship with customers will preserve your business in these days of competition. Remember industry players all try to outdo or out-perform one another in order to catch the attention of potential clients. Clients being the backbone of every enterprise, need to be attracted to products and services for sales and revenues. They also need to be retained to ensure
They also need to be retained to ensure regular flow of the streams of gross profits that can keep the enterprise paying off its cost and having balances to serve owner’s interests.
If there are any strategies to adopt in providing satisfactory customer service to clients, then management must do all in its power to train its clients service department personnel to provide the needed care, support and service which will satisfy customer needs and wants adequately.
I know, I am not the only person who has been treated badly by my own banker. A lot of clientele have left; being customers to numerous firms out of the frustrations they have suffered at the hands of employees. Some have left just because of hearsay of a bad customer service; and some because their expectations were not met.
Both the public and private enterprises show disrespect to a lot more customers and see no wrong in this regard. Staff sometimes feel they are rather helping clients to have access to products and services but do not know it is rather the other way round.
It is crucial to keep in mind that pampered customers are the ones who will remain loyal and become the cornerstones of an enterprise’s survival. Rightly, applying the right mix of strategies to maintain their loyalty will translate into continuous business transactions, ever assured to result into the success and prosperity of the enterprise concerned and these will come in the following ways;
Honour promises
The most important things client look out for are the things you promise to deliver. You cannot provide what you don’t have. Once you have made known what you can offer as product or service, deliver within the time limit and never fail. Customers can only do business with you regularly if they can get what you offer.
In the event there are hiccups along the way, inform clients there are going to be delays in deliveries before it’s too late. This will help avert disappointments that will let you lose them subsequently.
Go beyond expectations
Going the extra mile in your normal deliveries if it will not cost anything and affect income, is a sure way to surprise clients. This will also ginger the affection for your products, services and eventually your brand. Remember not only will this pave way for loyalty, but will prompt loyalists telling others about you and invariably bringing in more customers to your fold.
Time conscious
Responding to customer needs in a timely manner tells of how serious, professional and care you attach to their demands. This should reflect in the time phone calls are answered, times e-mails and voicemails are replied and when supplies are also delivered. Avoid delays as this can cost you to loose clients to competitors who are proactive and time conscious in their service deliveries.
Be on top of your game
Becoming an expert in your chosen field of profession will deliberately help you meet expectations. Signs that you and your staff are jerks and lack the requisite skills, know-hows and professional touch, will plunge you losing out on your clients who will have no time for your inferior products and services. Bear in mind you only get paid for your output and if it is below standards; you are out.
Correct blunders
Trying to make amends with your errors, mistakes and shortcomings should help you fix the problems when they emerge. Apologise to your customers when expectations are not met and correct problems when they occur. Take responsibilities for hiccups and quickly correct your blunders. Such will earn you the trust and loyalty of your customers who will always be prepared to associate with your business.
Communicate well
It is essential that management sees this as the focal point of the relationship to customers. Being able to relate well with clients with soft spoken voices, accommodating body language as seen in smiles, a listening attitude and avoidance of the use of jargons, will induce clients to favour being with your company than any other.
Know your clients
Having a database of your customers with enough details is the first step in knowing your customers well and their real needs. Despite identified needs that you supply, with clients coming over to buy, try maintaining a relationship that would help boost continuous business links with them.
Client names, phone numbers, locations and e-mail addresses, all help to get in touch faster than waiting to meet again at the sales point of the organisation.
A quick call to enquire of needs, an e-mail to request if supplies can be made before stocks run out and just a wish or greetings for the season’s best, all make customers feel appreciated, valued and cared for. Really, what a way to maintain the relationship.
Conclusion
Enhancing good customer relationship entails training and psyching everybody up in the organisation to be fair, honest and going the extra mile beyond schedules to give a helping hand to customers.
It definitely need not be the job of the customer service representatives alone to be courteous to customers but everyone else that works in the firm. It should, therefore, be a culture, not even the norm to be hospitable to all clients. Advisedly, management needs not to play this down. — GB