The biggest task for any company that has a customer base, or is looking to acquire more customers is keeping them happy. When most people have busy jobs and home lives, it can be hard to keep them on the other end of the line when potential avoidable issues are likely to make them want to hang up the phone. Knowing which behaviors to stay well clear of could mean the difference between a one-star social media review and some positive word-of-mouth.
Avoid over-selling
Phrases like ‘one last push’ and ‘up-selling’ can compel the sales team in any company to over-push a product on could-be customers. Existing customers are in many ways already converted, so over-selling a product is likely to irritate them and could convince them to switch provider later on. Whether your service or product is virtual or physical the evidence suggests that being too pushy can be incredibly costly. A Consumer Reports survey found that 64% of people confessed to having walked out of a retail store because a salesperson was far too aggressive with their sales pitch. While some people may relish in being sold to, and might feel it makes them feel valued, others may feel put on the spot and anxious about the whole ordeal.
Have a strong reputation
Reputation is everything in business. With a strong reputation, your customers will have more confidence in you and the products you can offer them. This means keeping a track of your finances, and managing financial concerns, so you are never caught out. A business with financial issues is not the kind of business your target audience will turn to. Your business can suffer heavily because of this. Seek options that can ensure your business is always seen in a positive light, no matter what issues you may be facing in house. For example, if, as a business owner you have you have bad credit, seek to address this sooner rather than later. Loans like this one are available that can see you rebuild your credit while saving you money.
Always be professional
If your company has a public-facing aspect to it, presentation is everything to customers. Employees that are not professional in the way they conduct themselves with customers will likely have a big impact on your company’s image. Your employees, place of work and website should always be professional. These aspects are the face of your business, and so ensuring the best impression is made will avoid unhappy or unsure customers who do not return.
In terms of the virtual realm, having a modern, up-to-date website shows that your business is conscious of its appearance. Having a support team that are polite and devote their time to each customer do just as much as a well-dressed salesperson in a nicely-presented bricks and mortar store.
Be accessible and available
If your company is nigh-on impossible to get hold of, customers will start to wonder why. Time is also money for customers, particularly if they happen to be freelance. Wasting customers’ time tells them that their custom isn’t valued and neither is the time they took to call your company. Even if your small customer support time is struggling to manage the influx of questions, there are still options available. Using chat bots and automated services on your website show that your company is still available to help, without putting added pressure on your customer support team.
Listen to your customers
It’s easy to come across as dismissive when you’re trying to protect the reputation of your company. A list of absolute no-go phrases include: “It’s no big deal” and “You’re the first one to complain about this.” While you might think that this shelters the reputation of your company, it may actually worsen it among your customer base, as it can have the effect of belittling the person on the other end. Even if it is the first time your company has encountered this problem, then that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the first time it’s occurred. Listening to angry or anxious customers is more likely to put that anxiety to rest than just merely dismissing it.
It would seem that in order to keep customers’ faith, and not leave them feeling uneasy about your service, a combination of two things is needed: self-awareness and availability. Keeping up with finances can make customers less wary of using your services, and being available to customer questions makes your clientele feel valued. Staff training and weekly briefings ensure that your team is up-to-date with how your company not only projects itself to the world, but how it is understood.
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