“Customer service is the experience we deliver to our customer. It’s the promise we keep to the customer. It’s how we follow through for the customer. It’s how we make them feel when they do business with us – Shep Hyken.
Brand loyalty and customer service go tandem. And the consequence? Repeat buying. Referrals.More sales. Raving fans. Endless!
While these appear smooth, effortless; you may want to think about the ugly sides to this, just enough for you to consciously and aggressively build your brand around it.
Supply and demand can be flipped as easy in the hands of customers, so it’s pretty rapid to go from a favorite brand to an irrelevant one (and vice versa).
For customers, there’s one sole experience that they’re yearning for – one that will be a claim, a lockdown, a guide for all of their future experiences with your business. Left to themselves, they can’t make choices that they can be sure of, or that they can guarantee. They come, because they somehow trust that you will show them the ‘light.’ And if it’s a bad experience, they spread the gospel to friends and family. If it’s good, it works just the same way.
“Customer service has more in common with selling an identity than it does with selling a product” – Than Merrill
Every customer is on a journey, and you have to help define that journey for them. Remember, they are the reason you started out in the first place. You wouldn’t want to expend all your energy and resources on a product, only to discover that no one is willing to buy.
Customer service is servicing your customer, making sure that he/she is fully satisfied every step along the way. It’s connecting much more than the buy-sell and allowing your voice to be heard. It is building deep, meaningful relationships. It’s why they come first.
“Listen to your customers, or you will have none” – Zach Hendrix.
Undoubtedly, your business may not be the perfect fit for everyone, and that’s fine. You can’t please everyone, but you can work your way through a few. While you’re at it, never assume for your customers. Don’t assume that you’re great at what you do. You wouldn’t know for sure, judging from your perspective. Your customers are your mirror, so you should listen.
Assumptions are the termites of relationships” – Henry Winkler
You could conduct a market survey, profile your customers into categories, or what you could call buyer persona. Ask questions. Listen to their pain points. Address their needs and solve the same. Be sincere and transparent because your customers are watching.
Do these, and watch your customers become evangelists for your brand. Not just that, you would get a due knowledge of your reach of influence in the market, and see how you can break even more.
“Customer service is an attitude – not a department” – Mo Hardy
Customers always have a need, and they want it to be resolved as quick. So, they come to the brand. They don’t think to go to the customer service department. They don’t know if there’s a specific number they should call. They just go. It’s why you should incorporate quality customer service all through. You would want your customers to have the ultimate personalized experience. Wouldn’t you?
“You’ll never have a product or price advantage again. They can be duplicated easily, but a strong customer service culture can’t be copied” – Jerry Fritz
Creating an emotional brand stems from designing a corporate customer culture, which, in the end, fosters healthy relationships. And that’s the bottom line.
