Why attentive customer service will generate repeat customers that are loyal to your brand

Engaging with your customers is a chance to develop trust and loyalty offline and online. From the moment of engagement, springs the start of the service journey and the first impressions your customer makes about your business.

Intuitive, relevant, quality customer service is essential in attracting your ideal target market and retaining it. By tuning in to your customers’ needs, and valuing them and their interactions with your business, you can tune up your service and ensure a loyal customer base into the future.

Value equals usefulness: honour the customer exchange

For retailers, the key strategy in developing quality online customer experiences is to narrow the gap in your focus between bricks and mortar sales and online customers. The effort you put into the offline customer experience should mimic the environment you provide for your online customers.

This includes how you personalise service, your response time in answering queries or issues, and the value you provide in your communications.
We all value our time and so do our customers. Valuing their time is important in a marketplace that has infinite global choices and competitors to your brand. Customers should feel that they benefit from engaging with your business, not just from the product or service purchased. If you can show how you value your customers by providing service and content that is useful to them, you will go a lot further in retaining top-of-mind and ongoing loyalty.

As a business owner, you are at other times in your life also a consumer, a browser, a seeker, a shopper. Consider what you expect in a retail environment and an online retail environment. What would be satisfactory? What would exceed your expectations? What would keep you coming back? Apply this mindset to your customers’ experience and provide service accordingly.

Going further you can utilise various online and social media tools to survey your customer base. It’s worth segmenting your database and asking them about their preferences and priorities. The results of what is meaningful and of value to them will help guide your sales and customer service initiatives.

Consider a range of assets or added value items you can provide to give you an edge over your competitors. Beyond stickability, what other features would be valuable in your industry and keep your customers returning to your website? It could be a free downloadable video, fact sheet or article. An asset of value beyond a first purchase discount cuts through more deeply to develop a customer’s perceived value of your brand.

Merge your worlds — offline and online customers are the same people

If you watched customers walk into your storefront and just leave, with no interaction, you would take action to improve the customer experience and service to drive sales and repeat business.

In the online world, it is much the same. Only 5% or less of customers make a purchase or enquiry when they first visit a website. There is a large opportunity here for businesses to increase lead and visitor conversions online. It’s worth remembering that like yourself, these are people, not just page clicks. They have wants, needs and expectations, just like in-person customers.

In simple terms, it’s best to approach online customers exactly the same way as you would in the offline environment. Depending on your business you may offer a try-before-you-buy service, a try-on period, or a money-back guarantee. It may be that you offer tasters that can be replicated online with vouchers and bonus gifts with purchase. If your sales staff are very hands-on and customer-focused, consider a website chat function that can facilitate an efficient and valuable interaction for both the business and clientele.

Don’t leave them hanging

Service after the event is often a missed opportunity and the customer experience doesn’t end at a sale. The after-sales experience is an effective way to build customer loyalty, yet many businesses have a wide gap here and miss the chance to build on the customer relationship. By putting thought into post-sale service, you can generate more positive reviews, identify and resolve any issues, generate word of mouth and reputation, and increase repeat business from your loyal clientele. They know that they are being looked after.

Aim high in providing the best service throughout the sales process.

If you don’t drop off the radar once the transaction is complete, you can still be of value to your customer and your business.

Following up on sales with an email, service survey, gift, maintenance tips or helpful information that relates to your product are just a few ideas.

The cost of acquiring a new customer is always greater than the cost of selling to an existing customer who values you.

By nurturing loyalty, you can reward your customers with service and added value, retain their business, and achieve your business growth goals.

Remember that in the end, it’s about listening. Taking the time to tune in, understand your customers’ needs and respond appropriately, will create a more valuable customer experience and a better relationship. The care factor goes a long way.