3 Ways to Improve Your Customer Experience
According to Oracle’s Customer Experience Impact Report, 86% of people will pay MORE for better customer support. That is the number worth noting and considering as we start a new month.
When it comes to customer retention, a great experience adds ongoing value to whatever you’re offering. It’s truly the key, the secret sauce, to longevity and loyalty! In fact, that report also found that on average, “happy customers tell an average of nine people about their experience.” These are numbers we simply cannot ignore no matter your market!
When was the last time you evaluated your customer experience? What kind of feedback have you been receiving? Is your team up to date on these reports?
The customer experience needs constant consideration and care. So, to begin, let’s talk about a few ways you can up your game and improve on your current experience with some simple adjustments!
1. Get offline!
One of the number one ways you can improve your customer experience is by expanding your outreach to offline methods. If your dominant communication with clients or customers is through email, then it’s time to think outside the box!
One of our favorite ways to connect with clients is through handwritten notes. Whether it’s a simple thank you for using your services or a personal check-in, little gestures like this go a long way when it comes to loyalty.
Is one of your clients experiencing a big life update (i.e.: wedding, new home, new baby, etc.)? Why not go the extra mile and send a small gift to congratulate them? Finding ways to connect beyond the screen personalizes your business and shows your customers you care about them as a person, not as a dollar sign.
2. Go above and beyond!
If you’ve ever been to your local Whole Foods, you’ve seen a great example of this tactic. You’ll notice that if you ask an employee the whereabouts of a certain product, they won’t just give you an aisle number. They’ll take the time to stop what they’re doing and walk you to the aisle themselves.
It’s little extras like this that lead to the brand loyalty we all crave! And all it takes is a bit of care.
How can your team incorporate this above and beyond approach? Is there a problem with a customer’s account or does it need certain updates they can do themselves? Make the updates for them!
Does your client have a troubleshooting issue with one of your services? Go beyond a message bot and hop on a Zoom call to help with the issue.
Finding little ways to go above and beyond and reduce the amount of work the customer has to do will do wonders for your overall retention, and all it takes is a little ingenuity and creativity to find what methods work best for your company!
3. Be a joy!
This may sound simple, but we’ve all seen this in action. If you’re not a joy to work with, no one will want to work with you. It’s just the truth! So when it comes to customer experience, it’s important to make every attempt at a pleasurable connection.
Let’s face it, most small businesses cannot compete with large competitor prices. Even if the smaller business offers a better product, it’s the lower price that tends to win out. However, if you’d like to increase your pricing in the long run, then competing on customer experience is your edge.
If you already have an audience that loves your product, then make sure they also love doing business with you. It’s as simple as that! If you’re providing above-average service, your customers will be willing to pay above average for your products. It may take time, and it will definitely take some creative solutions and more than one evaluation meeting. But in the end, the results won’t lie.
You can do this! You can change your customer experience today by choosing to simply consider your current approach. This is the season for this work. If you want to stand out, if you want success amidst the uncertainty, it’s going to take some shifting.
Customer experience can affect everything, from marketing strategy to website configuration. It can make or break sales. It can improve or implode customer retention. So it’s worth thinking through now if you’d like to see some amazing results in the future of your company.
If your customer experience feels a bit lacking, it could be because of your brand identity. We’re here to help you! If your branding could use a refresh or you need a consultation for the next steps, let’s set up a time to chat!