Research shows that when we experience quality customer service, we’re likely to tell two or three of our friends and family about the brand, products, and services we received. Conversely, when we have a negative customer interaction, we share our experience with upwards of a dozen people.
Given how important word of mouth can be for the growth of small businesses, it’s important to deliver consistent, highly-quality customer experiences.
Of course, delivering on customer expectations is easier than it sounds. Not sure where to begin? Allow us to guide you through a few actionable tips to help improve the way your organization interacts with customers.
How to Improve Your Customer Service within Your Business
#1: Seek Feedback
It’s impossible to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. If you’re hoping to transform the way your organization engages with your customer base, start by seeking feedback about their experiences. Surveys, questionnaires, and focus groups can shed light on issues, give you insight into what’s working, and provide a path forward.
Just remember the Golden Rule as you solicit feedback by treating customers the way you’d like to be treated, you’re more likely to receive quality reviews and testimonials. Start by designing a quick and simple three-question survey. By limiting the number of questions you ask, you up the odds of participation.
Decide on your customer service priorities and craft questions around them. For instance, if you’re hoping to better understand customer motivations and incentives, consider asking them about what brought them to your store or your website that day. Quick, targeted questions allow you to gain a comprehensive insight into the subject areas in which you’re most interested.
Follow up survey participation efforts with a thank you. A quick note and coupon code or freebie can go a long way to show customers how much you appreciate their insight. If you have regulars who are particularly passionate about your brand, consider inviting their feedback on a regular basis. Creating buy-in with customers can help your entire organization flourish.
#2: Do a Deep Dive Into Customer Complaints
With newly solicited feedback on hand, you’ll be able to do a deep dive into what makes customers tick. Understanding the root of customer complaints can help you develop policies and procedures to mitigate issues before they happen. Once you’ve collected feedback and complaints, be on the lookout for emerging patterns. When are you receiving the most complaints? How are customers lodging their complaints? What, ultimately, is failing – the process, the products, or the people?
Make no mistake about it: the process of sorting through complaints and feedback can be overwhelming at first. That’s especially true for new small business owners who find themselves pouring hours into their organization and getting mostly complaints in return.
It’s important not to take negative feedback personally. Instead, look to complaints as opportunities for improvement. By taking an objective look at the most common customer concerns, you’ll be doing your business and your customers a real service.
#3: Set Employees Up for Success
Good customer service often comes down to attracting the right staff. If you’re not hiring based on customer service experience and skill, you may struggle to consistently deliver the kind of customer experience you’re seeking.
That’s not to say quality customer care can’t be taught – in fact, even the most talented customer service professionals need regular training to keep their skills fresh. If your team lacks the sufficient knowledge required to deliver on customer expectations, it may be time to offer more comprehensive training.
Start by imagining your ideal employee and how they might interact with a customer. Script this out – while it might feel forced or awkward at first, the words you write will be incredibly revealing. Scripts for call handling can actually do wonders to create the kind of customer interaction you’ve always dreamed of offering. Instead of feeling stilted, conversations flow more easily because employees have a script to fall back on when they’re not sure what to say.
Happy employees make for happy customers. When your staff feels valued and supported, they’re more likely to go out of their way to satisfy the public. Make honest conversations a part of your employee development policies. Taking time to listen to the thoughts and concerns of your front-of-house employees can pay off in spades.
If workers feel overwhelmed, for instance, you may want to consider outsourcing certain administrative aspects of their duties. Even the slightest reduction in daily tasks – like answering the phone – can free up employees to dedicate more time to in-store shoppers.
Final Thoughts
Even if the customer feedback you solicit is overwhelmingly positive, there’s always room for improvement. By consistently focusing on evolving your customer experience, you’ll build trust, drive sales, and improve customer loyalty.
Keeping customers happy is what will keep your business going for years to come. Deliver consistent, high-quality online and offline experiences, and you’re sure to cement your success for the present and future.
