No matter what industry you are in, your business is for people. If your business doesn’t know what your customers like or dislike, they will highly likely jump ship to another vendor to get a sense of personalized connection.
Personalization - ensuring your customers feel listened to, understood, and cared for - is essential in retaining customers. Forty-four percent of consumers report they will buy again after a personalized shopping experience.
When people are treated with a high level of respect and personalized interaction, they become loyal customers. In today's world where an average customer gets a higher number of choices than ever in history, if a business doesn't acknowledge the importance of it, they will lose their customers at the drop of a hat. We've asked our team members how to build lasting customer relationships in businesses.
Provide Excellent Customer Service
Customer service is the foundation of any successful business. It is human's basic desire to want to feel valued and heard, and businesses that provide that experience with excellency can foster strong relationships with their customers. One of the most important aspects of it is responding to customer inquiries and concerns promptly, including answering phone calls and emails quickly, and ensuring that customers do not have to wait too long for a proper response.
Tailored Communication
Don't think that mass email blasts will get your people's hearts. Instead of bombarding previous customers' inboxes with general offers, consider utilizing customer analytics to customize and personalize your messages.
For instance, you can figure out what kind of products or services a customer would be interested in purchasing in the future from his/her data. Also, diversify your communication: instead of sending new offers, throw different messages such as reminding them about upcoming products and major news in your industry. You can also send happy birthday messages based on personal information. Use your creativity and make your messages interesting!
Strive to Exceed Expectations
Building customers' loyalty is closely related to going above and beyond expectations. Providing them with more than they expect will surprise them, ensuring they feel respected and valued.
Achieving this requires a team effort: No matter whom your customer works with, he/she should always walk away fully satisfied. Don't assume that your employees will figure out how to successfully serve the customers on their own! Once you hire them, it is now your responsibility to ensure that they reach the high standard you've set. Train your employees on how to handle customer inquiries. You will also need to provide them with adequate tools to make their jobs efficiently.
When your customers find that you always exceed their expectations consistently, you’ll stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impression.
In today's highly competitive business environment, customer retention should be one of your top priorities. It’s easier to retain an ongoing customer than to bring in a new one. Research also proves that good customer experience serves as a natural marketing campaign itself. Just like any other relationship, building strong customer relationships requires time and work. However, the payoff to your businesses will always be worth the extra effort.
By responding promptly, being courteous and respectful, training employees, personalizing interactions, and following through on promises, your impact of developing stronger customer relationships will spread further than ever. Just like any relationship, strong customer relationships require time and work. However, the payoff to your business will always be worth the effort.
With ARS/Global Emergency Management...
For strategic working relationships beneficial to both parties, ARS / Global Emergency Management hosts regular events with property managers, providing insight and strategies contextualized to their building(s). This approach has proven to increase connectivity, interaction, and awareness of available resources, bringing a sense of community to the industry. We champion effective communication with both residents and members of the board, providing updates on project progress and the next steps in the process of mitigation and restoration – proven support in client and employee retention.