Retention and customer service constantly go hand in hand. If you aren’t treating your customers correctly, then you aren’t going to be able to keep their attention. This is why it is so important to implement multiple customer service methods so that you can always best address your customer base.
Most of the following tips are going to cover a lot about attitude, availability and working to hear the voice of the customer. Remember, hearing the voice of the customer is what helps you make the right decision as to how to help them.
Customer Reviews
A great way to show customer appreciation is through intentional customer reviews that truly ask about their experience. Don’t go for yes/no answers but instead work to see what it is that could actually make their experience better, What can help them feel more confident in working with you. Also you can also use the free shopify review app which can also help customers to know more about the product by reading the old customers reviews and also to leave the new review regarding that product.
Friendly Faces
If you have different types of customer services available, then it is important to consider having a friendly face and voice for people to connect to. Much like the friendly faces at Global Messaging, you want to implement an empathetic approach to your customers and encourage helping them as much as possible.
Personable Scripts
If scripts are more your thing to keep consistency, then that is another great way to improve retention. When you have consistency across the board in your customer service team, then customers know what to expect. You want to have personable scripts that greet the customer warmly and encourage them to talk about what is going on.
Honesty and Kindness
Believe it or not, developing a rapport of honesty among your customers is going to help you build a stronger customer base. Another way to look at this is being transparent. Do you have a lot of backorders right now? Then let the customers know. Sometimes, being honest is the best way to admit an issue and build a deeper connection.
Prompt Responses
Building rapport is all about timing. While we want to be able to respond to customers as soon as we possibly can, there are going to be times where that simply isn’t possible. This is where you have to determine how quickly you want to respond to a customer. Stick to that guideline and watch retention soar!
Availability of Resources
In the digital age, it is important to have resources for customers of all demographics and internet abilities. Make sure that you have resources for your customers on your websites and social media pages. This will help them start looking for the answers they need.
Clear Communication
One of the most important aspects of customer retention is communication. Communication doesn’t just look at how we talk to one another but how we are talking. If phone lines are fuzzy or written comments are full of errors, this makes it harder to communicate with your customers.
Apologize and Compensate
One thing to remember is to be humble in situations where you might be in the wrong. If you are, apologize. This shows your integrity as a company and helps develop relationships with your customers which leads to … retention!
Compensation doesn’t always have to be something extravagant. Including an additional sticker, item, or some sort of surprise or hand-written letter can be a wonderful compensation after a mistake has been made.
Don’t Bend Rules, Find Solutions
If customers know they can come to specific customer service representatives so that rules are bent, then they aren’t a customer that is going to stay with you. Rather, they will leave as soon as rules are reinforced!
Keep your rules enforced when working with customers because this sets a standard that they know and become comfortable with. Now, this doesn’t mean don’t help your customers.
You can look into the finer details of different elements of the company and this will help you find ways to help the customer. When you have team members that are in doubt of how to handle a situation, take a moment to hear them out and work from there.
Encouragement Goes a Long Way
Believe it or not, customer service is often about encouraging an individual. When you have someone who is unsure of the guidelines, the goal is to inform and then encourage the customer to make a decision with the information.
Think about a customer who seemed very unsure of their purchase: did you doubt them or encourage their happiness? Sometimes, encouragement can be the biggest way to retain a customer.
Conclusion
No matter how you want to approach your customers, it is important to remember that your goal is to retain their patronage. To do so, you have to develop a relationship. Customer service has so many ways to develop those relationships and hopefully there are a few new ideas in here for you!
