In the best of all worlds, happy customers mean loyal customers. Loyal customers talk, create buzz and can be an advocate that leads to more customers. Customers want an exceptional experience and will quickly switch to another company to get that experience. Average and mediocre will be your ticket to customer loss.
In a recent survey done by Forrester Research, 76% of executives said they want to differentiate with a customer experience. However the majority of the same executives state no clear strategy or budget have been created to support this goal.
How can you stand out from the crowd and move to delivery vs. intention only? Get started with these strategies:
- Allow team members to use common sense and discretion. Do you have enough data at the fingertips of everyone so this is a reality? Customers do not want to repeat themselves to multiple people. They do not want to demand a manager. They want a real person who can listen and act.
- Make it easy and simple for the customer across all channels. The best companies are diligently working at “marrying” the information from the multiple channels that the customer accesses. Don’t let one touchpoint be the reason they leave you. Customers have high expectations for a consistent experience across their choice of channel.
- Make exceptional experience an expectation. Train it, reward it, imagine it and allow it. Customer loyalty depends on a knowledgeable, well trained and likeable team.
- Deliver proactive service. This is the key to staying ahead of your competition. Reach out with information before the customer encounters a problem. This is a cultural shift away from reactive service. Proactive means anticipating needs, communicating and building trust.
Customers want an outstanding experience and will shop around for it. Make certain you deliver one that causes them to stick around.
This article by Lisa Ford was first published on business2community.com.
Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change. Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service – Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits.
