Customer loyalty is a tricky category, as it requires that customers identify themselves as more than just a buyer, but a willing advocate for your company. It can be difficult to cultivate customer loyalty unless the honest and trustworthy nature of your product and care can be displayed through your agents. Providing this kind of experience to each and every customer is a question of tact and strategy. Keeping yourself and your employees aware of the impact they can have on the customer experience will help to maintain the relationship therein.
One of the most influential ways to prove your worth as a company is by ensuring that your customer feels appreciated. This is the first and most important rule in customer service. Sometimes it’s worded as, “the customer is always right.†While that can be a dangerous theory and doesn’t always work, it’s good to keep in mind that the customer’s feelings and personal efforts in any interaction with your company are valid – and it’s likely that you, as the agent, could even feel the same way in their shoes. Remember that the customer is not a number, and their business is the force that keeps your company rolling. Letting the customer know how appreciated they are, is a solid foundation to improving your customer loyalty.
Another successful route to that vital metric of customer loyalty is to ensure that your staff is competent. A lot of employers use the “sink or swim†method of training which throws unwitting greenhorns directly into the customer service role without a lot of guidance or support to keep them afloat. This can create truly reliable, seasoned veterans of the customer service team, but it can also frustrate a lot of customers. Long-term buyers who come to your service center for a little bit of support every now and then have every right to expect prompt, accurate service from your channels – not just a trainee doing their best. Spending the time to give your staff the proper know-how before sending them into the fray is worth the time for your customer, and so is worth the time for you.
A third method of keeping your customer is to keep them in the know. If a customer is willing to stick around and work with your company towards a resolution, it’s imperative that that customer be kept in the loop for what processes and procedures take place. Waiting with zero updates or time frames can lose a customer in no time at all.
Customer Loyalty is the key to a successful customer base. Keep your customers in the satisfaction zone using the listed tips to keep their loyalty at an all time high.