We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Customers are everything in business. It only stands to reason your business should revolve around them: create products they love, offer service they appreciate, give them a checkout process they don’t hate, offer a stellar experience.
Just as importantly as all this is to show them you care.
This will help enhance your brand reputation and boost customer loyalty.
Use these business tips of the day to show customers you care.
Get to know them
Depending on the type of business you own, you might get regulars who come in more than once. This is a prime opportunity to truly get to know your customers. Hair salons and restaurants are prime examples here.
Chat with your clients and ask them about themselves. Make sure you know their names and their preferences. Make note of what they tell you. You can then refer to them by name and ask about their kids (for example) the next time they’re in, which will make the experience more personal.
This will show that you care about more than just the sale.
Be there
Woody Allen once said that 80% of success in life is just showing up. The quote is so true in this case as well. With technology advancing at such a rapid pace, it’s easy to automate most of your business and move on.
This might boost efficiency, but it can also alienate your loyal customers. Show them you care by being there – whether that’s over email, on the phone or in person – when they want a real person to speak to.
Offer your help
If you own a retail store, then it’s important to note that many of your customers may choose to walk in (rather than shop online) to get an employee’s help IRL.
Make sure you acknowledge them and extend the offer to help, without being pushy or hovering. This shows you care about their business and about solving their problems or helping them meet their goals, by offering your help, expertise, and opinions.
You can show you care by offering to help online, too, by offering live chat sessions on your website.
Use your CRM to your advantage
If you have a database of contacts, you’re in a great position to add some personal touches to your customer connections. You can add it key information that can prompt regular communications with customers in the future. For example, if you know their date of birth, you can send them a happy birthday email every year.
Host customer appreciation events
If you really want to show your customers you care, consider hosting a customer appreciation event (which is also one of the best in-store marketing ideas). This can be as simple as giving them first dibs on special offers or giving them exclusive access to an after-hours sale.
In a world where first-time customers seem to be the only ones getting great deals if they sign up (think: phone plans, gym memberships), many loyal long-time customers feel like the companies they buy from don’t appreciate their loyalty. Take a step to change this mindset.
Go above and beyond
There are many opportunities in life where you can make a small difference in a person’s life just by going the extra mile. That might mean carrying a customer’s heavy bag to their car, helping them process their first order on your website, or even offering a tissue.
In these simple actions, you can make someone’s day just a bit better, and they’ll remember it fondly.
Send personalized notes
You can find a few different opportunities to send personalized notes. You could send hand-written thank you messages with online orders. Or maybe you send a thank-you card with a small gift to your most loyal customers during the holidays.
Either way, taking the time out of your day to send a personalized note can go a long way to showing customers you care.
Ask for their feedback
People crave to feel important, and customers will appreciate you asking for their feedback, whether it’s on your user experience, your checkout process, your customer service, or your new product offering. Just make sure you actually take their feedback to heart. You shouldn’t do this just for show.
With these business tips of the day, you can show customers you care.
