In our previous article you could already get some insight on why it is crucial to invest in the relationship with your clients, and what that actually means in practice. In this second part we are going to walk you through other potential aspects that can boost your business.
Communication channels and platforms
In the 21st century we are all used to navigating the digital world and often want our problems to be solved by one click on the right website. Clients can become impatient and frustrated if they are not able to reach out to you through their preferred communication channels. The solution is to provide several options, so they can choose their favored way of being in touch. According to research, customers view phone, in-person, live chat, social media and email as the most trustworthy engagement choices. 80% of customers are more likely to purchase a product or service from a brand that provides personalized experiences. It is also known that 69% of consumers prefer to solve issues on their own, and choose to use knowledge bases over all other self-service channels. Building a knowledge base can help you reduce your expenses on customer support and increase customer satisfaction.
Reliability
How can you prove to your current and future customers that you are the best choice on the market? Having a good marketing strategy is of course essential, but spreading the word is definitely not enough anymore. Once someone becomes your customer you need to make sure they are satisfied with the value that they receive for their money. What does that mean in day to day business? It’s the quality of being trustworthy and performing consistently well. Some key factors in building that trust can be paying attention to staying probable, dependable, durable, available and adaptable. To give you an idea what these terms mean in logistics, you have to consider the things that you would expect as a customer. For example: knowing that pick-up and drop-off appointments are on time, receiving a dependable and fair price, being able to reach the company when needed at all times, and if some changes need to be done, relying on the flexibility of the service.
Loyalty programs
Why do we usually do our everyday shopping in the same chain store, buy our electronics from the same wholesaler and stop for petrol at the same fuel supplier as a driver? Habit is a powerful force, and once something has worked well, it is hard to change our behavior. Companies are aware of this and compete for our personal commitment by building loyalty programmes. How do you get a client to be committed to the brand and purchase products or services exclusively from your company? While it’s very tempting and trendy to automate everything, the first place to start building a loyalty program is with natural intelligence, not artificial intelligence. Explore the interests and goals of the company and see how a loyalty programme can be effectively integrated into the existing business model. When building a loyalty programme, it is important to think through and define the steps from the very beginning until the very end of the process. For example, you need to work out how you will invite participants, what type of digital accounts will enable them to become loyal customers, exactly what discounts they will have access to and how you will communicate about it. Once the programme is active and running, you need to take the time and energy to fine-tune it and adjust it. This is how to keep up with competitors and our own progress.
Why even make this a priority?
Needless to say that as a CEO or a manager at a company you have enough things to worry about and consider in day to day business. Why is it still worth it to put enough time and effort into managing customer relationships? Just to mention a few of the benefits that can have a surprisingly powerful impact on your business:
- The drop-out rate will be decreasing
- Positive reviews and testimonials naturally will increase and create positive word of mouth
- Return orders
- You’ll feel your clients cooperation and trust when something doesn’t go as expected
No matter what kind of field you’re in – improving the experience for your clients has been proven to improve satisfaction, revenue and retention.
