Sept. 14, 2022 / Industry News
It’s clear that building customer loyalty and trust is a worthy goal for any
business. 5% increase in customer retention can boost your profits by as much as
95%, and the rewards for gaining and maintaining customer trust are massive. The
home appliance business is no exception. However, it’s not something that can be
done overnight, there are actionable steps to help pave the way toward this
goal.
1. Offer Excellent Customer Service
Good customer service is the quality and timely assistance provided by a
business and its employees to the people who use or buy its products and
services. The most important rule in providing excellent customer service is to
get to know your product or service and your customers as well. On the one hand,
you should know every aspect of the product or service you are selling. Ideally,
you will be able to discuss its features and uses. For example, if you recommend
a microwave oven to your customers, you need to gain
their trust by definitely showing your customers the advantages they get from
using your product or service and troubleshooting anything that is not working
correctly. On the other hand, providing great customer service means knowing who
your customers are and what they want. When you have a better understanding of
your customers and what drives them, you’ll find it easier to offer them the
personalized customer service they need. As for how to understand your customer,
I will mention it later in the part titled Ask for
feedback.
Another factor in good customer service involves the timeliness of your
responses. Customers appreciate a speedy response to their inquiries, especially
when they have a time-sensitive request. For good customer service, try to
return all phone calls and emails within 24 hours and let them know how long it
will take you to assist them.
2. Be transparent with customers
It is critical to be transparent with customers from the onset if you intend
to be successful, even though it is scary to be transparent. Being transparent
is ideal for your business growth and gaining customer trust. To be transparent
with your customers entails being transparent with your employee. Companies shy
from practicing transparency internally, in turn causing hesitation to offer the
same to their customers.
Customer relationships and employee development, in general, are the
backbones of the company. The culture of transparency help businesses set
themselves up for success. It ensures the provision of information on products
and services pricing and timelines for a realistic delivery of a service or
product. This complete honesty with clients helps in increasing levels of
customer retention and meeting their goals, leaving them a happy lot.
If you are a restaurant owner, don’t be afraid to let your clients into your
kitchen. The fear that letting clients in will worsen the situation is unplaced
since trends suggest that giving transparency a chance leads to the improvement
of everything and helps in building trust. Allowing your client, to once in a
while, view the procedure and the process used to come up with those amazing
food and that equipment like your carefully-choosing
refrigerator that keeps the food safe and fresh means allowing
your clients to weigh your hard work and innovativeness applied in
production.
3. Ask for Feedback
And yet it’s a gift to know what people are really thinking about you. This
is true in all realms of your life, especially for your business. Asking
customers for feedback benefits your business by providing data that can shape
the way a business serves existing customers and attracts new ones. Feedback
offers you an opportunity to improve your products or services.
There are plenty of ways to ask for customer feedback, especially through
digital methods:
a. Send an email
Requesting customer feedback through email can be an effective way to connect
with consumers. One way to reach out through email is to Include a survey.
Surveys provide structured response templates with quantifiable data.
You can also collect open responses in your email. This kind of response can
provide you with detailed information about customer choices and habits.
b. Use a pop-up survey
Ask for feedback immediately after a customer experience like a live chat or
an online purchase. Pop-up surveys can take the form of a rating where customers
choose the number of stars to assign to their experience. Surveys can also
consist of a numerical choice where the customer chooses a high or low number
with the option of adding a comment. Pop-up surveys are a fast and quantifiable
way to ask for customer feedback.
c. Add a poll on social media
Companies can use their social media channels to ask for customer feedback. A
quick poll where followers simply click response is a great way to gather data.
Keep social polls short and easy to answer.
In an age where consumers have unprecedented access to information and a
massive platform to air out opinions and grievances, generating and maintaining
customer trust and confidence is essential. So Try everything in your power to
serve, delight, and empower your customer base.