Building Customer Relationships that Last and Compete in the Market

Part 1: Summary

Some points about Customer Relations (Dahlke, n.d.):

Two categories of Customers

The solution is equal to both: 

• Be honest 
• Don’t manipulate them
• If cannot answer a question – admit it, and go find the answers 
• Don’t wear different masks
• Actively listen to them
• Stop talking
• Pay attention
• Observe non-verbal behavior
• Listen objectively
• Listen analytically
• Listen with empathy
• Keep your cool 

To get this done efficiently you will need: 

• A problem-solving mindset
• An interdependent mindset 

Meaning that everyone must achieve a problem-solving mindset in order to work efficiently together and thus treat everyone with a positive relationship. Otherwise, issues will multiply and grow. When issues multiply – all customers suffer. 

Internal Customer Satisfaction Benefits External Customers (Dahlke, 2017):

When creating a working environment within the organization and creating the culture or mindset that sees each other and values each other as a customer that is important to have a good relationship with – then the benefits will trickle down the funnel to the bottom line who is the paying customer. 

The Funnel example: 

Board of Directors > County Administrator’s Office > Departments > Sections > Work Groups > Individual Employees > Customers 

Customer Relations Case Study (Dahlke, n.d.):

Providing top customer service should be an experience that people remember long after they left your store. They will keep coming back and others will join them – just as Johnny the Bagger. 

Be Authentic – 6 Key Tactics for Strong Customer Relationships (Hassan, 2017):

The business world is extremely competitive today – the question is how do you stand apart from everyone else in your industry? The answer to that would be how well can you develop loyalty among your customer base? That is by working hard on your customer relations. Here are 6 tips on what you can be doing today to build that relationship. 

• Interact like a human being: Use their names, make jokes, be personable, add value to the customer’s experience
• Know more about your customers: Learn more about what the customer is like, their interest, and what are they into – it will give you an insight to better serve them. 
• Focus on customer complaints: The customer gives you feedback on what your services or products are like. Listen to them and fix the issues. 
• Connect with customers regularly: Staying in touch with the customer shows that you care about them more than the sale itself – you are making sure that you have served them well and if there is anything you can do to make sure they keep having a great experience. 
• Build trust with your customers: Always be honest, follow up, deliver on your promise, make sure to always pay attention to the client so that they see consistency in your actions. 
• Implement inbound marketing: Create value marketing materials – such as whitepapers, blog posts, podcasts, posts on social media, etc. Instead of TV ads or other “in your face” ads. 

5 Tips to Build Strong Customer Relationships (Kappel, 2017):

Keep the customers coming back by using the following 5 tips:

• Communicate: Encourage conversation with your customers and make sure that you are solving their needs.
• Exceed Expectations: Under promise and over deliver – always have the customer leave with a “wow” factor.
• Ask for Feedback: Whether good or bad – always be open to changing what needs to be changed.
• Connect: Find ways to connect via technology and social media by engaging the customers and having full-on conversations with them.
• Show Appreciation: By creating loyalty programs or even something as simple as hand-written notes/cards. These both go a very long way with customers. 

Part 2: Discussion

5 Most Critical Actions for Customer Relations:

From the above articles and videos, I have concluded that the top 5 most important customer relations actions are: 

• Listen to the customers and be there for them (Dahlke, n.d.).
• Always make sure that you keep that problem-solving mindset (Dahlke, n.d.).
• Always look for a way to provide something special to your customers – something that will draw them to keep coming back (Dahlke, n.d.).
• Exceed their expectations and always give them that “wow-factor” (Kappel, 2017).
• Interact with your customers as human beings and keep building their trust in you (Hassan, 2017).

References:

Dahlke, Arnie (n.d.). Some Thoughts About Customer Relations. Retrieved: Touro Worldwide Database Website

Dahlke, Arnie (2017). Internal Customer Satisfaction Benefits External Customers. Retrieved: Touro Worldwide Database Website

Dahlke, Arnie (n.d.) Customer Relations At Gelson’s and Johnny the Bagger. Retrieved: Touro Worldwide Database Website

Hassan, Waqar (2017). Be Authentic: 6 Key Tactics for Building Strong Customer Relationships. Retrieved from: https://www.business.com/articles/6-key-tactics-for-building-strong-customer-relationships/

Kappel, M. (2017) 5 Ways to Build Killer Relationships With Customers. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/282364#