HOW TO RECEIVE LOVE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

HOW TO RECEIVE LOVE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

Can you name a nine letter word that is absolutely necessary to succeed in any business?

 If you can’t, we can. That word you’re looking for is referrals.

We know that getting referrals is easier said than done. Which brings us to the next question: How does a company or business receive a referral?

Well, that’s easy. A company or business will receive referrals from customers or clients that love them.

Yes, the four letter word that some of us love to hate.

Outstanding customer service can bring a customer or client from liking you, to loving you.

Need proof? Look at how American Airlines deals with customer service through Twitter. Sometimes it can be a difficult task getting customers or clients from liking you, to loving you. Receiving those referrals is not easy but creating buzz around your company or business can boost sales tremendously. Take a look at these  testimonials that QCSS received from clients.

We’d love to share with you how we bring our clients from the like stage to the love stage.

Maintain a relationship

The most important part of a relationship is maintaining it.

If you want customers to come back for more, you better be staying in contact with them. Relationships can’t maintain themselves and it’s always going to be a two-way street.

It’s necessary to maintain a relationship with customers while doing business with them. Check in with clients and customers. Make sure that they are receiving the results that they were expecting from your product or service.

This will show customers and clients that you don’t just care about your own goals but you care about their goals, also.

Be Consistent

Of course, it’s hard not to pick favorites. It’s possible that you have clients and customers who have been with you from the very beginning. These relationships are most likely extremely important to you. It’s probably difficult for you to direct your attention to new clients when you are so worried about maintaining relationships with old clients.

Consistency is what got you these lifelong customers so it’s important to remember to remain consistent.

Show your love to your VIP consumers but show love to new consumers too. Let them know how much you appreciate their business. Focus on new customers and maintain relationships with old ones by staying consistent.

Be consistent with your business and you will find that most new consumers will turn into lifelong ones. Give consumers a reason to fall in love with you.

Every single client or customer matters, not just one.

Follow-Through

Follow-through in what you do.

Don’t tell clients or customers that you are going to do something and never end up doing it. This will frustrate consumers and when was the last time you fell in love with someone that frustrates you?

It’s easy to get sidetracked and to continue to put things off until the next day.

With customer service, we obviously do not recommend this.

Stick to your word. If a customer calls asking you to send over a quote that you promised, send the quote right after you get off the phone. Hold yourself accountable so that your consumers can count on you. 

Trust is a crucial part of a relationship, especially one that involves love and referrals. 

Follow-Up

Follow-through AND follow-up! Stick to your word and make sure your consumer was happy with the results.

Did you send over the quote? Call the customer later in the week and make sure they got the quote you sent over. Ask them if they looked over it and if this is something they would be interested in but don’t force it!

If the consumer says they haven’t had a chance to look over something, mention that you will give them some more time and call back in a week or two (this is where you must follow-through). Then in a week or two, actually make sure that you pick up the phone and call them (this is your follow-up).

Notice how we’ve been mentioning that you must pick up the phone?  Yes, this is a necessary step in the customer service department! Emails are easy to send and not as time-consuming but guess what? Calling someone is a lot more personable.

Give a voice to your company or business.

Listen

What your consumers are saying matters. Listen to what they have to say so that you can improve business and get even more people to fall in love with what you do. Listen to what people are saying through social media, testimonials and by simply asking them.

Ask them what you can do to improve service and genuinely listen to the answer.

It’s easy to go into denial after listening to what consumers have to say. Avoid doing this and use the positive and negative feedback as a stepping stone to improve business.

Does the truth scare you? Don’t let it. Surveying is a great way to ask for honest feedback from clients and customers!

Build Trust

The foundation of any relationship: Trust.

A characteristic that is hard to come by these days but the business industry is built on it. If you want a client or customer to love you, they must trust you first. How do you get them to trust you, you may ask?

Well, maintaining the relationship, consistency, follow-through, follow-up and listening are just a couple of ways to do this. It’s important to show consumers why they should trust you instead of trying to just tell them why they should trust you.

Also, it’s important to note that trust takes time. It won’t happen overnight but it can be broken that quickly.

Always Deliver

Similar to following through, it’s important to always deliver.

Deliver your best effort so that results can be seen. Live up to the expectations you have held for yourself and your business or company. Others are expecting you to do the same.

If your website or your sales people make a promise to a customer or client, live up to that promise. If you sell quality clothing and the clothing isn’t quality then consumers are going to be upset, as expected.

Prove to your clients that you have what it takes to be the best in the industry.

Say “Thank You.”

This is very important.

As human beings, we like to be appreciated. Thank your customers and clients as often as possible. When hanging up the phone, say thank you. When sending an email, say thank you. Most importantly when in face-to-face interaction, say thank you.

There are many ways to remind consumers that they matter to you. A simple postcard or a thank you card can make another persons’ day. Make it personal. Let them know that their business matters to you and that they are appreciated.

Customers and clients want to know that they matter and that you are grateful for them. Thank them for their time because if you don’t they might just move on to the next company. 

QCSS stands for Quality Customer Service & Sales. Our team at QCSS embraces communication and innovation to transform human interactions into powerful and passionate customer experiences. QCSS currently provides outbound and inbound telesales, appointment setting and lead generation solutions. For more information, visit https://www.qcssinc.com/or call (888) 229-7046.