Author: Ellen Dohm
Understanding your customers is the key to giving them good service. To give good customer service care you must deliver what you promise. But great customer care involves getting to know your customers so well that you can anticipate their needs and exceed their expectations.
There are three main ways to understand your customer better:
- Put yourself in their shoes – does your office look scruffy, is the receptionist unfriendly or do your phones ring off the hook? All of these things can make a customer feel disappointed. The most common customer complaint is being kept waiting. If you’re slow to return calls or fulfill orders, you’re in danger of losing customers. Understanding your customers and improving your service must be a priority throughout your business, from the front desk to the delivery staff, everyone should focus on exceeding customer expectations.
- Using data to understand your customers – investigate the data you have on your customers. Look for patterns so you can see when your customers typically place orders. You can also use this data to analyze your performance. Check how quickly you’re responding to orders or delivering goods.
- Ask them – conduct a customer satisfaction survey. This will make your customers feel valued and you will also gain valuable insights. Don’t ask for feedback though if you’re not prepared to make changes. When you do make improvements, let your customers know that this is a result of their feedback. Surveys can tell you things you may not know, including staff behaviors. Not everyone complains when they’re dissatisfied, instead they tell friends and take their business elsewhere. Unless you proactively consult your customers, you may never know where you’re going wrong.