4 Ways to Show You’re Dedicated to Customer Happiness
If there is any reason for being committed to customer happiness, it directly correlates to your happiness. The more happy your customers are, the more your business will be successful. Of course, this is a lot easier said than done. In a perfect world, our products would speak for themselves, and all you would have to do is sell them.
But no. The human element is a huge part of customer happiness. So how can you become dedicated to customer happiness and watch your sales take off? Here’s how.
What Do Customers Look For?
The first trick to making your customers happy is knowing what makes them happy. You don’t need to give out trophies and awards to do this. Sure, running a few specials and rewarding customers for loyalty is a good idea, but you can make customers happy by understanding what they seek.
1. Appreciation
More than anything, customers want to feel appreciated by the company or brand that they are shopping from. Your customers want to know that it matters to you that they bought and used your product, so let them know. Anytime you make a sale, don’t be shy about letting your customers know how much it means to you. You can take it further by offering discounts for their next purchase or reward points for continued business. By showing your customers how much they mean to you, they are more likely to return to your brand. This is a great way to build a good reputation and increase brand loyalty.
2. Honesty
Another important thing is transparency. This is something you should think about when you are setting up your business or your brand. What do we mean by that? You should have a mission statement or a vision for your brand right from the beginning. Who do you hope to help with your product or services offered? Why are you passionate about your product or services offered? If you have a story behind your product or service, you are more likely to hit an emotional connection with your customer base.
Honesty goes even further than that, though. Maybe you are working on an upgrade to your product. Let the customers know. Maybe you have a slowdown in the supply chain, and it will take longer than desired to get a product to the customer. Let them know.
Another thing when it comes to honesty: Don’t include any hidden fees or surprise charges. It’s tacky and very frustrating for the customer.
By being honest, you are building a sense of trust with your customer base. They will think more of you and have more faith when it comes to relying on your product.
3. Responsiveness
Feedback is a great thing. However, the number of times we see business owners taken aback by negative feedback is surprising. If you receive negative feedback, you should think of it as a good thing! Listen, the customer may not always be right, but most of the time, they are. If you listen to your customers and make changes based on the feedback you receive, customers will notice this. Not only will they notice it, but they will appreciate it in spades.
There are other ways to be responsive. For instance, with your customer service team, you want them to be direct and prompt. Nothing is worse than waiting around for an answer about a concern you have about a product. The thing is, every customer you interact with is going to tell someone else (maybe several others!) about the experience that they had. You build a reputation one customer at a time by offering prompt and direct customer service. This will go a long way in how others view your brand.
4. Ease
Lastly, and maybe most importantly, make the experience easy for the customer. Your website should be easy to navigate and engaging. Your customer service staff should be prompt and direct. You should be honest about what to expect with your products or services. If you have policies such as return policies, make them very clear and easy to understand. Remember, customers have more options now than they’ve ever had. Not only that, but the accessibility of these options is overwhelming. You want to ensure that the process is as easy as possible for your customer because another company or brand can easily replace anything that is a hassle.
By taking these simple steps, you are showing your customers that you are dedicated to their satisfaction and happiness, which ultimately leads to more business and a satisfied and happy you.
Mike Szczesny is the owner and vice president of EDCO Awards & Specialties, a dedicated supplier of employee recognition products, branded merchandise, and athletic trophies and awards. Szczesny takes pride in EDCO's ability to help companies go the extra mile in expressing gratitude and appreciation to their employees. He resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.