In the world we live in today a firm’s biggest concern is, “Am I understanding my client enough?” Customer loyalty in this day and age is far more difficult to win over than it used to be, mainly because consumers have more power than ever before. This inconvenience is thanks to technology.
The importance of Feedback
Consumers of any age are knowledgeable about social media, online shops, and also review sites. They’ll definitely consult their friends and read review sites before purchasing products. While you might not be able to control what they hear via word of mouth you can ensure that you always present the best representation of your brand.
Regardless of whatever business sector a firm operates in, feedback is essential! It’s fundamental that you track customers’ experiences as from start to finish and see where their positive experience breaks down. For some it might be positive throughout, for others the positive experience might disappear as soon as they reach your website.
Whether the experience is negative or positive you should do your best to ensure that you improve the experience for the customer. This will show that you care about their satisfaction and will give them a positive impression of your brand – leading to good publicity for you!
The double-edged sword of going digital
Go Digital – but stay true to your human roots!
A mistake that is often made by companies, especially the older ones, is that they don’t step into the digital world. If you look outside for a mere five minutes, you’ll immediately notice that half the people surrounding you are all face down looking at their beloved smart phones, learning new things which interest them- even though 99% of the time they are playing Candy Crush or whichever game happens to be trending at the time!
Nonetheless, in today’s world promoting your firm on social media is considered to be essential! Statistics show that 63% of adult smartphone users can’t go an hour without checking their social media accounts.
Simply creating an account on the most relevant social media platform, or at the very least having a decent website that is social media friendly is already a big step in the right direction – you’ve instantly done your audience a huge favour, helping them get in touch and find the information they need whenever they need to.
Customer and client interaction
It’s important to be present online when your customers look you up, but keep in mind that if a person is looking you up, they’re expecting to speak to a human and not a robot. Interaction with clients in a human-to-human context is vital if you’re hoping to build a relationship with your customers, regardless of technological barriers.
If we take into consideration a particular product, you can always show the product’s process, as well as the people who make this process possible rather than just posting a photo of the product on a shelf in the showroom and its corresponding price tag. Customers love knowing from where their products have actually come from while unwrapping the story behind them.
Opinion sharing
Last but not least, social media is now the place where customers share their opinions about companies. We have all heard about the “Are you being served?” Facebook group which has been a big hit in the local scene. Social media as well as review sites now make it so much easier for the individual to express his or her true opinions; be it opinions of dissatisfaction, or else of contentment. The online world is the platform where they can be brutally honest, as well as feel a particular power… that of influencing others.
So remember the customer might not always be right, but in today’s world, the customer needs to be pampered and truly cared for. Open your eyes, prick up your ears, log on to the new reality and take the time to really get to know your customer.
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