4 Ways Quality Customer Service can Improve Your Business
With the dawn of the internet, customers have unlimited access to information and are thus more educated than ever. Because of this, our businesses have to compete even more to get the attention of our target audiences. Competition is no longer against that other like-business down the road. With easy shipping costs and cloud-based software, we have to compete with companies around the world. Whether your business is B2B or B2C, you’ve likely had to evolve with the times by developing a better product and increasing the reach of your target audience. These are both excellent (and necessary) practices, but this globally competitive market has demanded an increase in a third area of business that has previously been acceptable to overlook: customer service.
Customer reviews can have a huge effect on what a consumer chooses to purchase. There are two primary reasons why a consumer would take the time to write a poor review: a bad product or poor customer service. We’re working under the assumption that you’re already doing everything possible to produce the best product possible, but too often businesses don’t prioritize customer service the way they should. This is absolutely vital when you consider how much of an effect customer reviews can have on your sales. Here are four ways your company can benefit from offering the highest quality of customer service.
1) Increase Revenue
The best thing that a great customer service team can do is drive more business your way. Quality customer service keeps current customers happy, which increases the chance that they will recommend your business to their professional network. Word of mouth can be one of the most effective marketing campaigns out there if your customer service and product are strong enough to back it up. Consider Amazon. As a business, they’re universally known to deliver quality products in a timely manner, so there is no question that they offer an amazing “product” (i.e. fast and efficient delivery). However, it’s their customer service that sets them apart. Their return policy is simple and painless, and this is a huge driving factor to their outstanding success as a business.
2) Retention
It can be argued that retaining current customers is more important than developing new ones. Whether you agree with this or not, you can’t deny that both concepts are important for success. When you have a customer that is satisfied with your product, it is worth spending the time and resources to keep them satisfied. After all, it takes a lot more work to get new business in the door than it does to maintain what you currently have. Of course, you have to spend time prospecting for new customers, but your customer service team should be there to delight your customers from start to finish. At Dominion, we have a Business Development Team that is dedicated to prospecting for new clients, a Client Retention Team that meets with current clients to ensure they’re perfectly satisfied with our service, and a Client Solutions Team that is available for assistance with any software-related questions. This system has been instrumental in our success since, at any given time, clients and prospects are only a few minutes away from speaking to somebody who can answer all their questions.
3) Branding
We’ve already covered how word of mouth is great for bringing in new business, but this also ties in directly with your company brand. When you’re known as a business that offers excellent customer service, it becomes part of your brand, and this is what’s going to set you apart from your competition. Your customer reviews will speak for themselves, so it’s important to have case studies and client success stories readily available for prospective clients to read. As a member of the marketing team here at Dominion, I know all too well how every single person in our company is a part of our brand, and their interactions with clients or prospects define who we are. That is why customer service pays a huge part in what you stand for. Every interaction your customer service team has leaves an impression that will shape your brand into the success you want it to be.
4) Loyalty
When you offer great customer service, you create a sense of loyalty in your customers. This is crucial for success since loyal customers are going to be less likely to run to your competitors any time they send out a new promotion. It costs an incredible amount of money to repair a damaged online reputation, but only a few bad reviews to break it in the first place. By putting measures in place to prevent bad reviews, you can save your business a ton of money. Things happen and people have bad days, so there is no fail-safe way to ensure you get five stars every time, but those customers that are loyal to your brand will definitely think twice before leaving a bad review. If you provide a great product and excellent customer service, consider asking your loyal clients to leave a (positive) review to increase your online reputation.
In a day and age where consumers have unlimited solutions for all their problems, quality customer service can set your business apart. Make sure everybody within your company is aware of its importance and you’ll start noticing improvements in your numbers in no time.
