4 Ways to Enhance your Customer Service Strategy
Last week we talked about how the road to customer service perfection is a tricky one, this week, we’re going to dive in a little deeper on how to get the most out of a great customer service strategy.
1. Make It Personal
This is one of our favourites at AQ, we’re all about making it personal, because, as our CEO likes to say: it is personal! Customer service is a very personal business, and you – and your whole company – have to own it, take responsibility for it, and realize just how important a role it plays in your entire approach to business.
Making it personal goes beyond that, however. It’s about making every customer interaction a human interaction. Making the human connection is key to assuring customers that you care about their needs and satisfaction.
2. It’s About Their Needs
Speaking of customer needs and satisfaction, don’t for a minute fool yourself into creating a strategy that is about your company needs and satisfaction. A great customer service strategy is all about catering to customer requirements. Go with the market, not against it!
3. Be Approachable & Available
One of the things we see time and time again in our mystery shopping reports – and in our Global Fashion Benchmark Reports – is that one of the key driving factors in customer loyalty is making sure that frontline staff are approachable and available to provide help and assistance when the customer needs it. I’m sure many of us have walked into a department store and not seen a single staff member able – or, more importantly, willing! – to help us answer a silly little question like ‘Where can I find tissue paper?’. Not only is it frustrating, it will drive customers to the competition, where customer service may not necessarily be better, but at least staff are on hand to help.
4. Generate Loyalty
Everything in business is about loyalty, about brand advocacy, and about sales. By creating a strong customer service strategy that creates great customer communities, we allow for customers to know that they are valued, and nothing is more, well, valuable, than a customer who feels valued.
