Forget the customer satisfaction surveys. When it boils down to determining customer loyalty, there are only two questions that you need to ask your customers:
"Will you do business with us again?"
"Will you recommend our business to others?"
If your customers answer "yes" to these questions, thank them profusely. They've just saved your company a fortune in marketing.
If your customers answer "no" to the questions, immediately ask them, "Why not?" Then, follow up with a more important question, "What could we have done differently?" Are your customers telling you that everything is fine, implying they are satisfied? If so, you may have a problem, because 65-85% of customers who say they are satisfied, actually switch to the competition.
Satisfied customers are neutral. They're keeping one eye on the road to see if someone out there will give them better value for their money. Don't settle for satisfied customers if you want to stay in business and secure your job.Here are 7 ways to move your customers from satisfied to loyal:
1. View every customer interaction as a golden opportunity.
Every interaction you have with a customer gives you the opportunity to strengthen the loyalty bond. Your customers are measuring how they are treated by every employee who provides any service. These contacts can be face-to-face, by telephone, by email and even by other written communication.
2. Deliver more than your customer expects.
Be very realistic when making even the smallest promises to your customers. In other words, don't promise anything you are not absolutely sure you can deliver. Then, take your service one step further to surprise your customers. For example, call your customers back just to thank them for giving you the opportunity to handle their service requests.
3. Greet every customer like a special friend.
Customers are thrilled when they deal with service providers who seem genuinely glad to work with them. Your whole face needs to light up with joy when they walk through the door. Greet them quickly and sincerely. If you are on the telephone, don't forget that your customers can hear a "smile" in your voice. Remember, you are talking to another person, not a headset. Even the tone of your customer email messages needs to sound friendly and gracious.
4. Ask your customers detailed questions about what they like and dislike.
Invite feedback by asking your customers to tell you how they felt about their service experience. Rather than reading from a survey or a script, simply chat with your customers and ask them what they like and dislike about doing business with you or your company. Ask open-ended questions that encourage their suggestions for improvements. For example, "Mr. Schmidt, I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how we can make it even more fun to do business with us."
5. Make your customers feel important.
Feature your key customers in the company newsletter or, with permission, post their comments on your website. Introduce them to other employees when they come in to do business. Notice and acknowledge their accomplishments. For example, when one of my clients was featured in a local magazine. I purchased a copy of the magazine, attached a hand-written congratulations note and mailed it to him.
6. Communicate with your customers frequently. Stay in touch with your customers. Be proactive in keeping them posted about the status of their order or complaint resolution. Send them birthday and holiday greeting cards. Pick up the phone and call just to say, "Hello." Make sure there are no strings attached such as a sales pitch.
7. Reward your customers for their loyalty.
Don't ever take your regular customers for granted. Frequently remind them that they are genuinely appreciated. Extend a loyal customer discounts or waive small fees such as shipping expenses when they place their next order. Send them hand-written "thank you" notes that include a small gift such as a pen, gift card or calendar.
Vendors are customers, too. Treat the people who provide you with products and services with the same respect you treat your paying customers.
"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
source :Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com]
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Customer Loyalty Tips. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Customer Loyalty Tips. Tampilkan semua postingan
Rabu, Juli 01, 2009
Senin, April 13, 2009
Quality of Service is Based on Customer Perceptions
What are your customers saying about you?
What do they tell their colleagues, other people in their industry, people within their own organization?
What do they say about doing business with your company?
Your business is judged whenever you interact with your customers, and it can be as simple as how your phone is answered.
What happens once the phone is answered?
Are the customers put on hold? Are they are put into a queue?
Are they put into a phone system that is just a pain for them to navigate?
The friendliness of the employee who actually handles the calls plays a very critical role in how companies are perceived by their customers.
After I presented customer service training at a large company, the CEO told me privately that he has an individual on his team who is an extremely nice young woman. "She really cares about the customers," he said. "She is easy to work with and has been with the company for quite a long time. However, I often hear complaints about her from our customers.
" I asked, “What are they complaining about?”
He responded that customers have told him they found her to be rude, cold or abrupt on the phone. He was surprised because she is usually warm and friendly to her co-workers. So he started paying careful attention to the way she was handling customer calls. He discovered that when she takes a call, she shifts into a high intensity mode. She is so concerned about the customers' needs that she tries to make sure everything is communicated perfectly. She worries about missing information or making a mistake. As a result of her intensity, her tone of voice changes. She concentrates more on the task, and forgets about expressing the warmth and empathy that is so important in building customer relationships.
Tone of voice plays a major role in shaping your customers' perceptions of service when you are handling their calls. While it's important to answer calls quickly and address your customers' concerns, it's even more important to build positive relationships.
Remember that every employee is the company. When your customers get off the phone, they are turning to their co-workers and saying, "Wow, XYZ is a great company to work with." While they might get off the phone and say, "Tom Smith is a great guy," there is still the perception that the employee represents the whole company. Every interaction you have with the customer impacts the overall image of the entire organization.
There are several published studies that reveal that the mood of your customers can have a significant impact on their perception of the service they received from an individual in your company. For example, if a customer has been waiting for a long time in your phone system queue, their perception of the friendliness of the person who actually takes their call may deteriorate. They are frustrated about waiting so long and may blame the service provider.
A customer who had a bad day on the golf course will be more likely to have a negative perception of service at the clubhouse than a golfer who had a great score. What a customer remembers about service is not just dependent upon the usual suspects of first and last impressions, it is dependent upon every interaction that occurs between the customer and the service provider.
Customer service is like a brand. It is what the customer perceives and remembers about the service that they receive. What a customer perceives is not necessarily the service that was actually delivered. Each interaction makes a lasting positive or negative impression on your customers. Kindness, respect and warmth are essential elements of service. Simply focusing on tasks can cause your customers to get the wrong idea about the quality of your service.
source: Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com] -Quality of Service is Based on Customer Perceptions- Issue #310
What are your customers saying about you?
What do they tell their colleagues, other people in their industry, people within their own organization?
What do they say about doing business with your company?
Your business is judged whenever you interact with your customers, and it can be as simple as how your phone is answered.
What happens once the phone is answered?
Are the customers put on hold? Are they are put into a queue?
Are they put into a phone system that is just a pain for them to navigate?
The friendliness of the employee who actually handles the calls plays a very critical role in how companies are perceived by their customers.
After I presented customer service training at a large company, the CEO told me privately that he has an individual on his team who is an extremely nice young woman. "She really cares about the customers," he said. "She is easy to work with and has been with the company for quite a long time. However, I often hear complaints about her from our customers.
" I asked, “What are they complaining about?”
He responded that customers have told him they found her to be rude, cold or abrupt on the phone. He was surprised because she is usually warm and friendly to her co-workers. So he started paying careful attention to the way she was handling customer calls. He discovered that when she takes a call, she shifts into a high intensity mode. She is so concerned about the customers' needs that she tries to make sure everything is communicated perfectly. She worries about missing information or making a mistake. As a result of her intensity, her tone of voice changes. She concentrates more on the task, and forgets about expressing the warmth and empathy that is so important in building customer relationships.
Tone of voice plays a major role in shaping your customers' perceptions of service when you are handling their calls. While it's important to answer calls quickly and address your customers' concerns, it's even more important to build positive relationships.
Remember that every employee is the company. When your customers get off the phone, they are turning to their co-workers and saying, "Wow, XYZ is a great company to work with." While they might get off the phone and say, "Tom Smith is a great guy," there is still the perception that the employee represents the whole company. Every interaction you have with the customer impacts the overall image of the entire organization.
There are several published studies that reveal that the mood of your customers can have a significant impact on their perception of the service they received from an individual in your company. For example, if a customer has been waiting for a long time in your phone system queue, their perception of the friendliness of the person who actually takes their call may deteriorate. They are frustrated about waiting so long and may blame the service provider.
A customer who had a bad day on the golf course will be more likely to have a negative perception of service at the clubhouse than a golfer who had a great score. What a customer remembers about service is not just dependent upon the usual suspects of first and last impressions, it is dependent upon every interaction that occurs between the customer and the service provider.
Customer service is like a brand. It is what the customer perceives and remembers about the service that they receive. What a customer perceives is not necessarily the service that was actually delivered. Each interaction makes a lasting positive or negative impression on your customers. Kindness, respect and warmth are essential elements of service. Simply focusing on tasks can cause your customers to get the wrong idea about the quality of your service.
source: Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com] -Quality of Service is Based on Customer Perceptions- Issue #310
Kamis, Januari 22, 2009
Establishing Trust is the Key to Customer Retention
As hard as it is to get new business, many companies drop the ball when it comes to keeping that business. Contacting your customers is an excellent way to establish trust. It's dangerous to take your current customers for granted. They want to know that you are thinking about them all the time, not just when you are trying to sell something. It's easy to come up with lots of excuses for not calling your existing customers:
"I'm too busy with my day-to-day tasks."
"I have deadlines to meet."
"I don't want to be a nuisance."
"I'm afraid if I call, I may hear complaints."
Take for example, Josh DeTar, a financial adviser with Edward Jones who was featured in a recent Wall Street Journal article. He knows that his customers are dealing with high levels of fear and stress due to the current economy. He also understands that there's a good chance that when he calls his customers, he's may get an earful of complaints about the market stress. He said that his role has become almost like that of a therapist. Still, Mr. DeTar checks in at least once a month with each of his customers. By finding ways to stay in touch, he is building the trust that is essential to customer retention.
Phone calls are a great way to keep in touch, but if you're worried about becoming a nuisance, there are other ways to let your customers know they are valued. For example, Mr. DeTar reads the obituaries and sends condolence cards to any customer who may have lost a loved one. You can send birthday cards, articles, tips or simply a hand-written note thanking them for doing business with you.When your customers hear from you on a consistent basis, they trust that you genuinely care about them as individuals. Your contacts do not have to be business-related. Last spring, I heard about some serious flooding in the western part of Wisconsin. I knew that one of my customers owned a summer home in that area so I called to let him know that I was concerned about him. He wasn't in when I called, so I simply left a voicemail expressing my concern that his property and family were safe. Several months later he called to thank me and indicated that he had really appreciated my message. Not every contact will translate into business, but not contacting your customers on a regular basis may translate into lost business.
Source: Loyalty Leader Quick Tips - Issue #301 "Establishing Trust is the Key to Customer Retention"
"I'm too busy with my day-to-day tasks."
"I have deadlines to meet."
"I don't want to be a nuisance."
"I'm afraid if I call, I may hear complaints."
Take for example, Josh DeTar, a financial adviser with Edward Jones who was featured in a recent Wall Street Journal article. He knows that his customers are dealing with high levels of fear and stress due to the current economy. He also understands that there's a good chance that when he calls his customers, he's may get an earful of complaints about the market stress. He said that his role has become almost like that of a therapist. Still, Mr. DeTar checks in at least once a month with each of his customers. By finding ways to stay in touch, he is building the trust that is essential to customer retention.
Phone calls are a great way to keep in touch, but if you're worried about becoming a nuisance, there are other ways to let your customers know they are valued. For example, Mr. DeTar reads the obituaries and sends condolence cards to any customer who may have lost a loved one. You can send birthday cards, articles, tips or simply a hand-written note thanking them for doing business with you.When your customers hear from you on a consistent basis, they trust that you genuinely care about them as individuals. Your contacts do not have to be business-related. Last spring, I heard about some serious flooding in the western part of Wisconsin. I knew that one of my customers owned a summer home in that area so I called to let him know that I was concerned about him. He wasn't in when I called, so I simply left a voicemail expressing my concern that his property and family were safe. Several months later he called to thank me and indicated that he had really appreciated my message. Not every contact will translate into business, but not contacting your customers on a regular basis may translate into lost business.
Source: Loyalty Leader Quick Tips - Issue #301 "Establishing Trust is the Key to Customer Retention"
Kamis, November 13, 2008
Building Customer Loyalty : Harley-Davidson's Experience
The Harley Hoopla: Building Customer Loyalty
During August of 2008, several hundred thousand Harley-Davidson® motorcycle owners from all over the world descended on Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They came together to celebrate the company’s 105th anniversary. So why all the hoopla? What has Harley done to build this immense base of loyal customers? Let's take a look at five Harley strategies that you can apply to your business to build customer loyalty:
1-Sell An Experience Visit the Harley-Davidson® website and you'll see "Experience" as one of the buttons. Offer value to your customers that goes beyond the purchase. Provide resources to help your customers get the most out of your products or services. Harley® offers ride planners, educational materials, customer support, riding classes, tip sheets and organized tours.
1-Create An Emotional Connection With Your Customers
Focus on building relationships based on emotional connections with your customers.
Find out how they "feel" about doing business with your company. Do they feel reassured, confident or inspired? Do they feel that it's easy or difficult to access service? Successful businesses are sensitive to customer wants and needs. See yourself through your customers' eyes and remember they need more from you than just basic service.
3-Give Your Customers A Sense Of Belonging When you buy a Harley, you become a member of a family. Harley-Davidson® established the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) in 1983 in response to a desire by Harley riders for an organized way to share their passion and show their pride. Today, there are more than 750,000 members of H.O.G., and it’s continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Any organization can create a family atmosphere for its customers.
4-Send Your Employees To The Customers Employees at Harley-Davidson® are encouraged to get to know the customers by working at a rally or riding in demo ride. This brings them closer to the customer and helps them to relate to customer needs. Most of the employees become Harley owners or riders.
5-Bring Your Customers Inside Your Organization Offer tours of your company. If you don't have a physical location your customers can visit, you may want to give them a virtual tour of the company via a website. Include photos of your customer service team and customers using your products. Keep the site up-to-date with the latest news releases about the company. Invite key customers to your annual meeting and ask them to talk about the good and bad aspects of doing business with the company during the past year. Employees will find this more interesting than listening to someone from marketing say, "Here are the customer satisfaction survey results."
source:Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com]
During August of 2008, several hundred thousand Harley-Davidson® motorcycle owners from all over the world descended on Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They came together to celebrate the company’s 105th anniversary. So why all the hoopla? What has Harley done to build this immense base of loyal customers? Let's take a look at five Harley strategies that you can apply to your business to build customer loyalty:
1-Sell An Experience Visit the Harley-Davidson® website and you'll see "Experience" as one of the buttons. Offer value to your customers that goes beyond the purchase. Provide resources to help your customers get the most out of your products or services. Harley® offers ride planners, educational materials, customer support, riding classes, tip sheets and organized tours.
1-Create An Emotional Connection With Your Customers
Focus on building relationships based on emotional connections with your customers.
Find out how they "feel" about doing business with your company. Do they feel reassured, confident or inspired? Do they feel that it's easy or difficult to access service? Successful businesses are sensitive to customer wants and needs. See yourself through your customers' eyes and remember they need more from you than just basic service.
3-Give Your Customers A Sense Of Belonging When you buy a Harley, you become a member of a family. Harley-Davidson® established the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) in 1983 in response to a desire by Harley riders for an organized way to share their passion and show their pride. Today, there are more than 750,000 members of H.O.G., and it’s continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Any organization can create a family atmosphere for its customers.
4-Send Your Employees To The Customers Employees at Harley-Davidson® are encouraged to get to know the customers by working at a rally or riding in demo ride. This brings them closer to the customer and helps them to relate to customer needs. Most of the employees become Harley owners or riders.
5-Bring Your Customers Inside Your Organization Offer tours of your company. If you don't have a physical location your customers can visit, you may want to give them a virtual tour of the company via a website. Include photos of your customer service team and customers using your products. Keep the site up-to-date with the latest news releases about the company. Invite key customers to your annual meeting and ask them to talk about the good and bad aspects of doing business with the company during the past year. Employees will find this more interesting than listening to someone from marketing say, "Here are the customer satisfaction survey results."
source:Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com]
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