How to make customers LOVE your brand
Although it seems fairly obvious, the level of your business’ success really does depend on the way you treat your customers. It’s essential to build strong customer relationships; to show them they’re important to you, whilst continually striving to meet and exceed their expectations. A happy customer equals a loyal and longstanding customer!
We have many automated ways to communicate with customers, but in doing so, we can easily become perceived in a bad light for an un-personal and cold customer service approach. People want to speak to people, not a robot.
Just one bad review or comment about your brand can reach many people on social media and damage your reputation. It’s important you manage any negative feedback quickly and efficiently, which will only further demonstrate your company’s dedication to excellent customer service.
So, what can you do to improve your customer relationships and make them fall in love?
Communicate
Speak and interact with your customers – before you press send on that e-mail, why not pick up the phone instead? We often have little time for telephone conversations when a quick e-mail can do the job, but making the effort to call will often lead to conversations that would never have taken place over e-mail, and will further enhance your relationship.
Satisfy expectations
Gather feedback from your customers to see how you can develop your offerings, rectify any issues and show your company’s dedication to improving customer service. Send a satisfaction survey to a customer after they’ve purchased; a wealth of information can be gleaned from customer feedback, and be it good or bad, it can be imperative to ensuring customers stay on board.
Thank your loyal customers with a gift…i.e. promotional item!
Say thank you to your customers for their business – with branded merchandise and gifts of course! These are our four best ways of utilising promotional products to say thank you:
- Send a surprise Birthday gift to your top 20 customers
- Give your customers a thank you gift on their 1st year anniversary of being a customer
- A Christmas gift is always well received and ideal to say thanks for their custom over the year
- Or just an impromptu promotional product surprise to show you care!
The customer is always right
No matter what we do, things go wrong that are beyond our control, but you must always remember the golden rule – No matter the circumstance, grit your teeth, take a deep breath and silently repeat to yourself, “The customer is always right”. Firm foundations for a long customer relationship can be forged by how you handle an unfortunate mishap. Think about the longevity of the customer rather than the initial loss.
Offer something unique
Stand out from your competitors and show your customers how you’re different. Whether that be your industry experience, excellent customer service, your workforce, or perhaps the personalised user experience your website offers. Work out what your point of differentiation is and shout about it, as it will be key in a competitive industry and also gives your current customers reason to stay with you.
If you’d like to use branded merchandise to thank your customers, provide staff incentives or just for a new and innovative way to market your services, then give us a shout now! Call 01200 450 005 or email sales@love.tobrand.co.uk