How important is customer loyalty to your brand? According to Accenture, 57% of consumers will spend more with a brand to which they are loyal. More importantly, one happy client will tell 11 other people about their experience.
Loyalty-building exercises are, therefore, useful in both increasing sales and reducing churn.
Accenture goes on to highlight, however, that client fidelity is dynamic. 77% of respondents confirm being quick to change loyalties and 61% had done so in the year preceding the survey. Companies must consistently work to earn their client’s trust and continued support.
Many firms respond by creating a customer reward program. While these have their place, their efficacy depends on how well-designed the system is. Such programs may prove difficult to execute and may not produce the desired results.
When service levels at the company leave much to be desired, a rewards system won’t do much to reduce churn. Firms are better off improving their service levels before trying gimmicks such as these.
With that in mind, we’ll take a different look at building client loyalty today. We’ll look at ways to improve loyalty through outstanding service.
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Simplify Customer Service with a Dedicated Omnichannel Help Desk
Source: mediaadgo.com
According to SupportYourApp, maintaining a consistently good service experience across several departments is challenging. It’s confusing for your team and makes it difficult for clients to find the correct person to whom to speak.
Make it simpler by providing one central point of support or call center. Provide the team members with the training they require delivering outstanding support and the very best customer service, and your business will reap the benefits. The benefits of centralizing your support across multiple channels include:
· A consistent customer service experience across all channels
· Clients find it easier to resolve queries
· Customers can contact the firm in the manner that suits them best
Ensure That Your Policies Support Impeccable Service Delivery
Many organizations state that customer service is a top priority but don’t demonstrate it in their policies. Excessive sales targets, draconian company policies, and a lack of empowerment often stand in the way of effective service delivery.
Firms should carefully reconsider policies that might stand in the way of delivering the service clients deserve. Trusting consultants to make some decisions about possible courses of redress when something goes wrong is a good start.
Another solid tip is to ask agents to suggest improvements in procedures. Those working directly with clients will have interesting insights into improving service delivery.
Audit Every Customer Touchpoint
Source: searchenginejournal.com
In many firms there’s also a direct division between support consultants, sales, and the back office. To ensure a consistent experience for the client, all of these departments must be on the same page.
Each division must receive thorough training in what good customer service entails. The person sending out invoices to clients is as much a part of the service experience as the frontline consultant. Each team member must deliver the best support possible.
It’s also helpful for each department to understand what the other departments do. Understanding how long it takes to marry off a statement ensures that the sales consultants don’t put undue pressure on the accounts department. By the same token, if the accounts department understands what it’s like to deal with clients face to face, they’ll be better able to deliver outstanding service.
Gather as Much Data About Your Clients as Possible
To deliver what your clients want, you need to understand them as thoroughly as possible. Use a robust CRM system in conjunction with customer feedback to learn as much as you can. Then use that information to improve your service delivery.
Start today and set a benchmark against which to measure the levels of customer satisfaction. Keep track of several metrics, such as:
· Customer Satisfaction Score to determine how your company performed at a specific point
· Net Promoter Score to see how likely your client is to recommend your firm
· Customer Effort Score to find out how easy clients feel it is to resolve their queries
You may measure each of these metrics with a simple three-question survey at the end of an interaction. Clients appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback, but make sure it’s quick and easy for them to reduce survey overload.
Other opportunities to gather feedback include:
· Client surveys
· Monitoring support calls
· Reviewing your social media pages and review sites
Always Deal With Feedback
Source: edesk.com
Clients appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback as long as it’s not a waste of their time. Actively acknowledging all input from clients lets them know that you value their opinions. Dealing with complaints timeously and fairly is a reliable relationship-building tool.
Thanking clients for compliments is equally crucial in creating a sense of community around your brand. It also shows clients that you value them and encourages more customers to leave rave reviews.
Hyper-Personalization
Hyper-personalization goes beyond addressing the client by name. It means taking that data you’ve gathered and put it into an accessible and useable format for your service consultants. Doing so allows your agents to provide customers with personalized solutions based on their history.
Reward Your Most Loyal Clients
Source: g2.com
Many companies work hard to win over new clients and customers with complaints. The loyal client base tends to get lost in the middle somewhere. Considering that they’re likely to be your best source of referrals and good reviews, loyal clients deserve more attention.
There are several ways to show them that you appreciate them. It could be as simple as exclusive sneak peeks at new products, discounts, gifts, or even a courtesy call. By touching base with these customers occasionally, you distance yourself from the competition.
Final Notes
Providing exceptional service for your clients is an investment in your business. Today it’s challenging to differentiate your business on products or services alone. Whatever competitive advantage you gain from a novel concept is quickly lost as competitors emulate your success.
By giving your clients with the service that they deserve, you engender their loyalty and ensure that they’ll become brand ambassadors.
