What to Pay Attention to in the Service You Offer to Always Have Loyal Customers
Service is the feeling—good or bad—that a customer experiences when they are in contact with you or communicate with your business. It starts from the moment they are welcomed into your store and continues to how quickly you respond when they send a question through your Facebook page. What you must always remember is that the customer will evaluate your service based on their own unique criteria.
Providing excellent customer service is vital for the reputation and overall success of any business and the people who work within it. Customer service has the power to be, on its own, an element that can make you stand out.
According to a global Salesforce survey (a leading CRM software company), 79% of consumers consider the service experience they receive to be as valuable as the products or services they purchase from a business. An even more striking finding from the survey is that 67% of respondents stated that their expectations for high-quality service are higher than ever before!
All customer experiences with a business are shaped by the following 4 Ps:
- PROFICIENCY: the human skills of the staff
- PRODUCT: the quality of the products purchased
- PRESENTATION: the impression of the “packaging” or how the product/service is presented
- PRACTICES: the efficiency and friendliness of systems and processes that allow the customer to enjoy the service or product
What customers really need are: Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Emotional Understanding.
One of the biggest challenges faced by people working in customer service today is that consumer expectations are constantly changing, growing, shrinking, and adapting to the environment.
Their demands, needs, and desires determine how they feel about the level of service they receive, and their satisfaction depends on how well their current expectations are met.
This means that we must be able to adapt to the customer and provide excellent service every time. The important thing to remember is that the definition of good service is determined by the customer, not by us.
To provide flawless service to your customers, some of the things you should do are:
- Smile
- Make eye contact
- Use their name
- Give your full attention
- Show respect
- Remain calm and confident
- Be clean and well-groomed
Every business’s interaction with customers mainly requires 6 key skills:
- Make the customer feel special
- Manage first and last impressions
- Maintain a positive attitude
- Communicate clearly
- Show high energy
- Perform well under pressure
Customer Loyalty
Customer loyalty is the ongoing belief that your products are the best choice available. This belief comes to their mind every time they consider purchasing products in the category you sell. Loyalty also means that customers will stay with you even when problems arise, willing to discuss solutions with you. They will continue to support you even when approached by your competitors in any way. Loyalty means they will be there with you, ready to invest time to help improve any weaknesses, based on the success of your previous collaboration.
The Benefits of Loyal Customers
They buy frequently and are usually willing to pay more for what they want, providing greater stability to your business’s cash flow. They are the informal promoters of your bakery, saving you time and money. They are the best ambassadors for you and your products. Word-of-mouth advertising is the strongest and most effective form of promotion. They are willing to “forgive” mistakes, especially when they see that these are corrected immediately. This is highly appreciated and leads them to become even more loyal. Your relationship with them becomes even stronger. Loyal customers understand your business processes and the effort you make better than anyone else, and they contribute with their suggestions to your immediate improvement.
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