Keeping Your Customers Happy With Every Aspect Of Your Business
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For any business to succeed, they need customers. Most businesses rely on repeat customers and customer loyalty for a large percentage of their takings. This means that customers are your most important asset. The more you have, obviously, the more you will make. But, it isn’t just about getting customers. You have to make them happy to come and buy from you again. It isn’t too hard, but there’s a lot to think about. To help you out, this post will take you through some common areas that can make customers unhappy.
Customer Service
Customer service is all of the contact you have with your customers. This includes every communication method you use, including online. Of course, you should always treat customers in the fairest way possible. But, for truly excellent customer service, you need to be prepared to go well out of your way to make sure customers are happy. Replies to customer queries should be handled within 24 hours. Otherwise, the answer may not be relevant anymore. And, customer service should always be consistent. You should always treat every customer in the same way, and never give one more than you would give another. Having a policy set up for customer service will make it much easier to keep things moving fast and friendly.
Social Media
Social media is just as important as your customer service. In fact, you can consider social media to be a kind of customer service, in itself. Of course, this means that it’s important to remain consistent and replying regularly. When things get busy, though, it can be hard to reply to every comment. So, it’s best to only respond to things that you can help with directly. Building up a bit of rapport with customers through social media can be a good idea, but it can also take a lot of time. It’s much easier to get carried away and be inappropriate on social media. Afterall, it’s a place that most people go to relax. But, you’re still representing your company. So, any content should be professional and free from bad language!
Your Website
Customers will often refuse to use a website if it’s filled with bugs or it’s hard to navigate. It makes a company look unprofessional and lazy if their site is hard to use. So, it’s important to make sure that your website is nice and simple. You can use services like Wix and Squarespace to build your own website using a set template. This means that you don’t have to hire a developer to help you, and will make the website look good. It’s worth writing and grammar checking all of your content before it goes online.
Shipping And Returns
When a customer makes an order, they will usually be excited about it. This means that they will take your estimated delivery times quite seriously. Some customers will even scour your site for mentions of delivery times if they’re hard to find. Shipping from home is usually too much for a new business to manage. So, it’s best to have another company to do it. Services like www.unifac.com/services/warehousing-and-fulfillment offer a way for you to get your products shipped, without most of the effort. Instead of shipping products yourself, you store them in the company’s own facilities. Then, when an order is made, they company packs and sends it for you. This lowers the risk that orders will be missed or sent to the wrong place massively. It will also give you a way to make your packages look more professional.
Quality
Customers will expect high-quality products, even if they’re not spending much on them. This makes it essential to only stock quality goods. Or, if you manufacture products yourself, you need to make sure that they’re as good as they can be. This may mean some trial and error, regarding the products and materials you use. Testing products, before you sell them, will give you a chance to make sure that they perform as they should. It will help you find new materials to use, and it will weedle out the low-quality options that you have. If you consistently provide bad quality products, customers won’t bother with your company anymore. But, if you provide good quality ones, customers will remember you and spread word about what you make or sell.
Fresh Products
A lot of technology is moving very fast. So, if your business is in tech, you need to move with it to stay relevant. Most manufacturers will allow shops to pre-order goods before they’re released. This gives shops selling other company’s products a chance to get ahead of the curve, and have the products available on release. For companies that manufacture their own products, they have to do the work themselves. It’s good to keep an eye on technological developments so that you can utilize them early. This is especially important if you are operating in a competitive market. If customers know that your products are updated regularly, they will be more inclined to visit your site more often. A lot of the time, customers will buy products on an impulse. This means that simply providing new options, that haven’t been seen before, can make your sales come quicker and easier.
Spare Parts
Customers will often only choose a product if it’s something that can be repaired in the future. This is especially true when products are expensive. So, it’s a good idea to either make or source spare parts for the products you sell. You can sell these alongside products, without it being an issue. But, you need to make sure that they’re visible. If customers can’t see them, they won’t know that they exist. So, have them displayed as recommendations next to products, to make customers aware. Companies have names for themselves by providing replacement parts for products. It’s a good way to set yourself away from your competition, giving yourself an edge.
Product Range
Much like the need for new products, customers also desire choice. Once a customer has chosen the type of product they want, and they know their price range, the next most important factor will be appearance. So, it’s good to stock a wide-range of products that all look quite different. It’s also good to cater to as many price ranges as you possibly can. Where some people will always go for the cheapest option, there are an elite few who will always go for the most expensive. By giving your customers choice, you raise the chances that you have something they want. In turn, raising the chance that you’ll make a sale.
Environmental Impact
With increasing pressure from all sides to be eco-friendly, businesses need to make extra effort. Businesses are much more in the spotlight that normal individuals. This means that customers will know if your company is lazy when it comes to the environment. A lot of customers will choose a company that is good to nature, over a company that burns fuel and creates lots of pollutants. Putting effort into your impact can save your business money, and it can win you awards. It also gives you a chance to boast on your website that your friendlier than other companies. All of this exposure can lead to happier customers and, in turn, more sales. You may need to invest in the area a little bit. But, any investment can be seen as exactly that. The money you spend here will help to make your business prosper.
Business Ethics
Much like the way your business treats the environment, customers will care about how your business treats people. This means that it’s important to have a strong code of ethics that your business will always consider. When it comes to manufacturing a product, you should make sure that everything you use is conflict free. This means that the materials are sourced sustainably, without the use of child labour or slavery. It also means that the money you spend on the items doesn’t go to groups fighting civil wars, in the country they come from. A lot of big companies like Apple and Samsung have been slated in previous years for ignoring ethics when it comes to manufacturing. A lot of customers will simply boycott a company that acts unethically. But, other companies, like Intel, have found great success in promoting ethical trade. If you can prove to your customers that your products are made fairly, they will spread the word, and you’ll get more sales. You may have to spend more to make or source products ethically. But, most customers will be happy to take on the added cost, if it assures them that the product is obtained fairly.
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