Your business may not have evolved to the point where you have a customer relations department. But you can still develop excellent customer relationships that result in customer loyalty and repeat business. This article outlines two ways to do it...
How costly are customer relationships? It depends on how you manage them.
You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘the customer is always right’ thousands of times before - especially if you’ve spent a lot of time working in customer service. It is also one of the first pieces of advice handed out to entrepreneurs when they start to grow their businesses.
While this statement is not necessarily correct, it is a mindset that encourages you to put your customer’s needs first. Meaning it can help you forge a strong relationship with them.
It is important to realize that the success of your company is essentially hinged on your ability to foster relationships with your customers. After all, if they do not feel they can trust you or your brand, they are unlikely to make a purchase with you and will seek out your competitors instead. In turn, you should always be striving toward improvement here.
This article will discuss the customer relationship in business and how to improve your customer relationships.
Hold Yourself Accountable
By now, you are probably aware of the fact that there are many, many different mistakes that you can make as a business owner, especially if you have never had experience running a company before. This means that you should factor damage control into your business plan (steps you can take when things go wrong).
Regardless of the mistake you have made, begin by holding yourself accountable. For example, if you sent out a faulty product, instead of blaming the damage on a shipment error - reach out to the customer and apologize, outlining the steps you will take to avoid this happening again.
Knowing how to respond to negative reviews will actually help to improve relationships with your customers as it shows that you really care about them, as opposed to letting their complaints fall upon deaf ears.
Create A Community Platform
Another way you can strengthen relationships with your customers is by creating a sense of community.
Whether that means you leverage your social media presence to form an online group, or create an online community platform using software from companies such as Disciple Media is a brand decision. This option allows you to explore two types of customer relationships -- in-person and online. You create a branded space online where you can share dynamic content with your customers and engage with them on a regular basis.
The Benefits Of Building Customer Relationships Online
To begin with, a community platform makes it easier for customers to communicate with you as they can now do so digitally and in person. This is particularly important in the current climate. Statistics show that customers prefer to communicate with brands online as a matter ease and security.
Offering this opportunity increases the chances they are informed about everything your business offers. You can also promote new product launches.
Finally, an online community helps customers feel more connected to your brand. Especially when act on what they say on the platform and make real changes that improve their experience your business as a result.