At the heart of any good business, you’ll find one priority – good customer service. Whether a retail store or a law firm, customer service forms the pillars of any business in one way or another. With customer service courses available, there really is no excuse for a bad experience for your customers. But how do you keep up good customer service when the wants and needs of customers is always changing? Businesses need to keep their services and products in line with their customer’s wants and needs, and customer service can play an important part in making this possible.
Adjusting to Technology
Technology in business and consumerism is a constantly changing but vital focus. With the rise of internet use and smart phones providing more access to services than ever, businesses are quickly falling behind and losing customers. With consumers sometimes valuing ease and their time over the quality of the product itself, companies like Amazon and eBay are gaining customers through ease of use where other, smaller companies are losing them simply by lacking in an ordering process as easy as can be provided elsewhere.
In a world where face-to-face business is being joined, and potentially even taken over by, online and remote ordering, technology is the best tool that a company can use when it comes to their customers. Not only will their services reach a wider audience, but it will make their business look more accessible and modern.
Catering to Millennials
Similar to adjusting to technology, catering to ‘millennials’ can enrich your business in a way you might not expect. The aloof reputation that the age group have gained is nothing but myth when it comes to businesses. Adjusting to the new market can be as simple as personalising the customer service to them. Put their name on a thank you email, create text updates for shipping or processing steps, or simply don’t alienate them.
Millennials are more likely to interact with a business who they understand, and whose values may match or prove similar to their own. Listening to the younger generations can prove fruitful to a business not only by ensuring the return of regular customers, but keeping their business in a good light. With social media as prominent in society as it is today, the recommendation of businesses between consumers is easier than ever, and Millennials make up a good portion of users. Catering to the problems a millennial may have with your business could lead to good reviews and, ultimately, more publicity for the business.
Giving That Something Extra
One of the most prominent ways that customer service is changing is through the process of giving something ‘extra.’ While this can boil down to simply providing a more personalised experience to each and every customer, many businesses are reaching out with something quite literally ‘extra’ in the form of coupons and incentives.
Of course, a customer’s problem can’t simply be solved by offering free vouchers or codes for their next shop. Businesses need to solve the problems and fix any complaints from their consumers as they always have. The market is becoming more and more competitive, however, and so it only makes sense that businesses are looking for that little something that they can hold above everyone else – and the best and most effective place to offer this is to the very people that will be using the service or buying the product.