Sometimes, even when we think that we’ve done everything we could to impress a customer, they never come back. Most times they don’t even complain, making it even harder to understand what was wrong. If you’ve ever been in a situation like this, then keep on reading, as it’s time to find out how you can retain customers!
Make sure your product or service is the best it can be
This is the very first and, probably, most important thing you need to do if you want to retain customers.
When someone buys your product or service, they always have some kind of expectations. They don’t want to spend money on a product that doesn’t work or breaks after a week. Or a service that doesn’t give the promised results.
If you don’t meet your customers’ expectations and can’t give the quality they are looking for, they won’t come back.
So make sure you listen to your customer’s feedback and always strive for improvement.
If you need any materials to make your products or provide services, invest in high-quality ones. Yes, they might be more expensive which means you’ll have to charge more too. But remember one of the reasons people choose small businesses is because they expect higher quality compared to big chain businesses. This means that they don’t mind spending extra money!
Want to retain customers? Communicate with them!
Communication is key when trying to retain customers.
Unless you sell something no other competitor can offer, you need to make sure your customers remember you!
If they sign up for your marketing materials, make sure you keep them engaged and don’t forget to send emails about any new launches or special offers.
If someone buys from you for the very first time, you can send a tutorial on how to use your product. You can also send a link to a survey to find out what they think about your product or service as well as your customer service. If they have any complaints, contact them directly and show them that you are willing to change and improve things.
Do you provide services that your clients need, for example, once a month? Then why don’t you give them a call and book in for their next appointment? For example, if you’re a hairdresser, you can call your previous clients asking if they would like to come back for a trim or deep conditioning treatment. You can even create urgency and say that there are only a few appointments left. This will make your client feel really special!
Make it easy to contact you
Have you ever been really frustrated because you tried to contact a company’s customer service but you were on hold for hours, had to answer a million questions to a robot that didn’t understand what you were saying and no one replied to those five emails you sent? We’ve all been there.
But how did that make you feel? Even when the issue was resolved, did you want to use the same company again? Could you trust them again? Probably not.
If your customers can’t easily access your customer services, they feel exactly the same! And that’s definitely not good when you’re trying to retain your customers.
These days more and more businesses are choosing self-service or digital support. These options are great when answering frequently asked questions, such as how long the delivery will take or how to exchange a product. But some cases are more difficult and people simply want to talk with a human. So make sure they have that opportunity before they take their money to your competitors!
If you want to retain customers, you need to work on your customer service
There’s no need to say that if you don’t greet your customers, don’t even try to answer their questions or treat them with disrespect, you won’t see them again.
But sometimes even when you welcome your customers with a smile, ask how they are and help them find what they need, they still don’t come back.
This is because being polite isn’t always enough. You need to take an extra step to please your customer and make them feel special. People want to be treated as individuals who have their own needs and expectations, not as “just another customer”.
If you work at a shop and someone asks where they can find a specific item, don’t just tell them, take them to it. If you don’t have an item in stock, don’t just say “sorry, we don’t have it”. Show them all the different options they might want to choose instead or tell them when you’re expecting a delivery, so they can come back for it.
Whether you’re a business owner or work in any other customer-facing role, one of the most important skills you need is active listening.
To master active listening, it’s not enough to listen to what the customer is saying verbally. You also need to pay attention to the non-verbal cues that the customer is giving. This can include their body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions.
By paying careful attention to both the words they’re saying and the non-verbal cues they’re giving, you will get a better understanding of how the customer is really feeling and what are the reasons behind it. This will allow you to give the best answers to their questions and the best solutions to their specific needs.
Want to learn more about how to retain customers?
To learn more about how you can use customer service to retain your customers as well as how to upsell to them, join our Above & Beyond Customer Service Course.
By taking this course, you will not only learn the right techniques needed to improve your customer retention. You will also learn how to:
- Turn a negative customer experience for one customer into a positive experience for another
- Understand the importance of the first step of the customer journey with your company.
- Deliver customer service to challenging customers
- Understand the value of converting customers compared to marketing and finding new customers
