Delivering that Special Something to Delight Your Customers

Delivering that Special Something to Delight Your Customers

At a time when competition is intense and customer expectations are high, no matter what industry you call home, building loyalty in your brand is essential to repeat business and long-term growth. To that end, satisfying customers, by meeting their expectations, may not be enough; making a true, lasting connection with your customers may require delighting them, by exceeding their expectations at every turn.

Here are some actions you can take to establish a more resilient bond with your customers:

Anticipate — and fulfill — every need you can

Putting yourself in your customer’s shoes is a good starting point for building an exceptional relationship with them. What if you were the customer, coming into your store, shop, showroom or office to make, or consider making, a purchase? What would your priorities and concerns be?

Let’s say you own a bake shop. Customers come in on their way to work not just for your amazing pastries, but also because you offer delicious coffee, provide Wi-Fi access and greet them with a smile and friendly service. You have anticipated — and delivered — what they need to have an exceptional experience. Patronizing your shop becomes part of their daily routine.

Here’s another example: You own a company that sells home renovation, remodeling and repair services. These projects can be expensive, so while you close many sales, you lose others because customers feel they can’t afford the cost. You decide to ease their anxieties and facilitate their purchases by connecting them with financing options.

This doesn’t mean you need to become a bank! Dollar Bank offers businesses a customer financing program that’s as easy as referring a customer and letting the bank do the rest.

Prioritize customer convenience

Few things are as precious to people as their time. Make it easy to do business with your company, whether a customer is interested in buying a product or service, getting support from your customer service team, or otherwise interacting with your business.

Investing in these areas can go a long way in providing a seamless experience:

• Website navigation and functionality – Make it easy to shop, order and connect with customer service.
• Employee training – Every customer-facing worker should be equipped to answer customer questions, help them find what they need and resolve any issues.
• Omnichannel communication – Meet customers where they are by providing them with choices to connect with your business: chat, email, phone, in-person, social media, etc.

Master customer care

Responsiveness, helpfulness and prompt issue resolution are key to excellent customer care. Whether that care takes place personally, through digital tools or by combining the two, the result should be a delighted customer.

• If a customer chooses to reach out via chat, ensure that your chatbot is friendly and efficient.
• If they opt for email, have an auto-generated message instantly inform them that a team member will respond within a business day — and then make sure they do.
• For customers who call or visit in person, ensure that they are meeting customer service representatives who are knowledgeable, friendly and empathetic.
• Put policies into place to make it easy for employees to resolve complaints. Then take problem resolution a step further by enabling the employee to offer added value — a discount or free shipping on the customer’s next purchase, for example — to demonstrate the depth of your commitment to earning the customer’s trust and loyalty.

Offer fun surprises along the way

Think about how you can surprise your customers with something unexpected and wonderful. Send them a handwritten thank-you note, birthday card or gift; invite them to sample your latest product or service enhancement for free; hand them a gift to celebrate your company’s anniversary. While your primary goal is to nurture the customer relationship, you may also inspire the customer to post a shout-out to your company on social media, thanking you or showing off that free product you let them try.

Keep listening!

Ask your customers for feedback, through your website, in face-to-face conversations, and on social media. Monitor your reviews regularly, and designate a representative to respond to them, and to engage with established and potential customers across social media platforms. In short, demonstrate your interest in people’s opinions, needs and experiences.

When customer feedback spurs you to make improvements or expand into new product or service areas, thank your customers for sharing their ideas. Explain how they helped you understand and address their needs, and show appreciation for helping you keep your business growing forward. Keeping a respectful, upbeat dialogue going is key to sustaining and strengthening your relationships.

This article is for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Any reliance on the information herein is solely and exclusively at your own risk and you are urged to do your own independent research. To the extent information herein references an outside resource or Internet site, Dollar Bank is not responsible for information, products or services obtained from outside sources and Dollar Bank will not be liable for any damages that may result from your access to outside resources. As always, please consult your own counsel, accountant, or other advisor regarding your specific situation.