The Sunday Mail
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
“Loyal customers, they don’t just come back, they don’t simply recommend you, they insist that their friends do business with you” – Chip Bell
We all love to have customers that are like all-weather friends, customers that will stand by us through storms and happy moments.
Loyal customers are not loyal because you have the best prices in town, or because you have the fanciest product or service. They stick by you because it is a pleasure to do business with you.
So, how do organisations provide that pleasure to their customers, without exerting too much effort?
Train and Empower the Frontline
A brand image is improved if the frontline is empowered with a customer service approach that is quality-focused.
Quality service always results in an awesome customer experience. It is said ‘first impressions last forever’, thus, the frontline should be equipped to provide that unforgettable positive primacy effect.
So, no matter how much technology has added value to improved customer experience, automated customer service will never replace that human touch. The frontline team can alter their communication pattern to suit the situation at hand.
A frontline team that is empowered to be situational and adjust is highly likely able to communicate properly with customers, in both tone and body language.
Artificial intelligence cannot calm an angry customer, nor can it negotiate a deal with a prospective customer. But humans can do that perfectly, much to the delight of their customers. Empowering the frontline includes training them in soft skills, so that they will be able to handle tough communication situations.
When the frontline is knowledgeable about its organisation’s product and service, they can advise customers from an expert position. Thus, trained and empowered frontline teams are very much able to simplify the shopping process for their customers.
Be a Step Ahead
Customers like it when an organisation is proactive, and able to solve problems before they arise. Fixating on the end goal and taking action beforehand, gives customers an effortless customer experience.
Remember, when customers patronise your company, their objective is to have their problems solved. It is therefore your responsibility as an organisation to be able to provide solutions to customers.
Forewarning of future service delivery changes is a welcome gesture for customers as this will help them to prepare for alternatives before a service disruption or change. Thus, measures that help customers fix their various problems are always a plus when it comes to an effortless customer experience.
Reactive measures mean the company was not prepared for the eventualities, and in most cases these measures will expose the company’s shortcomings. Customers always get disappointed by hurried and poorly-prepared reactive measures employed by some companies.
Engineer Truthful Positive Experience
When dealing with a negative experience, it is always advisable for an organisation to put more emphasis on the possibilities to solve the problem rather than focus on negative options.
Positively engage customers, but do not lie to them. Although you should not dwell on the limitations it is important to be positive in a truthful manner.
Some organisations tend to give customers false hope in the name of possibilities, but this tends to overcomplicate issues. False promises end up blowing up in the company’s face, so to speak. This reminds me of a story similar to this, which appeared in the tabloid, H-Metro, recently.
The story is about a prophet who asked his congregants to seed so that they can receive double whatever they put in. Some seeded their houses and cars. Nonetheless, the engineered positive outcome was not forthcoming, and now the congregants are up in arms with the prophet. Lying only strains your relationship with customers and may drive customers away. Real professionals are not interested in doing business with crooks.
Channel Flexibility is a Must
Effortless experience is when channels are staffed properly, and customers have real-time responses. There are so many companies that are notorious for having their customer service calls unanswered.
It should be a wake-up call if you see customers switching channels because of a lack of attendance on some. These companies are very active on some channels, but absent on others. Such a scenario is a sign that there needs to be channel optimisation.
Customers must be given the liberty to seek services using their preferred choice of channel that is convenient to them, rather than use of channels forced upon them by the organisation(s).
Moreover, organisations must have full-time employees who are trained, and able to manage all their channels throughout the day and night, every single day of the year.
*Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing enthusiast passionate about customer service. For comments, suggestions and training, she can be reached at [email protected] or 0712 979 461, 0719 978 335
