A strong customer base is essential to any business. It is through their loyalty and recommendations that businesses flourish and survive in what can be a hostile environment at times. This is why your customer’s opinions are important, and they should be made to feel respected and appreciated by your staff and company. If your customer service isn’t up to scratch, you might start to notice a drop in sales and that you’re struggling to engage with a broader audience. To avoid this problem, consider these suggestions on how you can improve your business’s customer service and increase your sales.
Ask for Feedback
Whether it’s via cards, leaflets, or digital forms on your website, asking your customers to leave their feedback is a great way to get a better idea of how your business is performing. Ask them how they feel about the service they received, how helpful the staff were, what they think about the quality of your products, and if they have any suggestions to help you improve the customer experience. You could even hold a prize draw or offer them discount vouchers as an incentive to share their thoughts.
Use a Chatbot
One of the latest trends for digital marketing is using an eCommerce messenger bot. These tools are brilliant for directly engaging with your customers via social media apps. You can link it with other programs such as PayPal to keep track of your sales and have everything in one place. They can be used to contact customers when carts have been abandoned on your site to remind them of their potential purchases, as well as being used to answer any customer queries and keep them update about their orders quickly and efficiently.
Train Your Staff
Hopefully, your staff will understand good manners, but you’d be surprised how many people are unaware of the basics. Sometimes people don’t even realize that they are coming across as rude because of their tone or body language. This is why it’s always essential that you have trained your staff about the dos and don’ts of excellent customer service, including how to cope with a difficult customer respectfully and adequately.
Know Your Products
As well as training your staff on how to converse with customers properly, you must also make sure they are familiar with your products and can make suitable recommendations when they’re asked by your customers. It’s always off-putting as a customer when you’re seeking answers or advice, but you keep getting passed from one person to another. This is frustrating and makes staff look incompetent. Test your staff on their product knowledge regularly so they can keep the information fresh in their minds.
Rewards
Another great way to impress customers is by rewarding their loyalty to your business. A membership card that entitles customers to discounts or offering them priority shopping in sales could be a great way to encourage your customers to stay with you and show them that you appreciate their patronage.
Remember, the happier your customers are with the service your business provides, the more they will buy your products or use your services. They will also recommend your business to friends and family, which can help to boost your business’s visibility and increase your sales by building upon your existing customer base.
