Go above and beyond in meeting digital needs

As with your brick-and-mortar business, don’t just meet basic customer needs online – exceed them. Take your website and social media to the next level by addressing unspoken needs too. Show customers you understand and care about them as individuals.

Some examples of digital experiences that make your customers’ lives easier:

• A website that recommends products based on past purchases.
• FAQs on your site that answer questions before customers ask.
• Social media monitoring to catch complaints and fix them fast.

When you show you personalized care online, customers feel valued. It builds a bond that strengthens loyalty.

Fix mistakes the right way

Even great businesses make mistakes sometimes. How you handle them impacts how your customers feel about your business and whether or not they choose to continue to do business with you. Follow this model, both online and in person, when fixing issues:

• Let customers vent without interrupting. Practice active listening.
• Explain how you’ll fix the issue and when you’ll fix it.
• Resolve the problem by doing what you promised.
• Check in with the customer later to make sure they’re happy.

Handling issues quickly shows you care about making it right. This creates trust and loyalty.

Ask for feedback

Don’t just rely on reviews. Survey customers proactively online and offline.

How to create effective website surveys

• Lead with the most important question.
• Use simple rating scales.
• Have open comment boxes.
• Avoid badgering customers.

Asking for feedback shows you want to improve. Customers appreciate this and feel heard. Make sure you act on survey responses! If customers don’t see any action, they won’t continue to give feedback.

Make customer service your strength

Rather than just giving mediocre service, consistently WOW customers. When you provide personalized, seamless experiences online and in person, your business stands out above the competition.

Exceeding expectations across channels builds customer loyalty. Great customer service boosts your profits, because:

• Customers care more about the experience and less about the price.
• They are more forgiving of slip-ups.
• Customers become brand advocates. They’ll share stories of outstanding service.

Great service across all touchpoints makes you special. It transforms your most basic customers into raving fans who refer others to your business. Make it the linchpin of your brand.

By anticipating customer needs, making it easy for them to resolve issues, collecting feedback to improve products and services, and providing excellent customer service, businesses can create a positive customer experience that will keep customers coming back for more.