One hidden risk facing many businesses, big and small, is customer retention. It’s costly, damaging and sometimes irreversible leading to businesses closing all together. With sub-par customer service, you’re asking for a shut down of your company.
Do not get caught in the trap of putting all of your energy and resources into customer acquisition only to lose as many customers as you gain each month.
Check in on your Customer Service presence and performance to ensure you are not leaving thousands on the table each month.
Here are a few things to look at right away:
- Phone Presence and Accessibility: Are the people representing your business in your customer service branch knowledgeable, confident and timely in answering questions, trouble shooting and assisting your customers and prospects? The worst is when you are considering using a new service or company and you can’t get someone on the phone or when you do they are not helpful or able to assist you appropriately.
- Make Your Company Easy to Work With: It is one of the number one factors that differentiates one business from another within the same industry. How can you make it simple, fun and enjoyable to work with you and your team? This is the key to better customer service… remember, you are dealing with real people!
- Follow-up on Emails and Requests: Get back to your customers with what they need when they need it.
- Solicit and Implement feedback From Your Customers: Most business owners listen to the feedback they receive from customers but rarely, if ever, actually do something about it. Chances are if one customer is thinking it, so are many others and their suggestions and ideas might save you a lot of lost relationships now or in the future.
- Thank Your Customers and Do Regular Quality Checks: Your customers want to hear from you! Not just when you want to up-sell them but in between and throughout the year. Implement this into your customer service and grow your group of customers who know, like, and trust you.
These things might seem obvious and basic but they are the details that matter and the keys to retention for a healthy business.
Great customer service might sound simple, but it is the one thing that so many businesses struggle with.
What can you implement this week to increase retention and improve conversions in your business? Tweet me @kellyroachint using #customerservicehacks and let’s chat!
For more business building strategies, check out my podcast, Unstoppable Success Radio!
