Subscribe in a readerCustomer Loyalty? Think High-Touch and Not High-Tech. marketing departments seem to be more energized by using high-tech means to build relationships with customers, than by using high-touch means to building enduring relationships with customers. [BrandAutopsy]
Does your company throw technology at customers hoping to improve loyalty? You can keep customers loyal while getting them to repurchase by becoming a more human organization. It starts with polite positive interactions, trusting your employees, and recognizing how customers measure professional technical solutions providers.
At every interaction point your people must respectful of the customer, even if they are difficult or unpleasant. Customers expect a polite positive experience when they work with your engineers, sales people, or even your packaging. Everything about your company most move the buyer closer to their objectives, polite positive interactions are a must.
A polite positive greeting welcomes a customer while preparing an employee with a service oriented attitude. This can be as simple as smiling when speaking on the phone, remembering a customers name, or showing up to meetings on time ready to perform. When your people are enthusiastic about the solutions you're providing customers, it's reflected in your customers attitudes toward your company.
In order for employees to demonstrate enthusiasm, you'll have to trust your employees to do what is right based on the standards of expectations you set for them. Does your company authorize employees to make on-the-spot decisions about addressing service concerns? Clearly outline the situations where you expect employees to take action on a customers behalf, how to identify service opportunities, and other ways to satisfy profitable customers desires.
To be flexible, your company will need to be organized in a way that makes it easy for a customer to work with you. Your office spaces should be well kept, your accounting accurate, and details of your projects must be readily available. Professional companies have to go beyond cleanliness in their physical environment to develop customer loyalty.
Retail stores can get away with just being nice and clean. From employees that understand your solutions as much as the customers problem, to courteous interactions at all levels of your company, technical solutions providers are measured at every "customer interaction point". Customers blame people not technology when something goes wrong.
Customer loyalty is created by people working with customers to solve problems. Technical gadgetry isn't the answer, CRM even fall short if not properly implemented. When you provide a solution a customer can really benefit from, they are more likely to repurchase.
/ customer-relations | customer-service /
By Justin Hitt at December 31, 2003 3:57 PM
Subscribe in a reader
366
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Customer Loyalty Requires A High-Touch Approach:
» How To Measure Customer Satisfaction And Relationship Value from Building Business Relationships
Nine measures that uncover customers easy to satisfy and willing to help you increase business profits. [Read More]
Tracked on June 19, 2006 9:40 PM
