With so much competition in today’s marketplace, winning customer loyalty is increasingly difficult. To keep up with customers’ heightened demands, entrepreneurs need to keep sharpening their initiatives just to stay afloat.
With so many people turning to social media to post reviews or comments at the speed of light, gaining customer satisfaction is crucial; in fact, it is so important that up to 95% of companies say it is their top strategic priority.
Eight ideas to help you succeed:
1. Your team is central to your company’s success; therefore, make sure that you employee top-notch candidates. All employees should share the company’s vision and its expectations, as every member of the team is part of the customer experience.
2. Provide continued mentoring and coaching for your team, Training does not end; instead, staff need to be continually updated and upskilled to ensure that their skills match and exceed those of your competitors.
3. Listen to your customers and interact with them regularly. With technology driving so much of today’s world, the art of real interaction is often glossed over. Not everyone shares the same view. Talking to customers is still the best way to identify their needs and respond accordingly.
4. Sell your unique qualities. Customer loyalty is built on idiosyncrasies – what is it that sets you apart from other companies? What is your USP?
5. Word of mouth spreads. Use recommendations or testimonials to boost your reputation.
6. Keep your customers at the heart of your business. Membership management systems can assist with the admin tasks; however, you should choose wisely to make sure the system can expand to include more sophisticated features as the business grows. Companies such as http://www.ofec.co.uk/membership-management-system-portfolio.aspx specialise in such systems and offer a wide variety of packages.
7. Incentives give reasons for customers to return time and again.
8. Keep your customers involved. Announcing new products or events can build excitement and expectations, keeping customers coming back for more.
Obtaining advice
Luckily, finding advice is easy; for example, School for Startups helps would-be entrepreneurs in the initial stages and the government publishes up-to-date advice and publications.
Increase your customer satisfaction and loyalty by implementing some or all of these ideas and by seeking advice where necessary. Good luck.