We all know delighted customers are vital to growth. But did you know it’s 6-7 times more costly to attract new customers than it is to retain and upsell an existing customer?
Customer delight is not just a post-sale activity to mark off on a checklist. Your customer’s experience is shaped by every interaction with every member of your company. Customer service is not a standalone department – it should be instilled as a duty of every employee.
Here are some suggestions for making exceptional customer service the standard in your organization:
- Create a culture of empowerment. Authorize your employees to solve problems for customers on their own without passing the buck to another department. This will also prevent certain dominant individuals in the company from taking on too much work, which can be an issue especially in small companies. In The 4-Hour Workweek, Timothy Ferriss encourages leaders to give employees up to a certain dollar amount to solve any problem. You won’t believe how freeing and empowering this can be.
- Educate employees. Let them clearly know your company’s goals and your expectations as it relates to customer happiness.
- Ask questions and then shut up. Truly listen to what your customers have to say. It’s worth more than all the money you could pay to an agency to do a brand analysis. Your customers will convey what your brand means to them. If this doesn’t line up with your branding objectives, then you have some work to do.
- Educate customers. Make sure you clearly articulate your product and service benefits, functionality, new product offerings, etc. Software and healthcare IT companies can really distinguish themselves in this category. Most training workshops and manuals are horrid. Be clear, simple, and concise and you’ll stand apart.
- Follow up. Too many times we assume silence equals satisfaction. This is often not the case. Reach out frequently even if it’s just to check in with a quick email.
Marketing campaigns to get new customers onboard are time consuming and expensive. Retaining and upselling to existing customers has a far better ROI. Ensure your customers are happy and your company will reap the benefits.
