8 Simple Tips for a Loyalty-Building Customer Service Experience

Back in 2012, internet user Shane Bennet, a Samsung fan, asked the company for a free smartphone. To charm the company, he also sent them a drawing of a dragon in his offer.

Samsung didn’t send Bennet a phone, but to make him feel good, they’ve included in their message a drawing of a kangaroo riding a unicycle.

The man shared the drawings on social media where they went viral. So, Samsung sent him the smartphone and personalized the case with his dragon artwork.

Talk about awesome reputation strategy.

In theory, the tricks to building loyalty through customer service are pretty straightforward:

• Empathy
• Usefulness
• Recognition

It doesn’t look too hard, right? Just focus on these three skills and you can deliver stellar customer service.

But in practice, delivering loyalty-building customer experience isn’t easy. Your strategy might not always reflect what your customers want to expect.

So, how can you build your small business’ reputation and nurture your customers?

Here are some useful tips.

1. Educate Your Customer Support Team

Here’s the hard truth: some of your customers probably won’t remember your products, but they will always remember if your customer service was great or really terrible. That’s why you need to make sure you have the right people on the job.

Don’t assume that if someone has a friendly personality, they will know how to handle a furious customer. Regardless of age and experience, train your customer support team and provide them with the right tools. Make sure that they have a clear understanding of the process, guidelines, and tone of voice that your small business wants to use.

And, don’t be afraid to act as a customer service rep yourself. That way you can interact with your customer, listen to their needs, and learn how you can deliver better products. In fact, that’s what Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos is doing – every year, he spends two days in the call-center.

2. Differentiate Your Customer Support Channels

If you offer customer support via social media, you probably should differentiate between channels. Hootsuite, for instance, is using a different Twitter account to handle customer service. That way, they can make sure that no complaint is lost in the social media uproar.

How about customers that don’t know about your dedicated customer service page?

According to Hootsuite, if you want to provide stellar CS, you should have a proactive plan in place for finding customers who have problems but aren’t contacting you directly. For instance, by analyzing keywords that are relevant to your products and industry, you can identify and help dissatisfied customers before they harm your reputation.

3. Understand Your Customers’ Goals and Priorities

Understanding your customers’ goals and priorities can help you align your customer service appropriately with them. So many small businesses spend time and money learning how to please their customers, only to miss out the most important thing: customers want companies to understand their needs and solve their problems.

Show them that you are their business partner. Whether it’s a thank you call or a personal handwritten card, these little things can truly make a difference and show them that your care about their goals.

4. Take Ownership When Things Go Wrong

So, you screwed up. You’ve delivered a faulty product or, because of a mix-up, customers never received their order. Angry customers are taking to social media to express their frustration.

When this happens, own up to your mistake and promise to make things better again. Don’t beat around the bush with your customer by trying to blame someone else. Let them know as soon as possible that you’ve acknowledged their problem and tell them how you will make it right again. For instance, if you produced a product that broke in some way, tell them that you will offer a refund.

When things go wrong, most of the customers are angry because they feel like no one values their needs. What they want to hear is that you are aware of the problem, and you take it seriously. By owning up your mistakes and working to repair them, you will not only attract loyalty but a positive reputation, as well.

5. Use the Right Tools

Based on the size and structure of your customer service team, there are different tools that help make both your reps and your customers’ life easier. Zendesk, for instance, is a great app that can help you manage inbound ticket requests from any channel – phone, chat, email, or social. That way, your team can discover what bothers your customers easily and work to reduce their frustration.

6. Treat Your Customers How You Want to Be Treated

Creating stellar customer experience isn’t that difficult if you remember this golden rule: treat your customers exactly how you want to be treated.

Here’s an example. Shopping online is fun and convenient. However, the long wait to get the products ordered in the mail can ruin the experience. If you run an online business, one of the best ways to provide loyalty-building customer experience is by making sure their products get to them as fast as possible.

7. Be Proactive

According to one study, 55% of customers said that they would have given the idea of switching brands a second thought if the company had contacted them to let them know about how they can improve their experience with them.

Being proactive is a great way to let your customers know that you care about their satisfaction. Take time to scan social media, forums, and websites to find people talking about your products or company. If you find someone asking for help or a specific question, help them out.

8. Be Transparent

You want people to like you, respect you, and think that you are great. So you try to show them only your best qualities. But, sometimes, letting your guard down and being vulnerable is the best way to build loyalty through customer service.

Be honest about your products’ shortcomings, acknowledge issues, and admit fault. By showcasing your human side and offering to fix the problems, your customers will feel more comfortable doing business with you.

No one said it would be easy to provide loyalty-building customer experience. But, with the right strategy, you can make your customers happy and build your reputation.