Your public relations and customer service strategies are essential tools for a successful and thriving business. You must be present and available to answer questions, resolve problems, and build your brand's image. Read on for some effective ways you can engage with your customers to give them a more satisfying experience and inspire loyalty and repeat business.
Ask for Feedback
Your customers want to know that you appreciate and value their business. You can show them that you care by asking about the customer experience they had. Offer a place to give honest feedback. Include feedback cards with a purchase, or direct customers to your website to leave their comments.
Take all the feedback that you gather seriously. Use the information to improve your products and the service that you offer your customers. Seeing positive changes happen can inspire your customers to return again and again.
Offer Surveys
Surveys are a quick and easy way to gather information. After an online purchase or phone call, give your customer the option to complete a survey that asks a few questions about the product and the experience they had.
Send Follow Up Emails and Newsletters
One of the best ways to interact with your customers and to build a lasting relationship is by sending emails and newsletters to follow up after a purchase and announce new products or deals.
Stay in touch with past customers through these channels and keep your brand at the forefront of their minds by sending out periodic updates and offers. This is a great way to give incentives to customers and make sure that they stay interested in your company.
Offer an Online Chat Service
Customers that visit your online store or website may run into technical problems or have questions. Consider using an online chat function to give them immediate assistance to improve their experience. Have customer service representatives available to chat in real-time and answer questions, or point them in the right direction to get the answers they need.
Be Present and Available At Physical Locations
Always have staff members on hand to greet customers that come into your physical location and give them advice and support. It's vital that these representatives of your company are fully present with all customer interactions. They should be polite and professional at all times and maintain a positive attitude.
Give Virtual Workshops
Another way that you can interact with your customers to build interest in your brand is through online events. If you are releasing a new product, you could consider a virtual workshop to demonstrate new and exciting features and give a quick overview of how it works.
Perhaps you have run into a common theme in customer feedback and wish to address these concerns on a platform that invites comments and interaction. A webinar or other type of online event is the perfect setting to connect with a large number of customers at once.
Connect on Social Media
Social media is a fantastic way to keep the lines of communication open between your business and your customers. You can post regular updates about your products, as well as engage in community events and topics that you support.
This is a wonderful way to have real conversations and collect real feedback. People are normally more open and honest on social media. They are unafraid to say what they mean. Take advantage of that as a way to gather data and start a dialogue about what your company needs to improve upon and what is working well.
Prioritize Customer Service
Customer satisfaction is crucial to encourage good business. Offer your customers a choice in how they can get in touch with your company. Provide options for phone calls, chats, email, and in-person service. Giving them access to necessary customer support in the ways they want and need will show that you take their business seriously.
Your customers determine the success of your business. Treat them with respect and make every effort to provide them with the value they want and deserve. Do this, and you will build a following of customers that stay loyal to your brand and inspire new customers to try your products.
Related: 6 Strategies for Keeping Your Company Safe From Cybercrime