Three Proven Strategies that Build Customer Loyalty

Most organizations struggle to find ways in which they can build customer loyalty and reduce customer churn. Many of these companies spend large amounts of money and time creating costly reward programs, sending out expensive marketing materials, and investing in expensive customer relationship management systems. While each of these components has value and contribute to customer satisfaction; the following are three proven strategies that build customer loyalty can be used by customer service representatives.

1. Become a trusted customer resource. Customers often encounter life challenges that require expertise beyond their capabilities. For example, an electrical light switch stops working, a toilet starts leaning, their computer starts giving error messages, or they start experiencing problems with their car. In each of these instances, people will often turn to a reputable source for assistance to help resolve the issue. If you are that source, take the time to listen empathetically and then demonstrate that you have the knowledge and expertise to assist them. By effectively and efficiently helping navigate the problem and coming to a speedy and cost-effective resolution, you can show value for the products and services that you and your organization provide. You can also increase customer satisfaction and help ensure that they will return to you again in the future.

2. Demonstrate integrity. In a world where stories of unethical or illegal behavior from businesses and service providers are commonplace, you have an opportunity to excel in demonstrating your own integrity. You can do so by:

Keeping your word and meeting agreed to timeframes and commitments.
Being honest.
Being consistent and reliable in your service delivery.
Providing quality products competitive warranties and guarantees.

3. Address service breakdowns professionally.

Things do not always go the way you plan. An unexpected delay may necessitate a schedule modification or a product may fail to perform as expected or promised. When such glitches occur, take the opportunity to listen to your customer and immediately take the appropriate action(s) to address the situation. Work professionally to identify the issue and cause, and then negotiate an acceptable remedy. By showing that you are committed to resolving the issue to the customer’s satisfaction in a timely manner, you can retain their trust and confidence that you are working in their best interest.

By taking these three simple steps as a customer service representative, you can assure your customers that you are interested in meeting their needs, wants and expectations. You also show that you will put forth the effort to ensure that they are satisfied.

What are other customer loyalty strategies that you use, or have experienced, related to building customer loyalty?

In addition to the three proven strategies that build customer loyalty listed above, you can find many additional ideas for building and maintaining strong customer relationships in these resources – Customer Service Skills for Success, Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and How to Be a Great Call Center Representative.

Effective Customer Relationship Management Can Improve Customer Satisfaction Levels

by Robert W. Lucas

Effective Customer Relationship Management Can Improve Customer Satisfaction Levels

Study after study finds that the road to success for any organization is directly tied to effective customer relationship marketing and management. This is particularly true for small businesses. In their case, they have often an advantage over larger organizations which are more cumbersome and have more employees to train in relationship management and customer service skills.

If you are looking for resources that can aid you and your organization in fine-tuning your customer relationship management skills, check out these resources.

About Robert C. Lucas

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

Impact of Time on Customer Service

by Robert W. Lucas

Impact of Time on Customer Service

The concept and value of time differ between individuals. Your personal perception of time may differ from that of others. For example, if you are looking forward to a vacation or other special event time often seems to drag on. If you are in a hurry or are late for an event, it often seems to fly by putting even more pressure or stress on you. Others may not have the same reaction to events.

Some individuals grew up in a household or cultural environment where one or both of their parents or other caregivers had a lackadaisical attitude toward time and were often late. If this was the case in your home environment, the chances are that you may not be as punctual as someone who learned early on that being on time for meeting commitments was an important personal value. Depending on the situation and other people involved, this may or may not be an issue.

In some cultures being late by as much as an hour is acceptable. The higher a person’s status, the longer you might have to wait for them. In the United States and other monochronic societies, five to ten minutes is an acceptable wait time if someone is late, unless they are high ranking in an organization, government or military. The logic in such cases is that because of the demands on their time and the level of decisions in which they are typically involved, senior-level people are more likely to be detained or called into unscheduled meetings or telephone calls which might cause tardiness. Keep this in mind when you are providing service to different customers. Sometimes, patience is rewarded with a big order or contract.

As a customer service representative or someone who deals with internal customers, it is good to remind yourself that everyone is not like you. That does not mean they are wrong or bad; just different. Personal and cultural values differ. To succeed in business and to be able to deliver the best customer service possible, you should strive to educate yourself on diversity and the values and beliefs of people from around the world. This broadened global perspective will serve you well when interacting with customers and others in your life.

Extracted from: Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

Three Customer Relationship Building Tips

by Robert W. Lucas

Three Customer Relationship Building Tips

Building effective customer relationships are crucial to creating and maintaining customer loyalty. Every member of an organization should be continually looking for ways that they individually can enhance the bond between customers and service providers. These efforts can lead to enhanced customer and brand loyalty.

The following are three simple tips that anyone can use to better manage customer relationships and build stronger levels of trust.

If you seek trust; communicate it through your words and nonverbal cues.
Always act in the best interest of your customers. Listen to them, ask questions, anticipate their needs, deliver what you promise, and exhibit high levels of professionalism in everything that you do whether your customers are present or not.
Take the time to personalize your customer interactions and to make each customer feel special. Use a customer’s name often during an interaction, listen, smile, ask questions to show interest and strive to project a positive image. This can all lead to enhanced trust and helps ensure that the customer returns.

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

The key to successfully making money as an author and/or self-publisher is to brand yourself and your company and to make yourself and your book(s) a household name. Part of this is face-to-face interaction with people at trade shows, library events, book readings, book store signings, blogging or guest blogging on a topic related to their book(s). Another strategy involves writing articles and other materials that show up online and are found when people search for a given topic related to a topic about which the author has written.

If you need help building an author platform, branding yourself and your book(s) or generating recognition for what you do, Make Money Writing Books will help. Bob’s popular book addresses a multitude of ideas and strategies that you can use to help sell more books and create residual and passive income streams. The tips outlined in the book are focused to help authors but apply to virtually any professional trying to increase personal and product recognition and visibility.

Two Tips for Building Strong Customer Relationships

by Robert W. Lucas

Two Tips for Building Strong Customer Relationships

Customers like doing business with those who understand them and their needs and go out of their way to deliver timely and quality services and products at a fair price. This can lead to consumer satisfaction and that is a big factor for many customers in remaining loyal to a brand or organization.

Here are two simple tips that can help enhance customer retention and provide quality service to customers.

1. Pay Attention

As you listen to your customers, focus all your attention on them so that you can identify and address their needs. If you are providing service face-to-face use positive nonverbal cues (e.g. face the customer, smile, use open body gestures, make eye contact, stop doing other things, and focus attention on the customer) and language. Ask open-end questions to determine the customer’s needs. Also, use the active listening techniques to ensure that you get all the information you need to properly address your customer’s needs or concerns.

2. Deal with One Customer at a Time

You cannot effectively handle two people (on the phone or in-person) simultaneously. When more than one call or customer comes in at the same time, seek assistance or ask one of them to either wait or if you might get back to him or her at a later time. Then, give personalized attention to the other customer.

Providing stellar customer service is not always easy, but if you strive to gain and use positive customer relationship management knowledge and skills, you can effectively identify and satisfy customer needs.

For additional strategies on effectively providing stellar customer service, get a copy of Please Every Customer: Providing Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.