No matter the size of your company, customer support should be one of the most active departments in your business. Customer support (CS) is vital for building trust in your customers. Studies have shown that 79% of customers would not buy a brand they do not trust. So, your company's objective should be to create an experience that customers will be glad to return to.
Of course, this is easier said than done. Creating loyal customers is a task you will have to pursue in every buyer's purchase. There are several ways to obtain customer loyalty through marketing and sales, but in the end, it all comes down to the experience they have with your brand. And you can only improve that experience through customer support.
Customer Loyalty
Before getting into some tips on how to increase customer loyalty through customer support, you must first learn that customer loyalty is an important KPI for your business. Customer loyalty is the measurement of a customer's will to continue purchasing your products.
Improving this KPI will enhance the lifetime value of current customers and generate consistent revenue. It also helps bring new customers to your products or services. As you create loyalty in your customers, your clients will start doing marketing and sales campaigns for you by referring your brand to friends and family.
There are various ways you can measure your customer loyalty. You will have to understand your customers' needs and what drives them to buy more of your product. Moreover, you can analyze this KPI through simple questions like, which locations have more sales, how often consumers buy your products, and how satisfied are customers with your services. Below, you will find a list of metrics you can use to measure your customer loyalty.
Customer satisfaction surveys
Churn rates
Customer lifetime value
Repeat purchase rate
Affiliate purchases and links
Social media
Newsletters received
Coupons used
Customer Loyalty through Customer Support
Your customer support department is the first line of defense between your clients and your business. Your team should be well trained and prepared for any query your customers have at any point in the marketing funnel. Here are four tips to improve your customer service and create loyal consumers.
Improve Customer Experience
As we mentioned in the introduction of this article, your company should focus on customer experience to build trust in potential buyers. Customers remember when they are treated well whenever they had a problem with any product or service. It also works on the contrary; if they had a bad experience with a company, chances of consumers coming back would drop drastically.
Pay attention to your customers' needs. The more active listening your customer support practices, the more problems they will be able to solve within a matter of minutes. Go above and beyond to keep your customers happy. In addition, pay attention to your areas of opportunity. The faster you can identify a problem within your customer support team, the quicker you can solve it and continue generating constant revenue through regular buyers.
Develop Rewards Programs
Rewards programs are no secret. Most big enterprises use rewards programs to keep clients engaged with their products. It does not matter if you are a big eCommerce company or a small business; there are several ways to engage your customers.
Newsletters, coupons, holiday deals, and point programs are some of the best examples of rewards programs. You will need to find which of these programs is better for your customers and engage them to buy your products regularly.
Improve your Communication Channels
Whether you have a big customer support team or decide to outsource customer service to another company, you must have clear communication channels in which your company can interact effectively with your clients.
The great advantage here is to have most of them well attended. You can opt for social media as it is a perfect way to improve your marketing strategy. You will be able to interact with your customers and learn about their interests and their needs. You can also use email to provide coupons and newsletters to convince your customers that your company is unique and takes exceptional care of its clients.
Phone calls and webchats are also a great option if you have a service-based company. These communication channels will help you clear any of your clients' doubts and better serve them through personalized service. If you are thinking about outsourcing these tasks, you can also hire a virtual assistant.
Ask for Customer Feedback
Finally, you can ask for customer feedback. Customer feedback will help you understand your clients' concerns about your products and know overall how much they are satisfied with your product. Sending a survey at the end of any interaction can also help your customer support team understand where their areas of opportunities lie and how to improve them.
Take special attention to online reviews on sites like Yelp or Google Maps. Answering these reviews with an optimistic and empathic tone will also help you attract customers that were lost because of common mistakes. One best practice is to engage negative comments in a private channel. You can ask your customers to provide them with an email or phone number to serve their needs better.
Create Customer Loyalty through Customer Support
We are all human. It is our nature to commit mistakes, but it is also our duty to fix those mistakes in the best possible manner to keep our professional relationships in check. Creating an effective plan to improve your customer support is the first step you need to create loyal customers.
Leaving a good impression on your customers will not only ensure they will come back to buy more but also will maintain your company afloat in these difficult times. The more positive reviews and referrals your business has, the more customer will be attracted to your company and ultimately create a strong bond between you and your consumers.