We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again… At IncentViz, we recognize that everything starts with individuals. We’ve written about putting people first from an employee perspective, and today we’re switching the focus to our customers. Providing a deeply positive customer experience – one that inspires loyalty and brings a smile to someone’s face – can seem to be as complex as it is important. However, offering stellar service doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ve distilled our philosophy into a few keys to success:
Every Customer Matters
First, we take a page from the playbook of customer service paragons like The Four Seasons hotel or Disney amusement parks – where each staff member is taught to treat every guest like they are the only one. Forbes contributor Micah Solomon advocates pursuing a strategy of 100% customer retention, which aligns with the idea of giving VIP status to every guest or customer. He writes, “If you ever feel you are on the brink of losing a customer, do everything you can personally, or call in assistance from others in the organization, to salvage the situation.” Part of treating customers like they matter is keeping in touch and responding to their outreach attempts (whether it be an email, phone call, or text) quickly… ideally reverting within a few hours, and at least within the same day if possible. This shows that you care and are paying attention to their needs. In all forms of communication, take care to be genuine, spell/say customer names correctly, and welcome them into your office or thank them for their business with sincere warmth. Treat every person like they are the first interaction of your day.
View the Customer as a Valued Partner
This is important even, and especially, if a customer is headed in the wrong direction or doesn’t have all the facts. As tempting as it may be, don’t shift the blame if something is going wrong. Always remember that you’re in this together. Especially being in the tech business, we recognize that problems can often seem overly complex and anxiety-producing. It is our job to relieve the pressure and clarify the situation. Customers may not always be right, but telling them that they’re wrong is never a good route. Stick to the facts and share your records/information regarding a given situation, rather than claiming they are mistaken or jumping to conclusions. On a related note, remember to collaborate with your customers as you work to strengthen your business. If you want to figure out what your base wants, or how best to serve them, there is no better way than to ask them directly!
Make it Easy
Remove any hurdles or potential obstacles throughout the customer interaction process. In other words, make it easier for people to do business with you! Save visitors personalized profile and account information, make the checkout process easy and user friendly, and infuse fun and unique personality wherever possible.
Establish an Analytical Framework:
At the 2017 Gartner Digital Marketing Conference, research director Jane-Anne Mennella laid out an operating structure for navigating growing pains and organizing customer service management, so that everyone feels a sense of personal attention and nobody falls through the cracks. She recommends focusing on four key areas:
- Creating a customer experience framework
- Defining goals that drive positive CX outcomes
- Finding and normalizing the CX data
- Turning the data-driven CX insights into action
Mennella’s framework for CX optimization boils down to a “Who, When, What and How” model:
Taking the time to think break down some major questions around customer experience makes something daunting seem easy. At IncentViz, we love collaborating with our clients, giving them the best possible tools to make calculating commissions and incentives a breeze. Please contact us to learn more or request a demo!