5 Ways to Build Positive Customer Relationships
Posted 4 June 2014 12:38 PM by Regan Billie
Customers can make or break your business. Keeping your customers happy and engaged can help not only sustain your small business, but also help to grow it in the future. Your customer base is most likely full of different types of people-customers that you will hear from too much, customers that you never hear from, customers that seem to only complain, and many more. Try to be present and helpful for the customers that need assistance - it will go a long way. So, what are some ways to make sure customers have a positive experience?
Train your customer-facing employees
Your employees can help strengthen customer relationships! Make sure that your customer-facing employees (receptionist, sales and customer support reps) have the tools they need to create a positive experience for customers. They should be friendly and helpful no matter what the situation is.
Implement a customer referral program
If you customers are happy with your product or service, it is likely they will recommend you to others when the situation arises. Consider implementing a customer referral program, so that customers benefit from these referrals. Fleetmatics' customer referral program offers a gift card for referring new business.
Acknowledge your super star customers
Your best customers will be the ones who will speak up about their experience with your company. When a customer has a positive experience, they are more inclined to leave a review or provide a testimonial for your business. When they do say something nice about you, reward them! If your business is b2b, you may consider giving them positive exposure by including their business in your press releases. If your business is b2c, consider implementing a loyalty program with different levels of discounts. Either way, adding a loyalty aspect to your customer relationships can be beneficial to both parties.
Keep the communication lines open
Allow your customers to contact you in several different ways. Of course, the first line of communication you should always have is a phone number that is prominently featured on your website. Some individuals are not "phone people," so perhaps you can implement an online chat feature on your website for immediate customer service. Create a specific email address for customer service requests. After you create these channels, make sure you have enough internal manpower to manage them.
Invest in technology for your employees and customers
Technology within the workplace benefits both employees and customers. Fleet tracking and field service software can help manage mobile employees and jobs. For a vehicle-reliant business, it is important to know where the fleet vehicles are 24/7. With a GPS management system, a fleet manager has the information necessary to update a customer if a technician or delivery person is running late. Field service technology can help to improve communication between employees and customers. What are other ways that your business builds positive customer relationships? Let us know in the comments below! Want to learn more? Get a demo of Fleetmatics fleet tracking and field service technology.
