The beginning of a new year is inevitably followed by countless articles about trends and predictions for the year. It got me thinking on how much has changed in the way we do business in the past decade and a half! Yet some businesses are wary to admit the sweeping changes and pretend that they have been doing business the same way for years, and decades! Nothing has changed, they claim.
I disagree.
Think about your business. Can you imagine your father or grandfather having access to Facebook or LinkedIn to seek customers? Did businesses in the 1990s ever imagined about existence of something like outsourced customer support channels that will help them passionately focus on growing business without fretting about customer support?
The simple point is: A business must keep up with times and embrace changes. A reluctance to move with the times can cause major disruptions and force it to play catch-up and lose critical competitive advantage.
With those thoughts in mind this chilly morning, let me seize the opportunity to share my personal tips on what every business should do in 2018 customer support to secure crucial competitive advantage.
- Welcome the changing expectations of customers. This is the first of all reminders every year. Remember your customers not just compare your services with your competitors, but with any business whose customer support they are in awe of. You can outsource customer support to companies like Open Mind Services Limited, a specialized Inbound Communications company
whose job it is to forecast and embrace trends before they become the new normal. - Personalize experiences. Your customers want to feel special. They believe they are choosing you over competitors so they should be returned the favor. Recognize this basic human need for attention and invest in a suitable data analytic software or good old common sense to give them what they want.
- React and resolve quickly. Social media is a conundrum every business is struggling with. Still, the single most effective strategy to douse any fire is quick response. Whether it’s a complaint of suggestion, customers expect resolution before their posting even ends! Well, that’s not possible anyway but do prepare your team to answer them within the first 3 hours. Let them know you’re listening, even if the solution takes more time.
- Never undervalue technology. Technology is leading businesses through a period of innovation and disruption. 80% of customers are willing to share more of their data if it leads to a positive experience. Make a conscious effort to leverage this data with the help of mushrooming online software, and unlock access to unrivalled customer insights. Responsive businesses that grip this change will lead competitors through 2018 and beyond.
- Show them you genuinely care. Transparency even now is much underrated. Customers value companies who have the courage to accept shortcomings and are easy to do business with. Using the clichéd word again, remember customers prefer to do business with a person. Motivate every single of your personnel to be available to customers like they will to a much loved family member. You’ll love the difference it makes to your sales graph.
These are a few of my thoughts on keeping up with the times. Do I have more tips, strategies and ideas to share? YES!! You can follow our blog and keep a keen eye to our weekly Customer Support Emails. Subscribe from the link in the right side column, on top.
Go out and make this the best year for your customers.
Make 2018 great for your business!
Naveen Gulati