When a customer walks into your store or sends you an email, how do they feel when they walk away? Unless you have wowed them or made that all-important magical first impression, you have failed. Yes, they might be back at some point in the future. But the truth is they won’t walk away from the experience bubbling with enthusiasm and keen to tell others.
In an ideal world, every customer that meets you and your business will walk away knowing they are loyal, long-term customer of yours. But, of course, things are never that easy. We’re going to attempt to give you some of the solutions to the first impression problems you might be having. Read on to find out more.
Be appreciative
First of all, make sure you end every conversation with a new customer with a thank you. So many small businesses fail to make their customers feel appreciated, and it’s a big mistake. You don’t have the budget to spend on huge marketing campaigns like your larger rivals do. All you have, in fact, is your customer service – and it’s somewhere that you need to excel. It is vital, then, that you thank your new clients for their business and ensure they know you are grateful. It only takes a heartfelt email or personal note, or a shake of hand. Try it out – you might be surprised how effective it is.
Force them to remember you
People will forget your business. As much as many marketers think that people love brands, the simple truth is that they don’t. All consumers want are the things that they need at a particular moment, and it is unlikely that your business often falls into that category. So the key is to make sure you linger in their memory when they do need that product you sell. A great way of doing this is to offer discounts or free branded gifts at the end of your transaction.
Let’s say you are showing off your business at a trade event. People will be milling around hundreds of stalls and might have an interest in your business. But information overload means they forget by the time they go home. But what happens if they have a branded pen or a USB stick? As Lanyards USA explain here, prospects will often use them at a later date. And it’s at this point when they remember your great first impression.
Offer a smooth experience
Another big component of customer service that sticks in people’s minds is their experience as a whole. For example, if a consumer walks into a retail store, can’t find what they are looking for, and receives poor service, they won’t come back. If, however, they find what they are looking for in seconds, and are out of your store thirty seconds later, they will be happy. And when it comes to getting repeat custom, you have to aim for the latter. Make sure that it is easy for your customers to find what they are looking for. Look at the barriers that are preventing them from getting perfect service – and fix them.
No comments yet.