Blog
Customer Intimacy – Who ARE your customers?
Do You Know Who Your Customers Are
Increasing customer satisfaction through customer intimacy depends on one very important thing – How well you know your customer base. Who is it that is doing business with you? This may seem very basic and rudimentary, but it is actually one of the factors that most businesses have taken the time to ask themselves.
We all know that customer are the ones who bring dollars into our company and sustain us financially, but who are they really? It’s time to discuss this point with your leadership team. You need to clearly define who your customers are in order to take the next step toward customer intimacy. You can’t get to know someone intimately on a personal level without getting to know more about them. The same holds true in the professional world.
By clearing identifying who your customers are, you’ll be better able to decipher how to serve them better. Discuss your customer base with your leadership team, front line staff, and sales staff. What type of customers do you have? Are they individuals or businesses? Are they large companies, small businesses, or solo-prenuers? How long have they been in business? What field are they in? What are their similarities? What are their differences? Ask yourselves these questions in order to open up the discussion to dive deeply for knowledge. You must determine who your customers are before you can go about improving your business for their benefit. If you don’t know who you are serving, it’s really just a shot in the dark.
Improving customer service and satisfaction requires an appreciation of the people that are currently coming to you for your products and services. By doing this exercise, you may even discover that the people who are keeping you in business are not the ones you originally thought would ever do business with you. You never know unless you ask. By asking, you understand. When you understand, you are in a better position to serve and increase customer loyalty, as well as profits.
Customer Satisfaction Through Customer Intimacy
Customer Intimacy
Customer intimacy brings customer loyalty like nothing else. No matter what you are selling or giving away, knowing your customers like no one else will bring them back every time.
How? Well, think about it. When you know that someone truly understands you and the challenges you face and tries to help you through them, wouldn’t you return to them? When they recognize the way you operate and make accommodations to make your life easier, don’t you naturally go to them first see if they can meet your needs before you go to their competition?
Customer intimacy takes place on all levels of the interaction and relationship. But there was the key word – relationship. In order to have a intimacy, you must have a relationship or be genuinely trying to build one. This applies in both the personal and professional worlds, but we’re sticking to the professional aspects here.
As a business leader, I know that I need to get to know my customer before I can help them. They don’t want to hear what I have to offer unless I’ve established a rapport that will allow them to tell me what their challenges are. Customers are completely turned off by folks who talk at them. They want someone who will listen to them first, establish what the need is, then offer up a solution. Without following that simple formula, you are destined to be second to your fiercest competitor for customer loyalty.
We’ll be talking in the next few posts about customer intimacy and they way that it builds relationships, builds customer satisfaction and loyalty, and gives you the competitive edge. But best of all, it will keep your business in the customer’s mind as the first resource they will go to for help.
To get you started on the path to customer intimacy, this manual outlines five of the essential factors necessary to building relationships with your customers like no one else. I’m anxious to know what you think about it.
Customer Service Provides Value
| Recognize the Big Picture…. |
|
I was recently paying a bill to a medical group with whom my family seeks medical care. The Billing Specialist commented that she was feeling a little burned out with her job and wished she could make a difference for people.
She Didn’t Recognize Her Value I told her that she made a very big difference to me and my family. The current medical insurance requirements and changes have our minds literally swimming. She has provided us the expertise with coding and requirements to ensure that our claims are billed accurately to receive the appropriate and highest reimbursement. I reminded her that she educates me every time we speak about how the claims have been billed according to what the physician codes and how the insurance company can pay according to our policies. When there is a mistake made in the system, she contacts the appropriate people to fix it and have any corrections made. Above all else, she explains things to us in layman’s terms and reassures me that everyone in their department is working to be sure that our claims are handled appropriately. This gives me peace of mind.
People Do Business With Those They Know, Like, and Trust
Because Marilyn has proven to be a valuable resource to me in regards to our medical billing, anytime that an issue arises, I simply call her. I have recommended several people to this medical group simply because of the way she handles our accounts and lets me know that she has me covered. Obviously, the medical care is excellent, but it is the personal touch that Marilyn gives that lets me know she values the relationship our family has with that group.
This is the type of reassurance that customers need, no matter what the field of business. Customers want to know that you are there to help them solve their problems and are watching out for them.
A Valuable Resource to Keep Improving Everyday
To help you in your continued efforts of raising the bar in service, I’m including this link for your benefit. Five Steps to More Loyal Customers will change the way you interact with your customers the very same day you use it! When used as a tool for team development, the results are inspiring. You’ll get everyone talking and involved on how to make the customer experience so much better. Five Steps to More Loyal Customers will put you in the category of Walking the Talk when it comes to delivering excellent customer service!
|
Small Stores Trump Big-Box Stores in Service
Why are some small specialty stores having their best year ever? Because more consumers than ever are putting an emphasis on customer service to determine where they do their shopping. The smaller stores recognize that they may not be able to beat the larger stores in price, but they can more than make up for the difference with the service they provide. Younger adults are now more than twice as likely to choose stores based on service. This shows that delivering excellent customer service is more important than ever before and shows no signs of fading into the background.
There is tremendous competition based on prices, so the smart retailers are focused on providing an experience, not just a deal. The Mom and Pop stores, small retailers, and specialty stores are finding their niche in delivering something that the big box stores just aren’t providing – an enjoyable shopping experience that engages the shopper.
Readers of this blog know that there are three ways to differentiate yourself in today’s market:
- Price
- Product
- Service
Service is the easiest, cheapest, and provides the largest return on investment and effort.
Read what a small retailer in Kalamazoo, Michigan has to say about providing a unique shopping experience that sets them apart from the larger stores.
“Certainly there is tremendous competition,” said Vicky Kettner of Downtown Kalamazoo Incorporated . They’ve gone to battle for your buck, placing billboards miles from downtown and right on the front lines of its big box competitors.
Their idea is to sell a holiday experience that consumers say is lacking in modern retail.
“When someone is looking for a relaxed environment, where experience is important, customer service is important and selection is important for the uniqueness of things, then we have a good story to tell,” she said.
To really provide a unique experience to increase your profits and loyal customer base, you’ll find all of the strategies and techniques right here at http://www.kristinaevey.com/products/5-steps-to-more-loyal-customers/
Huddles Pay Off BIG in Football and Customer Satisfaction
Successful customer service and football. What do they have in common? They both rely heavily on huddles. Think about it. In football, the huddle is when the play and strategy is discussed. It’s when they make sure that everyone has what they need to make the play and score the touchdown.
Customer Service Huddles Increase Customer Satisfaction
The exact same thing goes down in a huddle at the office. The manager, supervisor, or team leader gathers everyone for just a short time and makes sure that everyone knows what is needed to make that day go well for both the customers and the company.
The leader needs to make sure that everyone knows what is expected of them. All team members must understand their role in the big picture and needs to speak up if they need help or assistance.
It’s during the huddle that the day is mapped out and challenges are prepared for.
I strongly advise you to have 5-7 minute huddles DAILY with your teams. This should be part of the DNA of your business, team, or office. The huddles need to happen daily and consistently. As a leader, you need to ensure that they be short in duration and full of relevant information. They should cover what is being worked on, appointments for the day, any current customer issues, anything that is required or needed for a project to be completed, and requests for information and assistance.
Remember, prepare your team for success by giving them a game plan for the day. Find out what is needed, what should happen, what to do in case the unexpected happens, offer assistance to those who may need it, keep those working on projects accountable. Find out about the challenges facing your team. Be brought up to speed on customer issues and internal department issues. With huddles, these should essentially act as a game plan for the day.
Using huddles in the workplace makes everyone a winner.
