Power of service in retaining a customer

For many, the expression “it’s the little things that matter”, may not really mean much until they interact with a customer service provider. Every aspect of business has a certain level of service attached to it.

Service has the power to attract or repel customers. Most of us have received poor service at some point. There is one pertinent issue that most companies tend to overlook: customer retention.

Most times, we forget the value of customers and assume they are going nowhere. Never assume that a customer knows how you do business and skip explaining products or services.

There is the beauty of remembering a customer by name and what their preferences are, but there is also more beauty in treating a repeat customer as though they were buying from you for the first time.

Customers love to feel valued and appreciated. Aim at reducing the defection rate by measuring customer satisfaction regularly. Measuring satisfaction helps an organisation to know areas of improvement.

Use feedback to plan on staff training and rotation as well as systems upgrade. Covid 19 has forced most companies to offer online services that require efficient and reliable technology to attain high levels of standards.

Create a plan in line with the organisational vision as well as what is best for the customer.

Know your customers and what their specific needs are, work on reducing staff turnover and benchmark activities with a chosen organisation.

Measuring satisfaction will not only help an organisation to work on their weak areas but also build long-term relationships with customers. Most times organisations wrongly assume that they will meet a customer’s expectation and get a surprise feedback.

Knowing and understanding your customer eliminates such risks. Remember, this year’s Customer Service Week was themed ‘The power of Service’.