At Canadian POS Corporation, we strive to provide our clients with the best possible customer service in our industry. We know that customers appreciate being treated with respect, having their concerns addressed promptly and receiving the attention they deserve when they want it. The insistence upon providing top-notch customer service should not be lost on any business owner – no matter the industry.
On Inc.com, Tali Yahalom writes that improving your customer service can be the key to your company’s survival. For many customers, it is the experience over the product or service that makes it worthwhile to do business with a company. It’s important to always keep the moods of your customers in mind. How do you want them to feel when they do business with you?
Having customers leave your establishment in good moods is what is bound to keep them coming back. At Canadian POS Corporation, we talk a lot about the convenience you provide your customers when you allow them to pay with Visa, MasterCard and Interac cards. But what else can you do to improve the overall customer experience? Yahalom weighs in with a few suggestions.
Clientelling. This is a strategy that is great for building relationships with profitable clients, says Yahalom. Often employed by high-end businesses, it is the practice of pairing a customer with a representative who logs every action into a database. This information is then used to cater specifically to that client in the future. It’s all about getting to truly know and understand your customers.
Tiered Service Levels. Yahalom also recommends that you divide your customers into categories to help you come up with tailored service plans. Learn about which ones spend the most money at your place of business and provide exclusive benefits to them. This is isn’t any different than what credit card companies and airlines do for their biggest spenders.
Optimally Allocate Resources. Use your customer data to come up with ways to specifically advertise to certain clients. Not everyone you do business with has the same interests. Many companies waste money flooding mailboxes with flyers that go straight into the garbage, Yahalom reminds us. When you specify your marketing approaches to customers based on data, you maximize your chances to make sales.
Act On The Customer\’s Terms. You’ve heard that “the customer is always right”, right? Well, it’s important to treat your customers right, as a result. “Interact with customers in the way that they see fit,” recommends Yahalom, “Rather than hire a greeter whom customers often dismiss, instruct employees throughout your store to welcome incoming shoppers.”