Great Service Increases the Lifespan of Your Customers or Clients
Did you know it costs approximately five times as much to acquire new customers than to keep an existing one? In other words, it is more profitable to retain your clients and build a loyal relationship with them, than it is to acquire new ones. This is why customer service is key.
So often we spend time on new business, new sales, and new marketing. We don’t spend enough time making sure we maintain exceptional relationships with our existing clients.
This is true for almost every business. It doesn’t matter if you’re a dentist or if you’re running a coffee shop. The more often clients return for your services, the healthier your business will be.
What makes people keep coming back for more?
Service.
The reality is that most people will go to the same businesses and buy the same products over and over again because of how it makes them feel. If you can make your customers feel like they are important and like they are your top priority, they won’t have a reason to go anywhere else.
Make people feel like they are the most important person in the world to you, and they will keep returning to your business over and over again.
Word of Mouth Business and Referrals Will Keep New Business Rolling In
Yes, it is better to keep your clients than to constantly have to worry about getting new ones, but we can’t lose sight of the fact that every business needs to keep new customers and clients coming in.
Without new sales, you will eventually hit a downward spiral. Over a long enough timeline, every business will lose customers and clients.
With that in mind, what’s the best way to get new customers?
Word of mouth is and will always be the most valuable customer acquisition strategy there is. If you can get people talking about your business and superior customer service, naturally these clients will begin referring their friends and family members to your business. Ultimately, you will see begin to see your business grow at an exponential rate.
We spend so much time worrying about digital tactics, advertising, content and web traffic that sometimes we lose sight of the fact that our customers are real people that value loyal relationships and people in their network.
Superior service is how you get your customers talking about you.
For instance, at Stodzy, we make it a top priority to always communicate with our clients. We made a commitment early on to do this because we realized that most tech companies or agencies don’t like to deal with their clients on a personal basis.
There is an ego that comes within tech industries where people don’t think they should have to talk to their clients because they speak some kind of techy language that “you wouldn’t understand.”
We went ahead and did the opposite, and it’s one of the most important things we have ever done. We get more business through word of mouth referrals than through our own SEO.
That’s a good thing. Word of mouth is the most valuable marketing asset any business can have.
If you serve your clients, they will tell their friends about it. We all recognize amazing service because of how rare it is. We all appreciate when a person or a business goes out of their way to serve our needs and to make us feel top priority.
Happy Customers Make for Happy Employees
One of the secondary benefits of providing great service to your customer is that it promotes a very happy working environment.
Employees want to feel good about their work. They want to feel like they are contributing to something that is bigger than them. If you provide great service, you will receive positive feedback from your clients.
Your employees will love it. Your internal morale will stay high, and your company culture will remain positive.
If you don’t think this is true, try to imagine working at a company where your clients are always unhappy. Try to imagine your employees constantly having to put out fires or deal with angry phone calls from clients who feel like they didn’t get what they paid for.
It’s not hard to see how important good service is for your customers, but also for your employees.
If you take care of people, you will see the fruits of your labor and it will translate into a positive working environment.
Some Ways to Improve Service Right Now
Every business will differ, but in almost every genre, there are procedures that you can add to your business right now that will instantly improve your client service and increase the lifespan of your clients.
First, I recommend assigning at least one person to servicing your clients. In our case, Bill is our client services liaison. His primary objective is to make sure our clients are happy. He has relationships with our clients and he talks to them frequently.
Secondly, I recommend building a reporting system. We send monthly reports to all of our clients so they know exactly where their account is in the process.
Lastly, I recommend you send a weekly newsletter out to your clients. This newsletter should always be free and it should aim to serve the needs of your clients in whatever way possible. Whether the newsletter includes free advice, videos, or content – the main objective should be to enhance communication and build a consistent relationship with your clients. I have always appreciated the businesses that take the time out to send helpful advice, tips, and content.
Getting Started
Exceptional customer service is such a simple way to improve your business and promote long-term relationships with your clients. There is no better time to get started on these tips and strategies than right now.
No matter where your business is in terms of its growth, you can implement these tactics, for free, and watch the fruits of superior service blossom.
Aside from quality customer service, internet marketing may be the next big step for your business.
If you need more help improving your marketing strategy, contact one of our specialists. We would be happy to jump on a call and help you develop a growth strategy.
