Nearly all customer-facing businesses will agree that today’s consumer is less patient and more demanding. Add to that the multiple sources of information such as social media influencers taking over the message that marketers wish to convey and the result will seem to be chaos and unpredictability. How then do we ensure that our customers remain loyal? How do we keep them for life?
We asked Jinggay Gallardo, our resource person on customer service and marketing, for some tips on how we could create a culture of customer service excellence:
1. Understand your customer really well. You cannot serve who you do not know.
Get the information you need to understand them. Be purposeful and don’t hesitate to ask.
Source secondary data but primary is always preferred so that there is ongoing conversation between you and your customer. Update the information regularly. Customer needs and expectations change over time. Make customer data a live resource.
For example, after having enjoyed free internet access at their flagship store in New York City for many years, I like the way Macy’s has tracked my purchase habits every time I’m in town. They make valuable suggestions on products I am definitely interested in. As soon as I log in, I am virtually escorted to the relevant floor and section, saving me precious time.
2. Make sure all the mechanics to deliver on your promise are working. Test the system yourself, on different times of the day and days of the week. Act like the “customer from hell” to check on breaking points and weaknesses. Enlist friends who can be trusted with confidential findings to act as mystery shoppers. Correct pain points before making any customer promises.I enjoy being a mystery shopper, and I’m a tough one. One client is George Optical, which does not just conduct this activity regularly, but the comments are acted upon and processes or services are improved on by the owners themselves, when necessary.
3. Make the customer journey as easy as possible. Create the least amount of friction, even if it can’t be perfect. Patience is not one of today’s customer virtues. They expect perfection, and they want it now. Find the shortest line between their need and your delightful fulfillment of that need. And do it all the time, every time.
Piandre Salon is one of my favorite brands because it offers the same level of service whichever branch you patronize. They are not perfect of course, but none of my minor irritants have ever escalated to the point that I’ve sworn never to be back.
Is all this easier said than done? Creating a culture of excellent customer service is a combination of regular training and innovations that create desired behavior. And although this may seem difficult at first, once you see the business results of this approach, the effort will be worth it.Gallardo will facilitate a course titled “Delighting Customers: Knowing, Serving and Keeping Them” on Feb. 11, 2020. If you want the program to be conducted exclusive to your organization, it can be customized according to your learning needs. INQ
For more information, please email
ask@inquireracademy.com, call (02) 8834-1557, (02) 8771-2715 or (0945) 2158935 and look for Jerald Miguel or Karl Paz, or visit www.inquireracademy.com. The author is the executive director of the Inquirer Academy.