3 Actionable Ways To Show Your Customers You Care

The world of 21st century business is fast-paced, dynamic and exciting, buoyed by an exponential boom in digital technologies that allow those with wit, imagination, ingenuity, and hint of bravery to go into business for themselves. However, with opportunity comes competition. And in an era of ample competition consumers know that they can afford to be fickle. Earning and retaining their loyalty is one of the most common and frustrating challenges for businesses of all shapes and sizes today. Nonetheless, businesses can increase their chances of gaining the loyalty of their customers by making them feel valued and showing that they care about the needs and desires of their target market and not simply fixating on the bottom line. With this in mind, here are some actionable ways in which you can show your customers that you care about them…

Leverage CRMs to bring them communications with value

No customer likes being spammed. They can’t stand it when their email inbox is filled with information that is of no use or value to them. That does not, however, mean that they are averse to being sent email content. It simply means that the content you send has to be of value to them. It needs to make their lives easier, help them solve a problem or make them an offer from which they’ll benefit. This is where CRMs and cloud contact management systems come in. With these invaluable tools, you can keep track of customer contact data no matter where you are and use it to create personalized messages which resonate with customers and bring them content, offers, and promotions in line with their preferences and location.

Build your rewards system around what they want, not what you want to give

When you’re caught up in the minutiae of your daily operations, it’s easy to lose track of the customer and focus on what it takes to keep your business functioning profitably. This is often referred to as a “business first” model. But in an era where customers are better informed and more fickle than ever, you need to adapt to a “customer first” business model if you hope to secure their loyalty. One of the easiest ways to do this is with your rewards/loyalty scheme. Use it as an opportunity to give the customer more of what they want rather than focusing on what’s cheapest or easiest for them to give. They’re far more likely to be loyal if you can incentivize that loyalty with something they value.

Respond quickly and openly to them on social media

In the age of social media, businesses that ignore their customers on social platforms do so at their peril. Of course, it’s easy to pay attention to your customers on social media when they’re saying nice things about you or asking questions that denote interest in your brand. It’s less easy when they’re criticizing you or making complaints on social platforms.

Nonetheless, dealing with these kinds of comments openly, fairly, quickly and decisively shows a clear message to the customer making the complaint, existing customers and future prospects that attending to the needs of your customers is your number one priority.

When your customers know you care, they’re far less likely to take a chance on whether your competitors do too!