Staying competitive in today’s business environment means continually delivering superior customer service, which can be achieved through a focus on effective activities and programs explains Saivian. By monitoring, measuring, and evaluating your existing customer retention activities, you will have a better handle on programming that works and that which does not. Then you can make necessary changes to ensure that your customers remain satisfied and loyal to your business.
12 Ways to Improve Customer Retention:
1) Don’t Lose Sight of the Goal –
The first step in finding out how you can improve customer retention is determining why this is important to you. To accomplish this, it’s best to envision where you’ll be in five years if you continue on your current path. Are you happy with where you’ll be? Is it the best use of your time and money?
2) Set Up Customer Retention Metrics –
Once you’ve decided that customer retention is important to your organization, the next step is to set up some metrics for measuring how effective your programs and activities are in achieving this goal. You can then take these metrics into account when deciding how to improve your customer retention.
3) Audit Your Company’s Customer Service –
A thorough review of your company’s current customer service practices will allow you to determine which areas require improvement in order for you to achieve your goal, and how much work is necessary. By auditing all of your company’s customer service activities, from incoming phone calls to service after the sale, you can determine where problems are occurring and what types of changes need to be made.
4) Put a Program in Place –
After gathering information about where your business stands on a variety of customer service issues, you have enough data to put a program in place. This program should include a strategy for achieving your customer retention goals and a plan on how to measure its effectiveness over time. Saivian says a good way to make sure your program is sound is to seek advice from an outside consultant with expertise in this area, as well as from people within your organization who have proven track records.
5) Emphasize Customer Service –
One of the best ways to improve customer retention is by reminding your employees that you value your customers. It’s worth pointing out that customer service is not only each employee’s job, but also his or her personal priority. Letting workers know they can make an impact through their actions with customers will motivate them to do their best work.
6) Play up Your Company’s Strengths –
There are a number of different qualities and benefits associated with any company, such as low prices, great products, helpful employees and strong customer support services. Whatever these strengths might be in your business, it’s important to know what they are and how they can help you achieve your customer retention goals.
7) Recognize and Reward Employee Performance –
Saivian explains rewarding employees for their positive contributions to your business can go a long way toward improving customer service. It’s important that you identify the types of activities deserving of recognition, determine which employees are responsible for carrying them out, and develop appropriate programs for rewarding good work. As another benefit, it will make the workers feel more appreciated by management.
8) Implement Peer-to-Peer Recognition –
If employee incentives don’t appeal all that much to certain people in your organization, perhaps peer-to-peer recognition will be better received. The idea behind this approach is that other workers in your organization should be able to reward each other for a job well done. You may want to consider giving employees or teams of employees the opportunity to provide recognition to individuals they believe have performed outstanding work.
9) Train Employees on Customer Service –
In order to improve customer retention, it’s important that your workers be knowledgeable. About what types of activities and behaviors can assist customers and promote customer loyalty. This is why training on customer service issues should be an ongoing process within your organization. As new problems and concerns can arise all the time.
10) Remember the Little Things That Count –
Customers notice the little things that a business does to make their lives easier. As well as those things that make them feel as if they are not important. In your quest to improve customer retention. You should take care of the little issues even though they may seem trivial at first glance. By taking care of customers from start to finish. You’ll keep fewer people from looking for companies who will provide a better overall experience.
11) Saivian: Be Honest and Transparent –
Transparency is a simple concept but hard to practice at times. It means being honest with clients about any problems or issues that arise. Put simply, it means winning people’s trust. By letting them know where you stand and what’s going on with regard to customer service issues.
12) Avoid Offers of Temporary Discounts –
It’s easy to give customers discounts when they complain about your prices, but it can hurt in the long run. Forcing potential customers to threaten with canceling their service or taking their business elsewhere. If they want a discount is not wise. It takes a lot more effort for a company to regain a customer. Than it does to keep one satisfied in the first place.
Conclusion:
Your business is unique in its own way. You might have great customer service. But if your competitors don’t it will be difficult to get customers to stay with you explains Saivian. The tips given here are just a few guidelines to help you improve customer retention. It’s important for any company owner or manager to take all factors into consideration. When trying to retain their customers and grow their business.