This is a little insight of how customer service has taken the front burner as a customer retention strategy post the Covid pandemic. Let us face it, COVID-19 really opened our eyes to a lot of things and has indeed changed the modus operandi for businesses. 2020 saw a gravitational shift from focusing on just the sale of the product to attending to the convenience of the customer. Two years later there is still an urgent need to use customer service as a pivot for your business and it will be so. We have witnessed the shift of businesses from the usual brick and mortar to the online space such that the cost-benefit of running your business online, so far, has made the cost of having a physical presence pale in comparison. Needless to say that managing your brick and mortar has taken on a new dimension.

So have you thought about how applying great customer service can help retain your customers?

Your goal should be to ensure that the entire experience of the customer while interacting with your business should be positive, commendable, and memorable. This is achievable if you have a customer-centered mindset which entails creating loyalty magnets at each interaction of the customer within your business.

A Simple Customer Retention Strategy

Most small businesses erroneously think that it is only when they do the “big things” that customers appreciate them.

NO.

It is more of a case of moving from doing the “little things right the first time to doing the great things.

Whether you agree or not, the size of your business has a way of conditioning the psyche of the customers in their expectations of what your service delivery should be. Aim at getting those mundane things right. Attain the minimum expectations and you will see that it really doesn’t cost much to turn a customer into your brand advocate. The word “PLEASE” as simple as it sounds, possesses the spark to improve your customer retention.

Let’s see how…..

P – Pay attention to what your customers’ needs are. It could also be what they are telling you, some customers may not even speak at all but will simply act.

L – Listen to your customers, your suppliers, your staff, your competitor and your business environment generally. This will help you stay updated and even help you anticipate areas of improvement before your customers tell you.

E – Execute on the feedback you have received. If you ask customers for feedback and you don’t do anything with it, what’s the use then?

A – Ask questions in areas where you may not be knowledgeable. As business owner, you also need training. Make it a way of life, you are setting a standard

S – Serve! This is critical to the success of your business. Also bear in mind that your staff are watching. Let them see you serve not just hear you say it.

E – Exceed your customers expectations.  Because customers have a minimum expectation, consistently exceeding that expectation is the magnet to increasing the number of customers who will remain with your business.

The Bottom Line

Using customer service as a customer retention strategy can be done in varying degrees. However, it is noteworthy that whatever scale you decide to undertake, the focus should be on ensuring that it is maximized for ROI.