How To Maintain Customer Relationships

By
IntelligentHQ

How To Maintain Customer Relationships, Customers are the cornerstone of any successful business. If you’re lucky enough to have a thriving company despite recent hardships, you understand the importance of building and maintaining a solid customer base. However, it’s important not to become complacent. Customers can come and go as new products and services are offered and competitors take the reins as market leaders, so how can you ensure that your customers return to your business?

customer relationsCommunication/Updates/Technology 

Keeping customers informed of changes, discounts and new products or services will help them feel valued. A customer that feels understood and appreciated is more likely to buy from you regularly. Platforms such as Facebook or Instagram can be utilised as communication methods and is the preferred way of contact for many. Developing a personal connection whilst remaining professional will help customers see you as an individual, rather than a distant business owner that provides a service; this personal touch will encourage customers not only to buy from you but also recommend you to others. It’s worth noting that a staggering 85% of business comes from referrals. 

When you produce new products be sure to communicate the advantages of these to your client base. If you are a manufacturing company, you’ll understand the importance of improving customer experience by keeping up with industry changes and new inventions. For example, to keep up with development you may be considering investing in improving your product performance and functionality. Investigating different Operating systems and service oriented edge software innovations will help you identify exactly what you need for your business. 

An increasing amount of manufacturing companies are facing challenges as technology is developed, hardware systems are updated, and new security rules are implemented. They are realising they need to rely on embedded systems that are open source and make IoT and Edge devices run efficiently and if you look at this site you’ll find information on how to optimize product performance to increase functionality. Using the right technology will create a systematic approach and ultimately provide better customer service that is fast and beneficial on all levels. 

Opinions and Support 

Part of communication with customers is asking if there is anything you can do to improve their experience with your company. People love to give opinions and it helps them feel like they matter.  If you ask a selection of customers a set of specific questions you get valuable information to inform your business choices which could lead to more sales and increased traffic to your website. You could design a simple questionnaire and either send it or talk them through it. 

Unfortunately, things do go wrong at times and customers receive a less than ideal experience. Whatever the reason, as a business owner you must deal with any conflict swiftly and professionally. Offer support and listen actively giving a sincere apology for what has occurred and discuss how you can make things right by offering a solution to get back on track.  Gaining back the trust and loyalty of an aggrieved client is critical for damage limitation. Show that you care by using empathetic words and a heartfelt tone. It can also prevent any slanderous comments that could tar your company’s reputation. 

Customer retention should always be given attention and made a priority. Without customers, there are no sales and no business, so look after them and they will look after you.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR