4 Powerful Tips To Boost The Customer Experience

We live in a digital world and, with the constant chatter taking place around us, now is the time to stand out and show your customers you’re there to enrich their experience with your brand. As social media and other digital platforms become a greater part of our lives, businesses are turning to new ways of marketing and connecting with their customers.

The millennial generation is having a greater influence over this. Unlike any generation before them, millennials are looking to build authentic relationships with the brands they love (think Apple). Because of this shift, many brands are reinventing the way they do business and market to this generation.

Today, if your company is not actively engaged on social media, there is a lot of untapped marketing potential you’re missing out on. Millennials want brands to deliver authentic and high quality experiences with them through engagement, and if you’re not doing that, it’s likely your competitors are.

Become engaged and boost the customer experience through these 4 tips:

1. People aren’t numbers, don’t treat them that way. When it comes to running a business, you can lose focus on your customers and only look to the bottom line. However, there is more than just making a profit (although that is important).

Instead, take time to get to know your customers and their spending habits. What is it about your product or service they like, and why do they like it? The more you understand your customers and their preferences, the better service and customer experience you can provide them. As you learn more about your customers, you can recommend other products or services they might like or offer promotions and other deals specific to them.

2. Build authentic relationships with your customers. Customers, especially millennials, are looking to build authentic relationships with the brands they like. With social media and other digital platforms, engaging with your customers is a great way to build those relationships. If you’re not interacting with customers online, you’re missing out on reaching a large demographic of potential customers.

Looking to build relationships other ways than just Facebook? Send out monthly newsletters with your customers, share fun and interesting content on your blog (infographics, quizzes, and webinars are a few popular choices), use Pinterest, Instagram, or Periscope, to share ideas and engage with your customers. The possibilities are endless.

3. Invest in your employees to help them improve the customer experience. Your employees are the face of your company. They’re the ones interacting with your customers on a daily basis, hear their complaints (and compliments), and are there to provide the best service to your customers. By not investing in your employees and providing them the resources to learn and improve, you’re missing out.

Implement trainings and other resources to empower your employees with the skills to provide better customer service. In addition, take some time to listen to your employees, collecting feedback and other insights to improve your business. Because they’re the ones interacting with the customers, they hear and see things you may not have considered. Also, create a positive company culture to make your employees feel appreciated and valued.

4. Don’t ignore online reviews, use them to your advantage. For many businesses, online reviews—primarily those negative ones—can be intimidating. Don’t let those bad reviews prevent you from engaging with your customers and instead use them to your advantage. By professionally acknowledging those negative reviews and comments, you not only will (in most cases) help the person out, and potentially change their view of your company and brand, but you’ll also win over potential customers who were watching the exchange as well.

Immediate responses to problems or negative situations show your customers you care about and are there for them. Through actively engaging with them, listening, and finding ways to help them with the situation, you will not only persuade potential customers to make a purchase, but may turn some of your customers into loyal brand ambassadors as well.

At the end of the day, your customers want to know you care and their voices are heard and valued. You can show them this is happening by how you interact with them (both online and off), through special deals and promotions, and through a well-trained, friendly staff who are there to assist them.