“A Satisfied Customer is the Best Business Strategy of all” – Michael LeBoeuf
The most prolific businesses offer exceptional customer experience to clients. They do this because they realize that customers will pay more for better customer experience than anything else. Let us explore this with some practical scenarios.
If you walked into coffee shop A and the employees treated you kindly and respectfully, then on further observation you noticed how efficient everything about the coffee shop was, and the coffee tasted great. It is certain you will pay with a smile on your face and maybe leave a tip.
Meanwhile, when you try out coffee shop B the next morning, you don’t get such welcoming treatment. The employee has a face plastered with a frown when asking what you want. When you can’t make a quick decision, the employee snaps or speaks rudely to you. When your order finally came, it tasted flat. You won’t be leaving a tip here.
Imagine passing by the next morning and you need coffee. Obviously, coffee shop A will be your first choice for what you need.
Here are the points we can identify from these scenarios:
- You (the customer) had a great customer experience at coffee shop A. Hence, they have won your loyalty, trust, and cash.
- You won’t be referring any friends or relatives to coffee shop B and you won’t tell them why you stopped using their service. In the best case, you would leave a negative review on Facebook to state your disappointment.
Creating an exceptional customer experience is vital for your business. The only problem is that 80% of business owners believe they are doing just that, yet only 8% of customers agree with them (Bain & Company Research).
Well, we can’t blame you because customer experience is a broad word and it can be daunting to discover where your business is lacking. Customers won’t tell you and those that leave negative reviews might not be 100% honest. So, how do you figure out the areas of your business in need of improving? It is by paying closer attention to what customers say, using proper tools. We have identified these tools below.
- Social Listening Tool
There is a high chance a conversation on social media has something to do with your business. Not everyone would tag your business page in a conversation with friends about their experience there. You have to sift through all the talk on social media and find out what is being said about you. A social media listening tool helps you do this efficiently. - Carry Out Surveys
A customer survey makes it easy to hear from the horse’s mouth. The survey should ask relevant questions and provide rating options for your customer service. From the results, you can find those lacking areas of your business. - Employee Feedback
Your employees have direct contact with your customers. They also know the business closely. Gather regular feedback from them on customer service, what they think customers dislike, and how to make improvements.
