Blog
The customer is king — 6 ultimate tips for the right customer relationship
Sebastian Terlunen
The right customer approach is A and O in the Direct marketing. Being customer-friendly is of course the most important requirement. In this blog post, you will find out exactly what you should consider when contacting customers and how to best deal with complaints, returns and bad reviews.
The first impression is usually decisive. The less well the customer already knows you, the more important the greeting is as an element of customer contact. It is therefore important that you make a good impression as soon as you greet you. Use yours for that too body language. Make sure to smile and greet the customer in a friendly way. An open posture facing the interlocutor signals that you are engaging with him and his needs. Friendliness always makes a good impression. Make sure to address the customer by their correct name. But be careful, pretentious and contrived friendliness can send the wrong signals. Just be yourself. Stay authentic.
Appearance also plays an important role in dealing with customers. Make sure that your team's workwear is professional and tidy. It directly reflects your work ethic and how reliable your brand is. Try to find the balance between intrusiveness and absence, for example by offering your help after the greeting.
From sales talks to collaboration: Show your customers who you are and where they stand with you right from the start. Consistent and clear communication when dealing with customers creates trust. When talking to customers, the focus should always be on the customer and their wishes. Make the customer feel that their concerns are important to you and that you will take care of them in the best possible way.
Don't assume that the customer has thoroughly informed themselves about all information about your product or company in advance. Always be open to questions. However, always keep control of the conversation as far as possible. What is the added value of your services/articles for the customer? Present your unique selling proposition and the benefits of your offer in a simple and understandable way for the customer. When dealing with customers, it is important to convey why the customer should choose your product.
social media offers you the opportunity to enter into a direct dialogue with your customers or even new customers. Addressing customers, whether via social media or in newsletters, must attract attention. For that, you need a good hanger that motivates you to read on. Especially in social media posts and newsletters, you should convey your information briefly and concisely. No one wants to invest a lot of time reading a newsletter forever. Try to address the customer as directly as possible. Personal speeches are usually better received than general wording. Through your language, you should represent the culture and spirit of your company. If you stick to your writing style and define your own wording, it becomes part of your corporate identity and strengthens it at the same time. But keep in mind that you don't use the same text for all of your channels. Because reaching out to customers on Instagram is different than one on your website or in a newsletter. Take your time. Adjust the style to the respective channel. In this way, keep your existing customers up to date and attract new customers.
Complaints or even bad reviews occur. Studies show that dissatisfied customers whose complaints have been handled well mostly promote the company. So what matters is how you deal with bad reviews and how you react to them. Does a customer complain to you and make you feel that they are upset? Then keep calm and try not to rush back. Remember not to take the customer's anger personally. Stay clear and decisive, yet friendly and respectful. That's how you radiate sovereignty. It is important to de-escalate the situation and bring the conversation back to a factual level. Ask specifically why the customer is angry and thus make it clear that you want to understand the customer's needs.
First, accept every complaint with thanks. After that, it is important to act as constructively as possible. If the complaint is justified, take care of an improvement as quickly as possible and promise the customer this immediately. You can also meet the customer with discounts or a free service to smooth things out. A customer complaint over the phone makes the conversation difficult because you can't read the other person's facial expressions or gestures. After the complaint, you should let difficult or aggressive customers know that you are taking their concerns seriously and will call them back later.
You don't have to worry about bad reviews. These happen and you can rarely please all customers. It is important that you show yourself responsible when a negative review is justified. A well-thought-out response to a negative review is usually an important step. This gives your company a good opportunity to show personality and empathy. This reaction offers the opportunity to correct something for disappointed customers and at the same time win over potential customers. Show that you also take negative feedback seriously and that you are committed to changing the justifiably criticized factors.
The sustainable success of your direct marketing is based on satisfied customers. It is clear that the first impression counts. In a few seconds, it is usually decided whether you will end up with a new customer and give you a business relationship - preferably in the long term - will build up. But here too, the relationship needs to be maintained. Try new ones again and again Points of contact to create with your customer. Be it about marketing measures or about new products or new services. It is also important that customers feel that they are being taken seriously. A friendly and solution-oriented approach to criticism and grievances can even contribute to an improved business relationship. [Comparable to a good marriage ;-)]
The FrachtPilot supports you with all tasks, which at your direct marketing accrue. From the reckoning and inventory management about the Route planning up to online store. And, of course, when it comes to marketing and complaint management.
Just get in touch with us and we would be happy to advise you about that, like the FrachtPilot you and how it can help your company. How FrachtPilot can help you with your direct marketing ready for the digital future to design.
Of course she is free and non-binding consultation. In addition, in an equally free and non-binding test period Put the FrachtPilot through its paces!
