CUSTOMER RELATION

Introduction to customer relation  Create opportunities for self-service.

Customer relations Provide on-demand one-to-one support at all hours of the
- is the process and manner by which a business develops, day. Ensure that you’re providing the tools for your
establishes, and maintains relationships with its customers. customers to get help when they need it, even without the
- Customer relations is effectively communicating with your help of a rep.
customers promptly addressing complaints and treating  Be accessible.
them as opportunities for improvement That isn't to say that you should replace reps with self-
- Customer relations refers to the methods a company uses service solutions altogether. To provide an excellent
to engage with its customers and improve the customer customer experience, your service and support teams need
experience to be readily available to help. A Microsoft survey revealed
 includes providing answers to short-term roadblocks that over a third of consumers reported that their biggest
as well as proactively creating long-term solutions complaint with a company is not being able to get help from
that are geared toward customer success. an agent when needed to.
 aims to create a mutually beneficial relationship with - Technology can help ease some of the stress for your
the customer that extends beyond the initial customer service team, but it can never recreate the
purchase. memorable experience that a live rep can provide. This
human interaction is crucial to creating a meaningful
Benefits of Positive Customer Relations relationship between a company and its customers.
 Show appreciation.
 Positive customer relations Part of creating a great customer experience is providing
- can result in an array of benefits for your company, small moments of delight where you exceed their
including more potential leads and higher customer expectations. This is particularly important as our culture is
retention rates. shifting away from brand loyalty and more toward loyalty to
 Increased Customer Retention the brands that provide the best experience. Consider
- Companies that do a better job of managing customer rewarding your best customers with a loyalty program or
relations are more likely to see higher customer retention other small token of your appreciation.
rates. Customers know when your company is being  Measure and improve customer satisfaction.
genuine and are willing to overlook your mistakes so long as Making your customers happy doesn’t have to be an
you demonstrate a dedication to their success. intangible effort. Ask for feedback from your customers and
 Increased Customer Loyalty develop a system for measuring that feedback. This could be
- Building positive customer relations drives customer in the form of customer satisfaction survey.
loyalty because it creates an intangible incentive for the  Create an online community for customers.
customer to return to the same business There’s no better way for improving customer relations than
 Increased Customer Satisfaction by allowing your customers to connect with one another
- It can be hard to tell whether your customers are truly and with specialists on your staff. By creating an online
happy with your business or not. An unhappy community, whether by a forum on your website or a
customer simply doesn’t return to a company for another Facebook group, you ensure your customers continue
purchase. Having strong customer relations can act as your engaging with your brand and with your products. They’ll
insurance policy for preventing these unidentified also feel supported along the way by other users of your
customers from churning without warning. products.
 Increased Customer Feedback  Provide education programs that help your
- Positive customer relations give companies more insight customers grow better.
into their customer's problems because it creates an open Educating your customers to help them grow their business
channel of communication for relaying customer feedback. is one of the best ways to improve customer relations. If
This leads to better individual interactions with customers, your product has a steep learning curve, for example, you
which builds up trust over time and influences their buying can create a series on YouTube that walks new users
decisions. through the platform or the installation process.
 Be personable.
Consumers believe that a good experience with a company Perhaps the most important tip is to be personable in all of
has more influence over their purchase decision than your interactions with your customers. That means that
advertising does. every email, chat, or interaction with your company should
be with an actual representative who signs off with their
Factors that can influence a customer relationship. name. The exception is, of course, automated service email
 Invest in employee training campaigns, but even those should have an alias of someone
- A great customer experience comes not only from the who works at your company.
product being sold, but also from the employees who  Create a customer-first culture.
interact with the customer. Your reps must be highly skilled Companies that want to create positive customer relations
in their trade and motivated by quickly solving customer need to install a customer-centric culture into the
problems. organization. This culture must be focused on customer
- Customer service training may include developing some of success as well as creating long-term solutions for every
the "soft" skills such as improving active listening, customer. Employees will be more motivated to help
developing a professional communication style, and how to customers as they can see exactly where they play a role in
solve problems efficiently in your organizational framework. the customer's success. It also helps to hire a customer
 Create a fulfilling workplace for your customer relations executive who can lead the development of
service reps. customer relationships.
- Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines famously said, “If you
take care of your employees, they will take care of the INDIRECT MARKETING RESULTS OF GOOD CUSTOMER
clients.” This seems intuitive: If a customer service rep is SERVICE
having a bad enough day that the customer perceives this, it * word of mouth * referrals
can change the tone of the experience. * Social media reviews * repeat client

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Eight (8) Ways to Build Rock-Solid Customer Relationships PRACTICE AND CHANGES TO PONDER

 Practice Consistent & Proactive Communication BUSINESS ETHICS

Consistent communication is one of the key strategies for * inclusivity * compliance
effective consumer relations. Your customers should never * leadership * morality * relationships
feel like your business has forgotten about them right after * principle * trust
making a purchase. The set of practices and policies that companies use to
Proactive communication can help your business build trust guide them through running their team and operations.
and avoid future issues. To practice proactive
communication, regularly update customers about the CUSTOMER SATISFACTION:
status of their issue, report any unusual activity in their - this is measurement that helps business understand how
account, share industry news and trends via newsletters. well their products, services, and overall customer
 Nothing Beats Personalized Experiences experience meet customer expectations.
At the end of the day, customers buy from you as they are
able to relate to your brand. It can be something as simple WHY DO PEOPLE GO BACK?
as the color of your logo or the values your business * BRAND NAME * VALUE FOR MONEY
represents through social corporate responsibilities. * QUALITY * CUSTOMER SERVICE
 Take Out Time to Appreciate Your Customers * ACCESSIBILITY
No matter if you are a small business or a large corporation,
the biggest asset you have is your customers. But how often DEMEANOR AND NON-VERBAL CUES
do you take the time to say a simple thank you or reward * actions * mannerism
them for everything they have done for your business? * behavior * facial expression
Here are some top ways to thank your customers: * the way someone presents
* Thank you Notes or Emails: Himself in front of other people
* Freebies
* Loyalty Programs: Start a loyalty program, through PROPER USE OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION AT
which customers can earn points or rewards for buying WORK
your products or services. Let them redeem those points * understand before you react * don’t foul words
the next time they purchase from you. * speak with substance * be concious of your timing
* Create an Impactful Employee Training Program * always maintain respect *set the right tone
Employees are your first customers, and you need to * do not exercise power tripping * be open to suggest &
ensure they are well-prepared for all the challenges that receive
come their way. Trained and motivated employees will go
the extra mile to keep your customers happy, loyal, and 4 Qs (the measurements of a person’s abilities and chances
delighted. of future success)
 Focus on the Small Things  IQ (INTELLIGENCE QOUTIENT)
Customers pay attention to detail. How they are greeted - the ability to acquire knowledge, reflecting a leader’s
when they enter your store or how your service reps handle rationalism abilities.
their complaints, customers notice everything.  EQ (EMOTIONAL QOUTIENT)
 Apologize When Needed - the ability to understand and manage both his/her own
To improve your relationship with customers and avoid emotions, and those pf others.
losing them, you have to make it a point to apologize  AQ (ADVERSITY QOUTIENT)
outright every time you commit a mistake or let down a - the ability to manage difficulties and transform obstacles
customer. into opportunities.
 Take Customer Feedback and act on It  SQ (SOCIAL QOUTIENT)
Capturing customer feedback at key customer touchpoints - the ability to interact and communicate with others with
is one of the top techniques to build customer relationships. empathy and assertiveness.

WHAT IS GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE? WHAT IS THAT ONE THING THAT CUSTOMER DISLIKE THE
* the support and assistance provided to customer before, MOST?
during, and after the purchase of a product/service. - HEARING NEGATIVE ANSWER
* involves addressing customer needs, inquiries, and
concern in a timely and effective manner. HOW DOES POSITIVE PHRASING HELP YOU
* essential for building strong customer relationships.  A form of communication that emphasizes positive
* the goal is ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. language
 Avoid negative words/ phrases
WHY IS GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE IMPORTANT IN DAILY  The tone is suggestive and solution- focused
BUSINESS OPERATIONS?  Conveys optimism, encouragement and positivety
- Because the CLIENTS TO PATRON, SALES & REVENUE,  Boots morale rather than promoting criticism
ADDED EMPLOYMENT has huge contribution in company’s  Improves personal relationships, business
success. communication and even self talk
 Builds a positive mindset and help build rapport with
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS others.
 Helps to reduce misunderstanding and defuse
INTERNAL EXTERNAL potentially situations.
* management * students * clients
* colleagues * parents THE H.E.A.T. PROCESS
* dept. Team members * suppliers HEAR
EMPATHIZE
APOLOGIZE
TAKE ACTION

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