When you’re a client, what makes an experience great for you? Client satisfaction is the life blood of a business. When your clients feel like they’ve received great service, they tell others about you. So, how can you go from good service that meets the needs of your clients to a great experience that makes clients want to tell others about you? The good news is, it’s easier than you think.
Creating Value for Your Clients
“Value” has become a bit of a buzzword for businesses, but what does it mean? It’s more than your client getting the services they paid to receive. Your clients and your potential clients have more choices than ever to get what they need. So, what do you offer that your clients will find valuable? You must look past the obvious answers of your knowledge, services, and skills. You must also consider how your clients are treated. What makes a business experience valuable to you? Here are some ways you can increase the value of your services in the eyes of clients:
- Go above the call of duty. Of course, we know your time is limited. We’re not advocating that you work for free. We advocate you sharing a little extra information that your clients can use. You can do this in a monthly or bi-monthly client email newsletter. You can provide information rich blog posts that automatically go out to your clients. Even simply listening to a client speak without interrupting them can make them feel valuable.
- Empower your employees. Make sure that your employees can solve problems for your clients. Come up with a list of the most frequently encountered client issues and solutions your employees may offer.
- Improve your communication. Are clients getting updated as often as they like? Consider sending out bi-weekly or monthly updates on long-standing client matters. If a client leaves a message, call them back within 24 business hours. Making an effort to keep your clients informed is one of the best ways for your business to become a valuable asset.
Learn to Listen
While is part of communication, it’s so important that we’re giving it special attention. If you really want to give your clients a great experience, learn to listen. Remember that while your clients are coming to you about something that you consider routine because of your industry, it’s something that means a lot to your client. Learning to truly listen to your clients can help calm them and it can also give you all of the information that you need to do the best you can. Practice the steps of active listening each and every time you have contact with a client.
Apologize When Necessary
It doesn’t matter if a client is upset because they misunderstood a business policy you have or if an unexpected problem came up when you were handling their issue. Apologize. You don’t have to say that you’ve made a mistake (unless you did). Apologizing helps make the client feel better. It shows that you have empathy for your clients and how they feel. Even if you return a message that was left days ago, a simple, “I’m so sorry that it took me so long to return your call,” can work wonders.
Clients ARM Can Help You Improve Client Satisfaction
If you’re looking to go from good to great, Clients ARM can help. We offer customer service, client intake, and other communications-based services that help your clients feel valued. To learn how we can help your business for a fraction of a price of hiring a traditional employee, schedule your free consultation.
