Today’s economic crisis is leading consumers to focus more on value than price: from the packaging quality, delivery option, and service support to company’s reputation and its attitude to the customer. Combined solutions satisfy customers more often.

A satisfied customer isn’t necessarily a loyal one. Even a satisfied customer who rates a company’s service as exceptional will leave that company for one that provides better value.

Customers are satisfied when a company successfully completes transactions and understands their needs.

Customers are loyal only when they receive value beyond the ordinary parameters of service. In other words the more extraordinary the value, the greater their loyalty.

The process of building customer loyalty is simple and lays on the surface. However when you move your focus from the product to the client you must know you will have to be going this path as long as the company exists.

To reconnect with their customers companies should take the following steps:

• • Refocus their customer service on resolution, not speed. Customers want “one-and-done” experience, and they don’t care how they get it as long as their problem is solved quickly. Companies should favor policies that empower employees to resolve issues without needing to transfer to the customer or escalate the issue, even if it means taking a little more time.
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• • Build and communicate your trust to the client on any administrative level from the receptionist to the president.
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• • Create multiple options, using multiple channels, whereby customers and employees can provide feedback and incentivize decision makers to act on that feedback. Resolution has to be immediate, or it won’t help. It’s worth remembering that every successful communication can be a customer saved.
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• • Present personalized offers only when they make sense and via channels where customers are receptive. Customers don’t want to hear about special offers or add-ons when they need service.
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• • Provide high quality of an automation service the same way as personalized.

The key factor of building and supporting customer loyalty is the approach when during one communication session a client can solve his/her problem essentially, emotionally, and procedure-wise.

 Authors: Experts of Kraskovski