Do your customers adore you like an old friend? Running a business has never been easy. Years ago it used to be a lot more simple. You provided a good service, and if people liked it, they kept coming back. Offering superior customer service will help customers adore you today and tomorrow.
But in the age of social media, where anyone person can send a tweet or a Facebook post that lets the entire world know how they feel about your business at the speed of a broadband connection, it takes a bit more than that. You can’t just be good, you also have to be likable.
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Making Customers Adore You Like An Old Friend
Fortunately, being likable doesn’t require a multi-million dollar PR campaign or hiring a pricey consultant. You can make more of your customers get warm fuzzies when they think about you.
Just making a few tweaks to how you handle your marketing and customer service can make a difference for customers to adore you. Here are five ways you can help customers adore you like an old friend and be happy doing business with you.
1) Engage On Social Media To Make Customers Adore You
Companies still try to treat social media platforms like a broadcaster, sending out advertisements and blasting content. But really, it’s a two-way conversation. You will need to engage with your customers on their choice of social media.
If someone addresses your company directly on social media, respond back, even if the comment is negative. If someone is merely talking about you, that’s another opportunity to respond.
People like companies who talk with them, rather than simply talk at them. Your customers will adore you for engaging with them.
2) Respond Quickly To Customers
Customers today are more impatient than ever before. With instant gratification being the norm, they expect quick and efficient service, especially when they are experiencing problems or have questions. If you do not respond to them quickly, they will take their business elsewhere.
In addition, responding quickly shows that you value your customers and their time. It shows that you are willing to go the extra mile to resolve their issue as quickly as possible. This type of exceptional customer service will keep them coming back, even if they have a problem or question that needs to be addressed.
How to Respond Quickly to Customers
There are a few ways that you can make sure you are responding quickly to your customers:
- Monitor all channels of communication. This includes social media, email, phone calls, and text messages. You should have someone monitoring these channels at all times so that no customer goes unnoticed.
- Set up an auto-response system for when you are unavailable. This way, customers know that you have received their message and that someone will be getting back to them as soon as possible.
- Train your employees on excellent customer service. They should know how important it is to respond quickly to customers and how to properly handle customer inquiries and complaints.
By following these tips, you can be sure that you are providing the best customer service possible by responding quickly to your customer’s questions and concerns.
3) Make Canceling/Returning Simple
Some companies, in an attempt to cut down on the number of cancellations and returns, force customers to cut through a lot of red tapes. This will NOT help make customers adore you.
The hope is that some customers will simply choose to keep the product rather than go through the extra obstacles.
While that might be a short-term revenue bump, it will create more long-term problems. Since the loudest customers are usually the least satisfied, frustrating customers who are already unhappy with your company will only spread bad word of mouth.
For example, the people search engine site, Instant Checkmate, created an entire website for members who want to cancel their service. They sometimes even cancel for customers who privately message them on Facebook.
Giving extra attention to customers, even the ones who don’t want to be customers anymore shows that you’re an honest and transparent company. This will make customers adore you.
4) Solicit Ideas and Actually Use Them
Everybody loves someone who listens to them. And an easy way to show that you actually value your customers’ voices is by asking them for ideas on how to improve your business. Hold an idea contest. You can then offer a small prize, like a gift card, to the winner.
Take the best (and easiest to execute) one. Then brag about how much Customer X’s idea has improved your operations.
All of a sudden you’re not just a business that serves customers, you’re also a business created by customers – customers adore you for that one.
5) Surprise Them
If you give people more than what they were expecting, even if the added value is small, they will sing your praises to anyone within earshot. Simple things like unexpected gifts, free upgrades, and other goodies show them you actually care about making people happy.
Sadly, people are accustomed to being handed the bare minimum. Sometimes customers will even expect to fight to get what they paid for.
Even tiny upgrades to your product or service will feel huge to them and set you apart from your competitors. Your customers will adore you for it!
Finally, you could offer a freebie for your long-term customers. Something in value of time or money. So many businesses seem to do that for new customers but not for their loyal, longtime customers.
Your Turn: Do Customers Adore You
How do you find companies that are likable? Do your customers adore you? I’d love to hear about how you provide superior customer service in your online business.
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 12 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
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As you said engaging in social media is important as people deploy social media as a means to make complaint. So if you engage with your customers they will help market your product for free. Thanks Lisa for sharing this tips as it reminds us of the importance of conversation as means to build bridges and sustain relationship
You are welcome Peter. It works online just as it does offline with customers. Service is key. Thanks for coming by and have a great day.
No brand or business one can engage and start conversation or replying to everyone on social media (if they can, more power to them …). The solution here is to do, what most active celebrities do – they respond and engage with 1% of the people – mostly randomly – which makes the rest of the people feel good. This keeps the community aspect alive on their portfolios.
Hello Lisa,
The tips you shared here are quite classical. While I adore them myself and are particularly in love with the freebies part, it is my belief that if you make cancellations/returns too easy, you’ll soon be running a charity instead of a business. Sometimes, people could be real silly and cancel services or return products for real silly reasons!
Don’t you think the procedure should be defined and strict rules applied?
Do have a very great day!
Always,
Terungwa
Thanks Akaahan for coming by and for your input on this one. Yes, that is true it could become a charity vs a business. It really depends on your niche and what the competition is offering wit their return policies too. If others have 30 day, you may be forced to have that as well. It can be difficult at times to be competitive and yet not a charity at the same time. I found that with a retail site I had done for several years. Returns could be a killer some months but the bigger retailers did and I had to remain competitive. Have a great day as well!
Hi Lisa,
Great share. I loved your ideas about surprise element.
yep, Social media presense can make your business further to next level sans any doubt.
Thanks for creating good points over your subject matter.
Thank you Shiwangi and welcome to Inspire to Thrive. Yes, surprise them and they can’t forget you! You are welcome. Enjoy the new week!
Hi Lisa,
As usual great post! If you make every terms and condition very transparent to your customer then they would love your service for sure. Now days good social media presence attracts business owners towards you.
Giving surprise to them I think is the new thing for me here.
Thank you Atish. Yes, either exceed their expectations or give them something as a surprise – less chance they will forget you right? Thanks for coming by Atish and I hope you are having a great weekend!
Hi Lisa,
You’re right, it’s not as easy to find loyal customers today. Our customers are easily influenced away with all the social media and one bad review can do significant damage.
One of the best ways I’ve found to impress customers and adore you is go above and beyond their expectations. For example if you say they can expect an order in 5 days, get it to them in 3. It’s those kinds of things that customer love.
Good post Lisa,
Liz
Hi Liz, it does seem like customers are not as loyal as they once were. I’d agree – go beyond their expectations to have them remember you and your brand. Thanks Liz, hope you are having a great weekend!
Hi Lisa,
excellent article. Most brands, especially those who are new to the online world – still considers social media as a promotion platform. Agreed with you – it does not works like that anymore.
No brand or business one can engage and start conversation or replying to everyone on social media (if they can, more power to them …). The solution here is to do, what most active celebrities do – they respond and engage with 1% of the people – mostly randomly – which makes the rest of the people feel good. This keeps the community aspect alive on their portfolios.
thanks,
Uttoran Sen,
Thanks Uttoran, I would hope they engage with more than 1% of the people, if they use the right tools to listen they can increase that and not respond so randomly. It sure does not work like that either – it’s not just a promotion platform anymore. If they use ike that people will not listen or engage. Thanks for the input on this one Uttoran.
Hey Lisa,
What a great post! I really love the idea of surprising your customers – it’s something that I plan on doing! I want to find good cards to send out and write thank you notes by hand – showing people you care is so great!
Zach
Hi Zach, thank you. Wow, hand written thank you notes, don’t see many of those these days Zach. They sure would stand on in someone’s mail today. Good idea! Have a wonderful weekend ahead Zach.
Hi Lisa
Some great ideas there. I have seen some of these kinds of things when reading Gary Vee’s stufff. I believe he sends people things for no apparent reason and it has really given him a great reputation.
But social media these days certainly opens up the channels for everyone. Companies are no longer in their ivory towers and we can contact many of them instantly on Twitter.
Hopefully they are starting to pay attention and change the way we interact with them, to all our benefit.
great reminder
ashley
PS. I see your comment luv is also not working. Took me hours yesterday to fix mine. Ended up installing plain comment luv and have not put premium back on yet. You might want to do the same.
Hi Ashley, wow, I wonder how some people can afford to do that. Nice that they can. It does and social media helps small businesses to compete too with the large companies. Ashey, what is wrong with my CommentLuv, is it the approval that is delayed or something else? Thanks for letting me know.
Hi Lisa,
Some very good points. I think that’s not hard to understand what customers and clients like or don’t like and anyone not getting it shouldn’t even be in business.
I hope this can help some people in need of such advice.
Thanks Sylviane for checking this post out. Sometimes it can be difficult depending on the industry. Some industries don’t have as much personal contact with the customers making it more difficult. Others are much easier to understand. I hope so too, enjoy the new day Sylviane!
I definitely think companies need to engage more on social media Lisa.
I’ve been thinking about how I can do that more myself even. Social media seems to have been taken over by business and it’s lost some of the fun it once was.
It’s definitely not good if a company makes it hard for you to cancel or return something.
I’ve found recently on a couple of sites I used to pay for membership that I had to contact them directly via email to cancel.
It would make it so much easier if they just had a great big cancel button!
Hi Tim, oh yes they sure do. I love how Lowe’s has been doing it with as I’ve been doing some home improvements and shopping there weeky as I check into Foursquare and sharing on Twitter. They always respond with something good. That would be much easier, a big cancel button, I like that but I’m sure companies don’t want to make it too easy for us either. Thanks for coming by Tim and have a great rest of your week, it’s almost over alreaady.
Hi there Lisa!
Sometimes we need to get back to basics, thanks for the reminder. I think being social and engaging with customers is most important.
For me, as long as a company is there for me when I really need them and not have an attitude when I reach out to them, I’ll like and adore them :).
I’d like to think I’m likable.
Thanks for sharing these tips with us! Happy Wednesday Lisa! Hope all is well!
Hi Corina, oh yes, we sometimes forget those basics along the busy way. It is amazing how some can have an attitude, isn’t it? You sure are likeable Corina. You are welcome and it’s Thursday already, been offline more and more of late, hope to catch up soon! See you back in the socialverse soon my friend.
Thanks Lisa you have shared really important information here.Engagment on social media is really great way to increase blog traffic.
You are welcome Uday, I hope you found it simple and informative too. Have a great day ahead there -apppreciate your coming by.
Hi Lisa,
As I read this it seemed to me that most of this is just plain old common sense, but as they used to say in the old days ‘common sense ain’t common.’ So it’s good that you’ve written about the basics of how to be ‘likeable.’ I love it! And so simple. I like the ideas you’ve provided and will try them myself to see how it works.
Barbara
Hi Barbara, Yes, common sense surely is not so common today as it once was. I hope you do find them simple and useful reminders as well. Thanks Barbara for taking the time to come by today and have a wonderful rest of your week.
Hi Lisa, Great ideas for how to win loyal customers. I’m thinking that all of your ideas have a common thread, caring about the customer. Your suggestion about making canceling/returning simple really illustrates whether a company cares more about their customers or the bottom line. The funny thing is, if they care about the customer, the bottom line will take care of itself!
I would also add that a business should apologize when they make a mistake. I had a situation this week where a business royally screwed up several times with negative consequences for me and my daughter. The woman who made the mistakes was not apologetic, tried to make excuses, tried to blame me and had a very negative attitude. I just finished speaking with her boss who contacted me with a heartfelt apology. He took full responsibility for his business and really seemed to care that we were wronged. If he hadn’t done that, he would have lost our business but since he showed that he really cared, I will give them another chance.
Thank you Carolyn. How true that is about the caring for the customer will really take care of the bottom line by itself. Good point! Apologies sure can make a difference. I can’t believe some companies would put the blame on the customer, ugh! If they do apologize and show they care I’d do business again as mistakes can happen. After all we are all human. Thanks for your story on this one Carolyn. Have a great day too!
Hey Lisa,
I’m don’t promote products like that but I can definitely see where those types of things would really benefit companies.
I’ll never forget when a friend of mine tweeted about a product that she just loved. They were shakes that you made. The company saw that and tweeted her back thanking her for mentioning them. They got in touch with her and about four days later she received four big boxes of their products of her favorite flavors all for free. Their gift to her for saying so many wonderful things about it. I was floored because I never really thought about that but I also don’t shop a lot to be honest with you.
I think it is very important for companies to stay on top of what people are saying. I mean if you have a lot of very unhappy customers then you’re just asking for trouble when you ignore what people say. Help resolve the issue and they’ll see you in a different light.
Great suggestions Lisa, absolutely. Thanks for sharing these and I’m sure others will find this very helpful indeed.
Enjoy your afternoon.
~Adrienne
Wow, Adrienne, what a great example. That shake company probably spent under $100 but made a customer for life. And look, word is still spreading about their good deed!
Hi Adrienne, not yet right? Hopefully soon for you and I’m sure you wil be doing it right too. Wow, that is awesome. I haven’t had that happen before. Yes take those negative things and turn them around to positive if at all possible knowing that you can please everyone all the time. You are wecome and I hope your week is going well there now Adrienne. We are back in the deep freeze here again. It can’t last forever right?
Hi Lisa!
Great points you have shared here. The best one I like is engaging on social media. It only costs time…and if done well with proper planning, one can wisely create a schedule of time and be on social media in a disciplined way. But Engagement is the key ingredient to business.
Also there is nothing worse than jumping through hoops trying to cancel or return something. Been there and done that with certain companies and/or products I have purchased. The best thing is to put customers first and have a no questions asked policy. You don’t like it…here is your money back. That leaves a great impression and your business will be chatted up like crazy.
I know..I’ve done it myself. When I wasn’t satisfied with something and the company returned my money with that no questions asked…I got right on social media and shared how great they were.
Thanks again Lisa,
-Donna
Hi Donna,
I totally agree with you, that engaging on social media is the best option and specially for me:
But in the case of “cancel or return ” for products, I believe most of the companies/ individuals are in confusion, specially if you are providing a “Digital Download” product without Licencing OR Activation key like E-Books or Course materials.
What I have seen that, many people just use this 30 days OR 60 days money back guarantee to get FREE copy of the product as once it is been downloaded, there is no way you can get it back…
I believe 4th point by Lisa, “Surprise Them” is the NEXT best strategy in this scenario…
Regards,
Karmakar
@Lisa:
Thank You very much for this informative article… Really appreciate it… Special thanks, for the information about “Instant Checkmate”…
BTW:
Have you received my E-Book???… I believe it is in your Mail Id….
Regards,
Karmakar
Hi Karmakar, you are welcome. I have but not opened many emails, been working on a major home improvement – almost done with the project so I hope to catch up a little in coming days. Plus caring for my mom of late too, been so much busier offline these days. But I will get to it and I thank for you it too. Have a great rest of your week Karmaar.
Donna, Glad you mention that social media does take time, it sure does! Oh yes, been on both sides of that fence Donna. Sometimes it was easier to let them keep the items then go thru expense of making returns. And giving them their money back. You are welcome Donna and thanks for sharing your input on this topic. Enjoy your day!
great post..more interestingly i had like these smiley portion…..
these all are awesome…
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Smiles always make people happy right Riya? Thanks for coming by and welcome to Inspire to Thrive! Have a great rest of your week!
It’s so important to remember you are dealing with people. It can be easy to forget that when in cyberspace but it is just a crucial to be friendly as when you are selling from a store front. I’m working on that as it is a skill that does need to be acquired.
Hi Katy, yes some people do act different on cyberspace than in person. Good luck with it and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for coming by today.