Cater_Service & Engage
Cater.
service & engage
Create a happy and returning customer base by making them feel engaged, serviced & understanding your culture.
Authenticity.
A great deal in maintaining a successful relationship with your client base is by being you.
Being good to your client base is important, because it takes more effort to find a new buyer, than to have a returning happy customer.
Show genuine interest.
Try to really understand your customers.
What drives them? Gets them up in the morning?
Ask what they expect from you and when?
Why do they need you or your product/service?
Don’t forget you are human!
You are not a robot. Don’t try to act as one!
You be you and be your authentic self. Don’t try to be someone you are not.
Don’t turn into a parrot. 🦜 Change the way you do your sales pitch or answer the phone from time to time.
Don’t oversell yourself! Accept what you can do and deny what you can not do. It will pay off in the long run, trust me!
““You can do anything, but not everything.” ”
Be Transparent
Communicate openly & honestly.
Create an environment of trust
It’s ok to fuck up! Just talk about it.
Communicate fast, calm & consistent
Turn your customers into fans.
Delight your client base and transform them into fans & brand ambassadors that will spread your word for you.
Celebrate success
Share the good moments.
First of all: understand the moments (Birthday, Baby, …)
What are your milestones? (Share them)
Just a little personal message is enough (use your CRM, Mailing,...)
This is the perfect moment to convert again. (give a coupon or a discount)
Set up a Loyalty programs & reward returning customer (you can do that in your CRM, Webshop,...)
Communicate on-point
Interact fast & agile!
If you are in B2B-situation, answer in under 3 hours!
If you are in a B2C, answer instantly. Even if it’s a standardised & automated answer.
You don’t always already have to come up with a solution, but just let your customers know that you received their message and when they can expect feedback from you.
Give a clear view on effort & timing. Let your customer now when their question is being handled with and how.
Cross check expectations and is ask your client if what you propose, is actually what it expects.
““Do more than is expected of you to really turn your clients into brand ambassadors. But realise that everything takes time & consistency.”
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Communication tech
Communicating with your customers 24/7 is a tough job and it’s not easy to do. But understand that you are not alone in this. There are millions of tools to support you.
CRM
Store all your customer-related information in one place
There is not one-size-fits all, so get into contact with us to talk about a CRM that fits with your organisation.
Ticketing System
Keep all your customer-related topics and issues in a digital tool that gives you a clear overview of the questions or remarks your clients have. Important here is to know who is dealing with what and if the issue already has been resolved.
Website
You don’t always have to repeat yourself!
Create a FAQ section on your website where people might find common answers to their question before contacting you.
Develop a Knowledge base on your website. Here you can further explain the use of your services & products with video’s or manuals.
Some issues or questions are regularly coming back to you. Make sure that you adapt your communication or provide your customers with the right information.
Marketing Automation
Use tools to automate the most easiest of communication.
Standardise certain emails or give an auto-answer when someone writes you
Link your Facebook Messenger with your webshop to give live information
Use a chatbot on your website to answer easy questions
“Never go overboard! Regardless of your approach, human intervention is crucial.”
Tackling big projects!
Taking on big project with colleagues, clients or partners is all about dividing it into bite-sized pieces everyone understands.
Start off with a kick off where you get to the core of everything.
Make sure that everything is broken down into the tiniest details to avoid unwanted surprises
Discuss who will have what responsibility and what expectations everyone has of each other.
Check in regularly. Go over tasks of the project every day, week or even every hour if that is necessary.
Develop a roadmap (in tools like Trello, Clickup, Google Sheet) and set timings. This way you know what is still ahead and what will be behind.
When things go wrong.
You are not perfect. Sometimes things go wrong and that’s ok. It’s how you deal with the situation is important.
Angry Customers.
How to respond when shit hits the fan?
#1 Rule: Respond fast. Every second you wait puts fuel to the rage.
Apologise, even when you are right. Just do it!
Make them feel like you really care and want to help them with their issue.
Repeat their feedback and ask if you have understood it correct.
Explain how you want to help and which steps you want to take.
Check if the solution you are offering is also what is expected.
Know when to let go.
Sometimes it’s better to choose a different path.
It’s important to know that you can not please everybody. Don’t be afraid to walk away from a conversation or deny a client if you feel like you did everything.
Always give it all, but never lose you value or Identity!